How to freeze basil?

Basil is an aromatic herb perfect for making pesto or for seasoning pasta and pizza.

On the other hand, it tends to lose its freshness very quickly.

Let's learn how to freeze it to be able to store it and enjoy its flavor for longer.

To discover

• Recipes, tips, chef's secrets... Download the Le Figaro Cuisine app

Freeze basil in cube form

In the refrigerator, basil can be kept for two weeks in a jar, dipped in oil or coarse salt.

However, to keep your basil for months and always have it available for your recipes, freezing is an excellent option.

To do this, you must eliminate the yellowed leaves and keep only those that are green and fresh.

It is important to wash them thoroughly, then dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Once the leaves are clean and dry, place them in a blender to reduce them to small pieces.

It is also possible to carve them manually, which allows you to adapt the cut to the recipes you want to make.

They are then placed in ice cube molds that can be filled with either water or oil.

If you opt for the second solution, we recommend pouring three tablespoons of olive oil for 50 g of basil leaves.

All that's left is to put it all in the freezer.

When the ice cubes have set, you can of course transfer them to freezer bags to save space in the freezer.

Read alsoPractical: how to properly freeze and thaw your food

Freeze whole basil leaves

While the previous technique is ideal for making pesto for example, if you want to make a salad or season a homemade pizza with basil, it is better to freeze whole leaves.

In this case, we select the most beautiful leaves, and we place them all on a plate previously covered with parchment paper.

Then leave it in the freezer for about 1 hour.

Once this time has elapsed, we can place the leaves - one by one - in a freezer bag and put everything back in the freezer.

When the time comes to use a few leaves, it will then be very easy to choose some from the bag and then close it before putting it back in the freezer.

It is essential to ensure that the other sheets do not thaw,

Can you freeze dried basil?

There is no need to freeze dried basil, because having dried the basil is already a method of preservation in its own right.

Dried basil keeps for a long time.

Just keep it away from humidity and light and it will remain consumable for many months.

Freezing therefore does not concern it, only fresh basil can be placed in the freezer, because - unlike dried basil - it dries out and rots after only a few days.

How long does basil keep in the freezer?

Basil that has been properly frozen (using one of the above methods) can be stored that way for six months.

On the other hand, be careful, beyond that, it is no longer consumable.

Also remember that a thawed product cannot be refrozen, as this causes bacteria to proliferate, which can cause serious food poisoning.

How to go about defrosting basil?

If it is a question of preparing a recipe that will be served hot, there is no need to thaw the whole leaves or the small cubes of basil ice cream, just incorporate them as they are into the preparation.

If the leaves have been frozen in oil, this will add fat to the dish which will - in addition - have a good taste of aromatic grass.

On the other hand, if it is a salad or a fresh dish that you want to prepare, you will have to thaw the basil beforehand.

We therefore place the leaves or cubes in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Avoid thawing at room temperature, as this promotes the proliferation of bacteria.