Although the taste of fresh basil cannot be compared to anything, sometimes you simply have too many of the aromatic herbs. It's good that there are different ways to use basil and extend its shelf life.
What do you do with too much basil?
If you have fresh basil left over, the delicate leaves can be easily preserved. You can eitherdry themorfreeze themor make them into a deliciouspesto. You can also make fineherb s alt from basil.
How to dry basil?
Drying is one of the most popular and easiest ways to preserve basil. To dry, simply hangwhole stems in a warm and dry place. After a maximum of three weeks, the leaves are so dry that they can be easily crumbled. Then it is best to put the dried basil in an airtight container or jar and store it in a dark place. The taste is slightly less aromatic than fresh basil.
How to freeze basil?
To do this, pluck the leaves from the cut shoots and wash them. Then theleaves are frozen whole and with a little water, small freezer bags or ice cube containers are ideal for this. Alternatively, you can also blanch the leaves and dry them on a plate in the ice compartment Pre-freeze and then transfer to freezer bags or boxes.
How do you make basil pesto?
To make a classic pesto from basil, you need ingredients in addition tobasilalsoolive oil, parmesan, roasted pine nutsandgarlic clovesand a little s alt and black pepper. Everything is ground in a mortar (alternatively, puree) until a creamy, green mass is formed. We recommend making pesto in larger quantities, as it can be frozen very well for storage.
How to pickle basil in s alt?
Follow the following steps:
- fresh basil leaves verycut finely
- mix with sea s alt (100 grams of s alt to 40 to 50 grams of basil)
- mix well with hand blender or mortar
- fill into a screw-top jar
Tip
If you like, add a few zest of an organic lemon.
How long can preserved basil be stored?
Theshelf life of basil variesdepending on whether it was dried, frozen or made into a pesto. Dried basil has a shelf life of several years, frozen as Leaves or pesto can be used for a few months. Basil pesto, the classic from Italy, also lasts for a good three months in the refrigerator if it is always well covered with oil. Herbal s alt can be stored for at least a year.
Tip
Make your own basil oil
Flavored oils can be used to give many dishes a very special twist - basil is also perfect for this. You can completely cover washed and well-dried basil leaves in a bottle or screw-top jar with sunflower oil or olive oil, let them steep for about four weeks and then filter. The basil oil is then stored in a dark bottle.
