How Can I Freeze Basil?

If you want to freeze basil, there are several methods. Contrary to rumors to the contrary, it actually works very well. If you want to preserve basil, you can freeze whole leaves, for example. To do this, blanch them in boiling water for five to ten seconds after washing. To stop the cooking process, place them straight into an ice cube bath and then spread them out on a towel and gently pat them dry. Now place the leaves one at a time on a plate – and put everything in the freezer. Once the leaves are completely frozen, you can store the aromatic herb in a freezer box or bag. You can also freeze basil without blanching it. To do this, place the freshly washed leaves with a little water in an airtight freezer bag. Alternatively, you can use an ice cube tray so that you can later take them out of the freezer in portions. Hacking is also an option. The fact that the leaves are slightly darker afterward does not affect the aroma.

Freezing basil as pesto and other storage options

Basil is delicate. It needs the right care, the right amount of water, a suitable place with not too much sun, and at the same time enough light. If you keep all of this in mind when growing herbs, you can harvest plenty of basil and freeze it straight away. But not only the fresh herb finds its way into the freezer. Even if you have made basil pesto yourself, you can keep it longer by freezing it. Simply fill your pesto into containers suitable for the freezer compartment. Another option is to puree the washed leaves without the stems in a blender with a little olive oil and then freeze the basil puree. No matter which method you use, basil will keep for several months in the freezer. Our EDEKA expert knows how you can store fresh herbs. Drying is always an option for preserving fresh herbs – although basil is not so well suited for this due to its soft leaves. You can find out which varieties you can use, how to do it and how to process and store herbs in our herbology.