The best ways to preserve basil for the winter at home
Basil - These are greens with a strong aroma that add piquancy to any dish. In addition, it contains many vitamins, essential oils and phytoncides, which makes it healthy.
We will tell you in detail about the methods of preparing and storing greens, allowing you to preserve their taste, aroma and beneficial properties.
Selection and preparation of basil for winter storage
The spices are harvested twice during the summer: before the flowering period begins and after it, when the plant gains strength and becomes stronger. Only cut off the upper leaves, leaving the lower ones and without tearing the bushes out of the ground. Otherwise, reharvesting will not be possible.
Reference. The more often the crop is harvested, the more shoots are formed. After flowering, the aroma of basil weakens.
Preliminary preparation of greens depends on which storage method is chosen. If you plan to freeze basil, water the plants in the evening so that the leaves have time to absorb moisture and become more elastic and juicy. In case of subsequent drying, preliminary watering is not required.
For preparation for the winter use all parts of the plant: leaves, shoots, flowers and stems. It is important that they are healthy and strong. All dry, diseased and damaged specimens are thrown away or consumed as soon as possible. Greens suitable for storage are washed under running water to remove dirt, and then thoroughly dried.
Freezing
Freezing - the optimal way to prepare herbs for the winter, which not only requires a minimum of time, but also allows you to preserve all the benefits of basil.
Fresh
Washed and dried leaves or whole bunches of basil are placed in a selected container and sent to the freezer. It is important that the container is airtight and easy to open and close.
Containers with tight lids, zip lock bags and cling film are ideal.
Blanched
Freezing basil has a significant disadvantage - the leaves of the plant lose color, taste and structure during such storage. To avoid this, they are blanched. In addition, blanching allows you to get rid of possible bacteria or fungi and remove excess bitterness.
For blanching you will need two containers - one with boiling water and one with ice water. First, place the basil in boiling water for 3-5 seconds, and then in cold water. After this, lay it out on parchment paper to dry.
Heat-treated and dried leaves are placed in containers for freezing and placed in the freezer.
Important! You can’t keep greens in boiling water for a long time, otherwise they will boil.
As a puree
This is a convenient way to freeze basil. The raw material is concentrated and can be stored in portions.
It's easy to make this puree.: Place the leaves and stems in a blender bowl, add a little water to them and grind thoroughly. The resulting mass is poured into molds that can withstand a long time in the cold, and placed in the freezer.
Reference. Water can be replaced with any other liquid, such as vegetable broth, vegetable oil or even green tea.
How to dry basil for the winter
Drying allows you to preserve all the benefits and taste of basil.This method of preparation does not cause any difficulties, and the resulting seasoning is added to first courses and side dishes of vegetables.
On air
Natural air drying preserves the aroma of basil as much as possible, as well as all the vitamins and minerals it contains.
Cover a baking sheet or board with parchment paper, place whole or chopped leaves on it and put it away for 1-3 days in a warm and dry place or take it outside, after covering it with gauze to protect it from flies, other insects and dust.
If you need to dry bunches of greenery, hang them in a well-ventilated, dry area. High humidity is the cause of rotting of raw materials.
In the oven
Drying in the oven takes much less time than drying outdoors. However, there is a risk of drying out the greens, which will cause the leaves to turn into dust and lose vitamins.
As when drying in air, the leaves or stems are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment and placed in an oven preheated to +40...+50°C for 40-60 minutes without closing the door.
Important! If the door cannot be left open, the temperature is reduced to +30°C and the oven is ventilated every 15-20 minutes.
In an electric dryer
Leaves prepared for drying are laid out on dryer trays in an even layer, the temperature is set at +40°C, and the time is set to no more than an hour.
Reference. In an electric dryer, leaves and stems are processed separately, otherwise drying will be uneven.
Basil preparations
For the winter, greens are not only frozen or dried, but also canned. There are many recipes, so choosing the most suitable one will not be difficult.
Salted basil in jars
This method of preparing basil is no different from pickling dill, parsley or other herbs.The leaves are first blanched, then covered with salt and placed tightly, until the juice is released, into pre-sterilized jars (optimal volume - 250 or 500 ml). Then the jars are placed in a pan and sterilized for 15-20 minutes. and close with lids.
Pickled greens
To pickle 500 g of basil, you will need:
- salt – 50 g;
- vinegar – 50 ml;
- sugar – 70 g.
The prepared leaves are finely chopped or crushed in a blender, salt, sugar and vinegar are added to them, mixed thoroughly, the resulting mass is transferred to clean sterile jars and left for 15 minutes. in a water bath for pasteurization. After this, the jars are covered with lids, placed under a blanket until they cool completely, and then taken out to the pantry or cellar.
Basil paste
Canned pasta consists of only 3 products:
- basil – 500 g;
- olive oil – 200 ml;
- salt – 80 g.
The greens are crushed in a blender to a puree-like consistency, combined with oil and salt, mixed thoroughly, placed in jars and covered with lids.
Reference. Pasteurized puree is stored in the cellar or pantry, unpasteurized puree is stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Dressing with nuts
Ingredients for making the spicy dressing:
- basil leaves – 300 g;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- any nuts – 50 g;
- vegetable oil – 250 ml;
- salt - to taste.
Place the nuts in a blender bowl and grind them into flour, add basil, garlic, oil and salt and beat everything until a homogeneous mass is obtained. It is laid out in storage containers and put in the refrigerator or freezer.
In oil
Thoroughly washed and dried leaves are placed in dry 300-500 ml jars, filled with vegetable oil and covered with lids. Add a little salt if desired.Store this preparation in the refrigerator.
Basil vinegar
To prepare basil vinegar you will need:
- basil – 5 sprigs;
- table vinegar 9% – 300 ml;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.
Place clean and dry basil and bay leaves in a prepared jar, fill them with vinegar and put them in a dark place for 15-20 days. When the vinegar is infused, it is filtered through a sieve.
Basil vinegar is used as a salad dressing and for making marinades.
Terms and conditions for storing basil prepared in different ways
The shelf life of basil depends on the method of its preparation:
- frozen – up to 2 years;
- canned and dried – up to 1 year;
- salted – 3-4 months;
- blanched – 6-12 months.
Dried herbs are stored in craft bags, linen bags, glass or clay containers in a dry, cool and dark place. It is advisable not to store other herbs nearby, otherwise the basil will absorb foreign odors.
Important! Dry herbs should not be stored in a room with high humidity. This leads to the appearance of mold on it.
Frozen basil is stored in the freezer, avoiding thawing and re-freezing, and canned basil is stored together with other preparations. Opened jars are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-4 days.
Conclusion
There are many ways to prepare basil for the winter, and each housewife can choose the most convenient one for herself or use several at once. Dried herbs will reveal the taste and aroma in hot dishes, frozen whole leaves will complement salads and become a decoration for the dish, and sauces and pastes will become aromatic dressing for salads or spaghetti.