One of the best ways to preserve fresh herbs is to freeze them in ice cube trays for later use in soups, stocks, stews, and sauces. Here, we take you through the steps of washing, processing, and freezing basil, but the process works the same way for almost any fresh herb.
What You Will Need:
- 4 oz. basil
- ¼ cup water
- a colander
- a food processor
- a spatula
- one ice cube tray
- Ziploc bags
4 ounces of basil
Steps:
Remove any woody stems from basil. Then, rinse in a colander under cool water and shake dry.
Basil with woody stems removed
Rinsing the basil
Process basil in a food processor until it is well minced.
Basil in food processor
Add water and pulse mixture in the food processor for thirty seconds, scraping down sides with a spatula when needed.
Scraping down food processor
Basil puree in food processor
Pour basil and water mixture into an ice cube tray.
Basil puree in ice cube tray
Let freeze over night. Once cubes have set, remove them from the ice cube tray and store them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to six months.
When ready to use, simply throw a cube or two into a bubbling pot or simmering saucepan, and a fresh, flavorful meal is on its way. Each cube contains about a tablespoon of basil.
