Since fragrant herbs are not stored in fresh form for a long time, the best way to prepare them for future use is drying, canning or freezing. Basil in this case is no exception.
Details on harvesting basil for winter at home will be described in the following recipes.
Pasta from basil - harvest for the winter
One of the most universal methods of preparation is the preparation of pasta from basil. Such a fragrant paste perfectly complements any hot dishes and will save you a lot of time and money outside the basilic season.
For the preparation there is no need to memorize specific proportions, it is enough to take a couple of large beams of green basil, a little olive oil and salt.
Ingredients:
- large basil beams - 2 pcs .;
- olive oil - 50 g or more;
- salt.
Preparation
After washing and drying basil stems, they can be cleaned as in the old manner, with the help of stupa, and in more modern and quick ways - using a high-speed blender. Put the washed leaves in the bowl of the device, rub the basil, achieving a paste-like consistency. When the whipping begins to hamper, pour olive oil. Season the basil paste with a pinch of salt. Further, the mass can be distributed according to the forms for ice and sent to a freezer, or poured over sterile jars, layered olive oil from above and immediately covered with sterile lids. The preparation of basil for winter in oil, prepared according to the latest version, can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time.
Procurement of frozen basil for the winter
If you want to keep whole green leaves, then here's a whole couple of ways of preparing basil for the winter that will allow you to do it.
One of the main problems in the preparation of basil can be the loss of leaves in color. To avoid this, basil is blanched for 3 seconds, then it is dried and the leaves are laid out on a baking sheet. In this form, basil is sent to the freezer, and after full freezing it is packed into bags.
You can immediately freeze fresh leaves, avoiding pre-blanching. To do this, it is enough to stock up with freezing bags, in which fresh basil greens are laid out after rinsing and drying. After, out of the packages squeeze out a maximum of air, close the lock and send everything to the freezer.
Seasoning from basil - the best recipes for harvesting for the winter
Another universal way of harvesting is drying basil leaves. On the basis of dried greenery, you can even prepare your own mix of spices by combining basil with pepper flakes and other dried herbs.
Drying basil can be done in three ways. The first, and the most simple, is in the oven. Basil (just leaves or whole branches) is laid out on a parchment covered with a baking sheet and dried at 40 degrees with the door slightly opened slightly open for an hour.
In the second method, you can dry whole beams of basil by hanging them on a rope in a warm and well ventilated room.
The third, the most common method of drying, involves the laying of basil twigs on a sheet of newspaper or parchment, and placing it in the sun or just in a fairly warm and well-ventilated place. Note that the twigs should not overlap, otherwise the drying will be uneven, and the overlapped areas may become moldy.
Harvested dried herbs can be packaged in cans or stored in paper bags, or pounded in a mortar and poured into a container for spices.