How Do You Keep Basil Fresh After Cutting It

One of the easiest ways to preserve basil is to freeze the basil leaves.

How do you keep basil fresh after cutting it - To harvest basi l cut the herb back about inch 6 mm above a node 3 inches 8 cm from the base of the plant. By signing up i agree to the terms to receive emails from the rachael ray show. Basil grows quickly so even if you don t want to use the leaves right away gasp keep trimming back the plant when it gets large and bushy. Keep your basil fresh for weeks with this super simple tip.

They lend their signature flavors to foods from southern. Let the basil cool then crumble and store in a tightly sealed container. It s also a good idea when collecting small amounts to snip the ends of branches on the plant as you pick. How to store fresh cut basil.

To keep it green you ll need to blanch it squeeze it dry then lay it flat to freeze. Hand s down the best way to store basil in to put the bunch in a glass or jar filled with water just like flowers. If you re using a recipe that calls for fresh basil but you re using dried instead cut the amount back by a third. When you re cooking and decide basil would go great with your recipe you pluck the basil leaves you want.

The easiest way to keep basil fresh is to keep it alive. Basil is one of the most popular herbs for gardeners and cooks alike. Alternatively you can simply lay clean dry basil leaves on a baking sheet freeze them until frozen about an hour will do it and transfer them to resealable plastic bags. You don t cut whole stems from the plant when harvesting small amounts.

If you grow herbs basil is probably among them so you should know the best way to prune and harvest basil so you get the most out of your plant. And one more thing to note. Trim the cut ends put the bunch in a glass jar or vase of water that will fit in the fridge and cover the whole thing or at least the basil leaves with a plastic bag. These usually come in biodegradable pots and are typically sold right next to the fresh cut herbs.

I ve tried all kinds of ways over the years and this is what i have found works best. 18 commentswednesday august 11 2010 by michelle. Remove basil leaves from the stem and toss them in a pot with boiling water for 3 5. You can simply freeze the whole basil leaves or chop them and store them in a container or freezer bag but keep in mind that they might shrink a little.

As we re at the height of basil season here i thought i d share with you my method for how to keep basil fresh after it has been cut from the plant. Get our best recipes life hacks diy ideas more delivered right to your inbox. You can also try blanching them. Harvesting basil in small amounts is easy.

Once dry basil is more potent than it is when fresh. Basil frozen this way will turn dark almost black but retain plenty of basil flavor.