plunk Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 So our little potted basil plant is still going strong out on our patio. Any suggestions on what to do with it before the cold comes? Will it continue to grow inside, or should we strip all the leaves for a final batch of pesto and say, "see you next summer?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdt Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 So our little potted basil plant is still going strong out on our patio. Any suggestions on what to do with it before the cold comes? Will it continue to grow inside, or should we strip all the leaves for a final batch of pesto and say, "see you next summer?" You can easily bring it inside. Just be sure to give it lots of light and keep cold drafts away. You will be able to move it back outside again next year. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 So our little potted basil plant is still going strong out on our patio. Any suggestions on what to do with it before the cold comes? Will it continue to grow inside, or should we strip all the leaves for a final batch of pesto and say, "see you next summer?" To some extent it depends of the variety. Most basils are annuals that can be made to live for more than a year in the right conditions. Keep it warm - never under 55 F - in full sun, and most importantly don't let it flower. You may have to cut it back hard to accomplish this. It is very easy to start basil plants indoors from cuttings - this may be the best use for your old plant - though the life span of the cuttings is often shorter. I kept an African Blue basil alive for five years, but African Blue isn't a culinary variety. Do you know which kind you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plunk Posted September 28, 2006 Author Share Posted September 28, 2006 To some extent it depends of the variety. Most basils are annuals that can be made to live for more than a year in the right conditions. Keep it warm - never under 55 F - in full sun, and most importantly don't let it flower. You may have to cut it back hard to accomplish this.It is very easy to start basil plants indoors from cuttings - this may be the best use for your old plant - though the life span of the cuttings is often shorter. I kept an African Blue basil alive for five years, but African Blue isn't a culinary variety. Do you know which kind you have? Definitely don't know what kind we've got - just a packet of seeds we bought from a nursery. I'll try to take it inside and see how it goes. Unfortunately, we don't get a lot light coming into our townhouse, so we may have to do a quick harvest if it starts struggling. Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 I always start over every year with a couple of new basil plants. I hope to strip the plants this weekend and make a lot of pesto (will freeze a bunch). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisaB Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 I just stripped mine yesterday. I only had one plant survive this year. I made pesto with it, I now have 4 pints of fresh pesto in my fridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfbrennan Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 I made pesto with it, I now have 4 pints of fresh pesto in my fridge. How long will it keep? I made some this summer, and although I think I've read it'll last only a relatively short time, we're still using it. Seems to be just fine. I've got 4 or 5 plants ready to be used for more, so am wondering if I should freeze some of the excess, or do something else.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisaB Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 I put an olive oil cap on it and frezze part and keep some in the fridge. The olive oil keeps it from turning dark. As for how long it keeps....unfrozen, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdavidm Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 Is there any validity to the admonition that if you intend to freeze pesto, you shouldn't add the cheese now, but only after you have subsequently defrosted it just before use? I have always done it that way (without cheese), but never experimented with adding cheese prior to freezing. Oh, I have also found it convenient to freeze the cheesless pesto in icecube trays then pack the cubes in freezer bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Is there any validity to the admonition that if you intend to freeze pesto, you shouldn't add the cheese now, but only after you have subsequently defrosted it just before use? I have always done it that way (without cheese), but never experimented with adding cheese prior to freezing.Oh, I have also found it convenient to freeze the cheesless pesto in icecube trays then pack the cubes in freezer bags. This is Marcella Hazan's admonition. She also adds butter to her pesto. Why, I don't know. Does it make a difference? Beats me. Maybe you ought to do a little experiment and enlighten us all: divide the pesto in half; add cheese to one half and not to the other. Freeze it all. Thaw and use as you will and report back to a VERY interested audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyG Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I freeze my cheese-laden pesto under an olive oil cap in a glass jar, scooping out what I need (I soften in the microwave) and then re-establishing the cap. It can keep for years as long as you keep that nasty air off the pesto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Boy Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I put an olive oil cap on it and frezze part and keep some in the fridge. The olive oil keeps it from turning dark. As for how long it keeps....unfrozen, I don't know. I forgot to add the oil cap to my pesto in the freezer yesterday. Can I add it now or am I too late? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdavidm Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I forgot to add the oil cap to my pesto in the freezer yesterday. Can I add it now or am I too late? Just add it now. The purpose of the olive oil covering is to keep air from oxidizing the basil while it is in the freezer for the long haul (plus, it probably helps keep the surface of the basil from dehydrating). The delay won't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legant Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 The purpose of the olive oil covering is to keep air from oxidizing the basil while it is in the freezer for the long haul (plus, it probably helps keep the surface of the basil from dehydrating). Does this work with other herbs? I often buy packaged fresh herbs from the grocery and quite often don't need all for the dish I'm preparing. I'm defrosting the freezer and, although they (sage, basil, thyme, rosemary) look okay, I'm pretty sure they have picked up a "freezer odor." So, is the best solution to (1) toss what I have (4-6 months old) and start afresh (B ) cap them in olive oil (and if so, do I need to separate the various herbs or can i put them in the same freezer container) and freeze, (iii) freeze them double wrapped, in freezer bags, or (z) dry* them and forget about the advantages of using fresh (albeit frozen) herbs? [*You know it's coming: how do you dry fresh herbs?] