Freezing basil in ice cube trays is a fantastic way to preserve the fresh, vibrant flavors of basil for year-round use. This method captures basil's essence at its peak and provides a convenient and ready-to-use addition to various dishes.
Combining basil with garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil creates flavorful cubes that can be easily added to sauces, soups, and other recipes. These frozen basil cubes are perfect for anyone looking to add a burst of fresh flavor to their meals with minimal effort.
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Ingredients
- Basil Leaves are the main ingredient and provide a distinctive flavor and aroma to the pesto.
- Garlic Cloves add a pungent, savory flavor. It complements the basil and adds depth to the overall taste.
- Parmesan Cheese contributes a salty, nutty flavor. It also adds richness and helps to bind the ingredients together.
- Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and helps to balance the overall taste, while also acting as a preservative.
- Olive Oil serves as the base and helps to blend the ingredients. It adds richness and a characteristic fruity flavor. It also helps to preserve the pesto and prevent oxidation when storing.
(If you want to make true pesto, add some pine nuts.)
These ingredients come together to create a flavorful and aromatic pesto that can be used as a spread or seasoning in various dishes. When properly frozen and preserved, it retains its freshness and flavor for an extended period, allowing you to enjoy the taste of summer basil year-round.
How to Freeze Fresh Basil
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to harvest and preserve fresh basil:
- Prepare Basil Leaves:
- Cut off several large stems of basil.
- Wash the basil thoroughly.
- Remove the leaves from the stems and drain off any excess water.
- Measure Basil:
- Pack 2 cups full of basil leaves.
- Chop Ingredients:
- In a food processor or chopper, chop the basil leaves, 7 cloves of garlic, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, and ⅔ cup of olive oil until well combined.
- Mix Ingredients:
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the chopped mixture and mix well.
- Fill Ice Cube Tray:
- Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray, filling each compartment. This should make about twelve cubes.
- Freeze:
- Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze until solid.
- Store:
- Once frozen, remove the basil cubes from the tray and place them into a ziplock freezer bag. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 9 months.
- Use:
- Add one or two frozen cubes to sauces, soups, or any dish that could use a boost of basil flavor.
Enjoy the convenience of having fresh-tasting basil at your fingertips anytime!
(I'm adding an affiliate link, as once again my trusty Ninja chopper did the work for me. Seriously if you don't already have a good chopper, you need one of these. I use mine all the time.)
What is Basil?
Basil is a culinary herb that is used in many different cuisines. The plants have bright green, oval-shaped leaves, though some varieties may have purple leaves. Their leaves taste sweet and slightly peppery with hints of mint and clove. Common types include sweet basil, Thai basil, holy basil, and lemon basil, each with a unique flavor.
I typically plant sweet basil, and in my opinion, it is an essential ingredient in any Italian dish. Whether you are making pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, parmesan chicken, or any other Italian dish, adding fresh basil takes your dish to a new level. Of course, you need to wait to add the basil until your dish is about finished cooking, to preserve the fresh flavor.
I love having fresh basil in my garden, and I use lots of it all summer long. But what about the winter months when your basil plant freezes? It is possible to grow basil in your kitchen, but honestly, I haven't tried that yet. Maybe someday?
My garden basil plant usually gets pretty big, producing lots of fresh leaves all summer long. I use a lot of it for cooking, but there are still plenty of leaves left to harvest and freeze for use during the winter months.
Preserving Basil
Freezing fresh basil is the best way to preserve it for the winter months. Every summer I plant fresh basil in my garden. It is one of my favorite herbs. It smells amazing and tastes amazing! And it's all around an amazing herb!
I know you can dry basil leaves or just buy dried basil. It all adds good flavor to your dish. But the taste of dried basil will never compare to the taste of fresh basil. Fortunately, I have found that preserving basil in oil and freezing fresh basil in ice cube trays keeps the fresh taste of the basil leaves alive.
How to Use Frozen Basil Cubes
My favorite way to preserve fresh basil is by making basil ice cubes. Then whenever I'm making an Italian-flavored dish, I pull an ice cube or two from the freezer and add it to my warm sauce. Give it enough time to melt, stir it into your sauce, and you've got that amazing taste of fresh basil.
Of course, you can use these basil cubes to add flavor to more than just Italian dishes. Add frozen basil cubes to soups or any dish that would taste good with added basil and garlic.
Here are a few ideas:
- Sauces: Add one or two basil cubes to tomato sauce, marinara, or pesto while cooking. They will melt and infuse the sauce with basil flavor.
- Soups and Stews: Drop a basil cube into soups or stews during the cooking process. It will dissolve and distribute the basil, garlic, and parmesan flavors throughout the dish.
- Pasta: Toss a basil cube into hot, freshly cooked pasta. The heat from the pasta will melt the cube, coating the pasta with a flavorful basil mixture.
- Vegetables: Sauté or roast vegetables with a basil cube for added flavor. Simply add the cube to the pan while cooking.
- Grains: Stir a basil cube into cooked grains such as rice, quinoa, or couscous for an instant flavor boost.
Do the Amish Eat Italian Food?
My blog and my recipes are all about the Amish, so you might be thinking, "But Italian food isn't Amish, so what type of dishes would the Amish use frozen basil cubes in?" Well, you're right, Italian food isn't Amish. But that doesn't mean that the Amish don't eat Italian food.
Many Amish families eat a lot of meat and potato meals. However, they also eat other cuisines. We very seldom ate pizza when I was growing up, but we ate spaghetti and meatballs, and occasionally we had lasagna or other tomato pasta dishes. So we ate more than just traditional Amish food.
My mom mostly stuck with cooking traditional meat and potato meals, but we girls liked to venture out and try new recipes.
More Amish Preserving Recipes
These Basil cubes would be a great addition to my Amish Beef Stew Recipe or Hearty Hamburger Soup.
If you get a chance to use this recipe for freezing fresh basil, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Freezing Basil in Ice Cube Trays
Ingredients
- 2 c. basil leaves, packed
- 7 cloves garlic
- ½ c. parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp. salt
- ⅔ c. olive oil
Instructions
- Cut off several large stems of basil and wash them.
- Remove the leaves from the stems and drain off any excess water.2 c. basil leaves, packed
- In a food processor or chopper, chop the basil leaves, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.7 cloves garlic, ½ c. parmesan cheese
- Add the salt and mix well.½ tsp. salt, ⅔ c. olive oil
- Spoon into an ice cube tray. This should make twelve cubes.
- Freeze until solid.
- Remove the ice cubes and place them in a ziplock freezer bag.
- Add one or two frozen cubes to the sauce when you are cooking spaghetti, lasagna, etc. Or add the cubes to any dish that would taste good with added basil and garlic.
Anna
A great way to preserve basil!
Linda
THIS IS A GREAT RECIPE, THANK YOU
Anna
You're welcome!