Basil is one of my favorite herbs and we enjoy it fresh in
salads, smoothies and pasta. The dog
even likes it but when that first freeze hits in October or November goodbye it
goes.
For that reason, I make sure to begin preserving our basil in July or August right before it starts to flower. By starting early, I can keep most of my plants from blooming until later. (Once it blooms it has a bitter taste.)
I harvest the longest stems first them I bring them inside for air drying in the kitchen. Some people like to use dehydrators to dry their herbs but if you are not in a hurry air drying works with ease. I find it to be the least bothersome way to preserve basil.
Preserving Basil with Ease
To begin you want to harvest a bunch of long stems right from
your garden. I wash and dry them before
bringing indoors then I tie a
string around the base and hang them from the kitchen curtain rod.
It is that easy and in about a week they become brittle which makes them a breeze to preserve. This is when I remove everything from the stem, place it in my magic bullet blender until they become herb crumbs.
You want to make sure for storage to use a glass jar and keep adding more until it is full. I will continue to fill this jar through the next couple of months and then use in soup and whatever else I come up with.
Just remember that preserved herbs are only good for about 6
months. In my new book, Garden Up Green
I have an entire chapter about easy growing herbs; this book will be available
in 2025.
Additional Preserving Basil
In case you didn't know; basil also has some great health benefits beginning with helping
reduce inflammation. It is a perfect choice for stimulating the nervous system in
addition to helping you stay regular. I know too much information…
I love it for the energy boosting properties and have recently started adding it fresh to my smoothies. I do not know what I like more, the flavor or the sense of goodness that follow.
Make sure if you are gardening basil that you are also preserving a stash for the winter months. In case you are wondering about my favorite variety, it will always be Genovese basil.
See the good,
Carole
Visit my Good Food Recipes with basil here
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