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edenman Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 [*You know it's coming: how do you dry fresh herbs?] There was an episode of Good Eats where he concocted some sort of rig where he strapped the herbs to a box fan and let it run for a couple hours to dry them out. Something along these lines is probably what you want (something to keep them stationary while the fan does the drying work). I just read something that recommended adding lemon juice to pesto to keep it from oxidizing....Anybody tried this and/or have recommendations for/against doing this instead of the olive oil cap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidsdc Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 There was an episode of Good Eats where he concocted some sort of rig where he strapped the herbs to a box fan and let it run for a couple hours to dry them out. Something along these lines is probably what you want (something to keep them stationary while the fan does the drying work).I just read something that recommended adding lemon juice to pesto to keep it from oxidizing....Anybody tried this and/or have recommendations for/against doing this instead of the olive oil cap? Can't recall the show I was watching, but whoever it was, they added fresh spinach leaves to keep it from oxidizing. Said it was a great trick to keeping it bright green. ETA--I think it was the Cook's Illustrated show on PBS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCole42 Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I planted way too much basil. More than I could ever eat in a summer. What should I do with it? Is there like a dish that's ALL BASIL, ALL THE TIME? Don't say pesto or I'll paste you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lperry Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I planted way too much basil. More than I could ever eat in a summer. What should I do with it? Is there like a dish that's ALL BASIL, ALL THE TIME? Don't say pesto or I'll paste you. Basil jelly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 Is there like a dish that's ALL BASIL, ALL THE TIME? Why not basil your pizza dough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mame11 Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 I planted way too much basil. More than I could ever eat in a summer. What should I do with it? Is there like a dish that's ALL BASIL, ALL THE TIME? Don't say pesto or I'll paste you. An Italian friend of mine taught me a great trick with basil... 1) clean the basil 2) dry completely 3) remove the leaves from the stem 4) lay the leaves down in one layer on a cookie sheet 5) place the cookie sheet in the freezer 6) freeze completely 7) take the frozen leaves and put them in freezer bags 8) enjoy for months to come.... Hope this helps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 An Italian friend of mine taught me a great trick with basil... 1) clean the basil 2) dry completely 3) remove the leaves from the stem 4) lay the leaves down in one layer on a cookie sheet 5) place the cookie sheet in the freezer 6) freeze completely 7) take the frozen leaves and put them in freezer bags 8) enjoy for months to come.... Hope this helps... I learned even shorter steps when working in an Italian restaurant. 1) clean herbs, in proportion to what you'll use when making a bag of sauce. leave on stems. 2) pat dry (no need to go completely dry) and place them in a plastic baggie 3) freeze the baggie 4) when ready to make sauce, take the baggie and crunch it in your hands. 5) discard the stems (which won't crumble) and pour the crumbled herbs into the sauce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdt Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 I planted way too much basil. More than I could ever eat in a summer. What should I do with it? Is there like a dish that's ALL BASIL, ALL THE TIME? Don't say pesto or I'll paste you. Works great in an herb salad. Basil panna cotta with crisp parmesan tuilles (sp?) and fresh tomato salad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lperry Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 I learned even shorter steps when working in an Italian restaurant. 1) clean herbs, in proportion to what you'll use when making a bag of sauce. leave on stems. 2) pat dry (no need to go completely dry) and place them in a plastic baggie 3) freeze the baggie 4) when ready to make sauce, take the baggie and crunch it in your hands. 5) discard the stems (which won't crumble) and pour the crumbled herbs into the sauce How long does the flavor last? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 I learned even shorter steps when working in an Italian restaurant. 1) clean herbs, in proportion to what you'll use when making a bag of sauce. leave on stems. 2) pat dry (no need to go completely dry) and place them in a plastic baggie 3) freeze the baggie 4) when ready to make sauce, take the baggie and crunch it in your hands. 5) discard the stems (which won't crumble) and pour the crumbled herbs into the sauce The year I froze basil in plastic bags, it was terrible when I went to use it. I'm wondering if that's because I thawed it rather than going this route. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 How long does the flavor last? That's a good question. At the restaurant, we'd get pounds of herbs once a month to make the daily tomato sauce, so our herbs were never in the walk-in more than a month. So I can't say for sure that you could use this method to freeze for long storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 Dan--puree the basil with some olive oil and freeze it in ice cube trays. Put the frozen cubes in a zip lock bag. Then, in the winter, you can use it for pistou. Want to paste me for that? You can use it in lots of other ways, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolatechipkt Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 This won't use up all your basil, but Thai chicken (or whatever) with basil will use up a fair amount--and it's a nice change from pesto. Ideally you'd use Thai basil, but regular basil works fine too, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now