How to Harvest & Freeze Basil - Heeman's (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to dry or freeze basil? ›

These leafy herbs aren't ideal for air drying due to their high moisture content. They must be dried quickly, or they will turn dark and mold. You lock in that wonderful flavor and beautiful green color by freezing the basil plants and storing them in freezer bags.

You can flat freeze basil without blanching. However, if your goal is to preserve garden fresh green basil then you should take the extra step to blanch. Fresh basil has enzymes on it that will decompose fresh plants. These enzymes will survive in the freezer and your basil will darken.

Harvest from the top of the plant so more leaves are produced. If you pick from the bottom, it will get lanky and scraggly-looking. For larger amounts, trim off full stems of basil from the top of the plant down.

Chop and Freeze

Use a food processor to coarsely chop washed basil leaves. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pulse to lightly coat the leaves with oil; this will keep the basil from turning black in the freezer. Scoop the resulting mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.

To use frozen basil, add it to hot dishes straight from frozen, or thaw and drain before adding to cold dishes. Frozen basil will last for up to three months.

Arranged the basil on a clean dish towel or paper towels and press until dry. Stack the leaves up on top of each other and roll the basil up into a cigar like shape. Pressing out any excess water as you roll. Place the basil roll a small ziploc bag or a freezer-safe container and freeze.

You can wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel and keep it in a loose plastic bag. For basil with stems, put it in a glass jar like a flower bouquet with a few inches of water. Put a clear plastic bag on top and change the water every day.

I love my whole leaf frozen basil for cooking in winter. The flavor is perfect. Wash lay flat on towel to dry, drizzle with sm bit of olive oil (or leave oil off if you prefer) & freeze. Break off chunks out of zipper bag & add to all types of sauces, stir fry or anything you'd cook to add basil.

use quality olive oil to help preserve the herb instead of water.

Does frozen basil taste good? ›

The flavor does change just a tiny amount with freezing, but it has absolutely more fresh basil taste than other method I've used. You might have tried freezing basil in ice cube trays filled with olive oil. Or maybe you just dry your basil every year (I do). But I think both of these ways fall a little flat.

When you want to harvest more than just a few leaves at a time, you can remove full stems of basil by trimming the plant from the top down with a small pair of scissors. Aim to cut the stems about ¼-inch above a node (the point where the plant's leaves and side shoots emerge).

With time I understood that, in fact, basil can be harvested as soon as the plant is about 12 inches tall in all safety, and that harvesting… or pruning which in the case of aromatic herbs is the same thing is essential to ensure a healthy development of the plant.

Snip the basil stem about half an inch above the tiny leaves. You should see new stems form from the tiny leaves near where you cut the stem.

Save your garden basil to use all year round by freezing it in olive oil. This method blends up the basil leaves and freezes it in ice cubes to preserve the fresh basil flavor to enjoy even in winter.