Lay basil leaves overlapping in an 8 inch line on plastic wrap. Continue laying leaves over the original line moving the next line slightly higher so that your line is getting wider. When you have the line approximately 4 inches wide or more, use the plastic wrap to help gather the contents from bottom to top into a cigar shape. After gathering and holding the contents in place, wrap the plastic wrap around tightening the roll even more, then twist ends closed. Freeze. When ready to use, unroll one end and snip off frozen into your recipe.
This page contains the following solutions.
Here is a new way to preserve basil from the garden for winter use without drying it. You can not freeze basil by itself because it will turn black in the freezer.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can fresh parsley and basil be frozen?
By B.R.
Freezing these herbs is tough. I read that you could put small bunches in tupperware filled with water and freeze them. First, this did not work very well and second, it took up too much space in the freezer. I grow both of these and also hate to lose their freshness and convenience at the end of summer.
I have never had basil to freeze, but I freeze parsley every time I buy some at the store. I pick the leaves off, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. When frozen I put them in ziplock freezer bags and lay them flat on th shelf of the freezer, under whatever else I have in the freezer. I do not use it raw, but it is great when I make my sauces, tastes so much better than dried.
I wash them and put 3-4 basil leaves in a foil pouch. Put all pouches in a zip lock bag and freeze. When you need fresh basil pull out a pouch. Works great for me.
I freeze an assortment of fresh herbs often. Rinse, pat dry really well, freeze like jsham does on a cookie sheet and then place in ziplock bags with as much air removed as possible.
