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Joined: Nov 2006
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2006
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a friend suggested that olive oil (*grin*) would work well too.
After it's solid store the cubes in freezer bags. Chopped basil and olive oil is the beginning of pesto...
Good coffee, good weed, and time on my hands...
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The method I have used for a long time is to chop the basil, mix with some e. v. olive oil, and put into small freezer bags, just enough so you can press the bag and contents to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pop in freezer and break off what you need from the bag.
I've also frozen fully loaded pesto this way, but then you are limited a bit in what you can do with it. Perhaps with the basil crop I have coming in this year I will do it both ways.
Take the nacilbupeR pledge: I solemnly swear that I will help back out all Republicans at the next election.
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Hi Joe,
I always get too much basil too.
I chop it and freeze it in ice cube trays covered with a few drops of water.
I always use water but a friend suggested that olive oil (*grin*) would work well too.
After it's solid store the cubes in freezer bags.
I've already planted new stuff for this year but have a few cubes left in the freezer too.
Works great! olyve, thanks. I love basil, but you really can get too much of a good thing. I going to try freezing some of it in ice cube trays, popping it out of the trays when frozen, and storing the cubes in a freezer bag in the freezer. Some other I'll chop, mix with olive oil, and store in freezer bags. And the rest, I'll just freeze the leaves whole and store in freezer bags. I read that the olive oil coating keeps the basil from getting dark, which will happen if you just freeze the leaves. I'll find out. I also like and grow parsley. Nothing fancy. Just a few containers. I pinch off the leaves as needed. I've had some plants last 2 years and more. Fresh parsley when needed.
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I make Pesto with it, Joe. I just refrigerate it but there's no reason not to freeze the Pesto. What variety do you grow? I grow Genovese basil. I used to grow up to three varieties at the same time, but I keep coming back to sweet basil, although I'm willing to try a variety that you recommend. I like pesto, too. I've never frozen it before, but I'll give it a try. I recently took about two cups of basil leaves, chopped it, and added it to my fresh tomato (6 lbs. Roma, 1 28 oz. can crushed, and about 8 oz. left over tomato puree)clam sauce. It really smoothed out the sauce, which was delicious even though I use the canned clams.
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The method I have used for a long time is to chop the basil, mix with some e. v. olive oil, and put into small freezer bags, just enough so you can press the bag and contents to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pop in freezer and break off what you need from the bag.
I've also frozen fully loaded pesto this way, but then you are limited a bit in what you can do with it. Perhaps with the basil crop I have coming in this year I will do it both ways. Thanks. You use the one pint size bags? Does that basil break off easily?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I've always grown sweet basil. I have 2 dozen smallish plants right now. I've seen some "Pesto Basil" in the stores. I'm really fond of Thai Basil but haven't got my hands on any seeds yet but I'll probably stick with Sweet Basil since it does everything I want it to do.
Good coffee, good weed, and time on my hands...
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Joined: Jul 2008
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2008
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The method I have used for a long time is to chop the basil, mix with some e. v. olive oil, and put into small freezer bags, just enough so you can press the bag and contents to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pop in freezer and break off what you need from the bag.
I've also frozen fully loaded pesto this way, but then you are limited a bit in what you can do with it. Perhaps with the basil crop I have coming in this year I will do it both ways. Thanks. You use the one pint size bags? Does that basil break off easily? It breaks off very easily if the stuff in the bag is flattened out. In fact, olive oil doesn't really freeze solid, at least not in my freezer.
Take the nacilbupeR pledge: I solemnly swear that I will help back out all Republicans at the next election.
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I like that idea a lot, Ted.
I do my roasted red peppers like that...flatten it and break it off as needed (not in oil though).
I'll probably do basil both ways this year.
Thanks!
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."
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Olive oil will harden at refrigerator temperatures - around 37-39°F. Determining at what point to call the oil "frozen" is a matter of semantics. The slow increase in hardening as the temperature is lowered is in sharp contrast to a pure substance such as water that switches from a liquid to solid phase at an exact temperature. Olive oil is a complex mixture of oils and waxes. The heavier oils and waxes will form needle-like crystals as the temperature is lowered, then the other oils will start to settle out. At 40°F most of the oils would not harden or form any crystals. At 35°F most are firm enough that they cannot be poured but are as soft as butter at room temperature. As the temperature is lowered, more components of the oil solidify. At 10°F the oil is hard enough that a fork cannot penetrate it. Source: Olive Oil Source.com I buy EVOO in gallon containers and keep only a pint in the pantry. The rest is stored in the refrigerator.
Contrarian, extraordinaire
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The best way to keep olive oil fresh is to get one of those mylar-looking bladders that wine-in-a-box is kept in. Pop off the valve, wash the bladder really well, then put in hot water and some bicarb. Let it sit for an hour, rinse, and fill with olive oil. Squeeze out as much air as possible and put the valve back on. Put the bladder in the box, label it clearly as olive oil and store in refrigerator.
Why? Because the enemy of oil is oxygen. This way, when you open the tap and let out olive oil you are not allowing oxygen into the bag. There's actually a brand of olive oil that ships this way. Red Island or something. I am too lazy to walk into the kitchen to find out, but I have one in the pantry.
Take the nacilbupeR pledge: I solemnly swear that I will help back out all Republicans at the next election.
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