How to Freeze Fresh Basil | Easy Preservation
Preserve your summer harvest with this easy freezing method! Learn how to freeze basil to enjoy in soups, sauces, and more all year long.
Basil is my all-time favorite herb. I use it in so many dishes throughout the year!
It’s impossible to beat fresh basil straight from the garden, but freezing basil is an excellent way to enjoy it in the cold months when fresh basil isn’t available.
You can freeze basil in several different ways. Learn the top three methods below!
Reasons to Freeze Basil
- Preserve your harvest: There’s something so satisfying about putting up food you grew yourself! You’ll be able to enjoy homegrown basil even in the cold winter months.
- Easier than drying: I’m a big fan of drying basil to preserve it, but I find that I much prefer the process and flavor when I freeze basil. Fresh basil takes just a few minutes to prep, rather than the drawn-out process of drying and storing basil. Plus, it has a fresh flavor rather than the milder flavor of dry basil.
- Prevent food waste: Cut basil doesn’t have a very long shelf life, but that doesn’t mean you need to let the excess go to waste! Freezing is an excellent way to ensure that you can preserve your abundance of fresh basil for future use.
- Save money: Fresh herbs are so expensive, and, honestly, not as fresh as I’d like. By freezing your homegrown garden basil when it’s plentiful, you can avoid spending a fortune on fresh herbs from the grocery store.
What You’ll Need
- Fresh basil: From your herb garden, the farmer’s market, or the grocery store.
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Ice cube trays: Only needed if you’re freezing the basil into ice cubes. Silicone ice cube trays are easier to use, but I do use plastic trays, too.
- A saucepan and a bowl of ice water: If you are using the blanch-and-roll method for freezing basil, you will need these supplies to blanch.
- Freezer-safe container: I like to use a plastic bag or a glass jar.
How to Freeze Basil
Frozen Basil Cubes
This is one of the easiest ways to preserve basil, and it only takes a couple of minutes! This is my favorite method. Freezing the basil into ice cubes makes using it a breeze, and the water protects the basil from exposure to air, which keeps it fresh and green for months in the freezer without blanching.
Step 1. Rinse the basil under cold water and pat dry. Strip the basil leaves off of the stems.
Step 2. Roughly chop the basil leaves.
Step 3. Pack the chopped basil into ice cube trays, pressing down to get as much in as you can.
Step 4. Fill each cell of the ice cube tray with water. Press down on the basil to submerge it as much as possible.
Step 5. Pop the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze until solid.
Step 6. Remove the basil cubes from the ice cube tray and transfer them to an airtight container. Promptly return to the freezer.
Freeze Basil Pesto
Freezing homemade pesto is another great way to preserve basil for later! Fresh basil pesto freezes very well and tastes almost just as fresh once it’s thawed.
If you’d like to try this preservation method, use your basil to make a batch of homemade pesto or nut-free pesto. If you have purple basil, try this vibrant purple pesto recipe.
Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until they are solid. Transfer the cubes to an airtight container and return to the freezer.
When you are ready to use the pesto, take as many cubes as you need out of the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature. Use the pesto to make pesto salad dressings, pesto pasta salad, and more!
Blanched Whole Leaves
Blanching basil preserves its green color and allows you to freeze the leaves without submerging them in water. This method takes a little bit more time, but having basil without any water or oil may be preferable to you as it’s more versatile.
Step 1. Wash the basil leaves and remove them from the stems.
Step 2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the leaves for 30 seconds.
Step 3. Remove the leaves from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in an ice bath. Let the leaves cool for a few minutes in the ice bath.
Step 4. Remove the blanched basil leaves from the ice bath and pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean tea towel. Get them nice and dry.
Step 5. Grab small bundles of leaves and roll them up into a basil roll. You can make one big roll and take a cutting of it as needed, or make small rolls that you can grab one at a time.
Step 6. Place the basil rolls in a freezer bag and freeze until use. If you’re freezing more than one roll, flash freeze them on a baking sheet first to avoid them sticking together.
Uses for Frozen Basil
Frozen basil tastes almost as delicious as fresh basil, and it’s nearly as versatile. That said, once frozen basil is thawed, it will not have the same texture as fresh basil. It will be more similar to cooked basil.
Frozen basil is best used in cooked dishes such as soup (especially minestrone soup and tomato soup), pasta sauces, and rice dishes such as stuffed peppers.
You don’t need to thaw your frozen basil; simply add a frozen basil cube or a roll of blanched basil to the dish while you’re cooking. The water will melt, and the basil will cook into the dish, infusing it with delicious garden flavor.
Expert Tips
- Basil is best harvested in the morning; this is when its flavor is the sweetest. Trim sections of the basil above a node to encourage more growth and shape the basil plants as you go.
- Don’t forget to label your container! It’s shocking how easy it is to forget what it is, especially if you’re freezing other herbs and greens.
- You can freeze basil in oil following the same ice cube instructions. Spin the basil in a salad spinner to dry it. Then, instead of water, pour olive oil or avocado oil into the ice cube trays and freeze.
- I don’t recommend running your basil through a food processor and freezing it as a paste. I have tried this method, and the basil oxidized very quickly, leaving me with an off-putting brown paste. (This doesn’t happen with pesto because of the other ingredients in it.)
- Be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent freezer burn and keep your basil tasting great.
- Frozen herbs are best used within a year. They are still edible after that, but the flavor and color will start to degrade. I like to make it a goal to use up my freezer stash before the next gardening season begins.
FAQs
Does frozen basil have the same texture as fresh basil?
No, once frozen basil is thawed, it will have a texture more similar to cooked basil. For this reason, I only use frozen basil in cooked dishes and save the tomato bruschetta for basil season.
How long does frozen basil last?
Frozen basil is best used within a year. It will still be edible after that, but the flavor and color will degrade.
More Freezer Preservation
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How to Freeze Basil
Equipment
- Ice cube tray for ice cube method
- Small saucepan and ice bath for blanching method
- freezer-safe container a plastic bag or a glass jar
Ingredients
- Fresh basil
Instructions
Ice Cube Method
- Rinse the basil under cold water and pat dry. Strip the basil leaves off of the stems.
- Roughly chop the basil leaves.
- Pack the chopped basil into ice cube trays, pressing down to get as much in as you can.
- Fill each cell of the ice cube tray with water. Press down on the basil to submerge it as much as possible.
- Pop the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze until solid.
- Remove the basil cubes from the ice cube tray and transfer them to an airtight container. Promptly return to the freezer.
Blanching Method
- Wash the basil leaves and remove them from the stems.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the individual leaves for 30 seconds.
- Remove the leaves from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in an ice bath. Let the leaves cool for a few minutes in the ice bath.
- Remove the blanched basil leaves from the ice bath and pat them dry with a paper towel or a clean tea towel. Get them nice and dry.
- Grab small bundles of leaves and roll them up into a basil roll. You can make one big roll and take a cutting of it as needed, or make small rolls that you can grab one at a time.
- Place the basil rolls in a freezer bag and freeze until use. If you’re freezing more than one roll, flash freeze them on a baking sheet first to avoid them sticking together.
Fresh Basil Pesto
- Use your basil to make a batch of homemade pesto or nut-free pesto.
- Spoon the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until they are solid.
- Transfer the cubes to an airtight container and return to the freezer.
- To use the pesto, take as many cubes as you need out of the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature
Notes
- Basil is best harvested in the morning; this is when its flavor is the sweetest. Trim sections of the basil above a node to encourage more growth and shape the basil plants as you go.
- Don’t forget to label your container! It’s shocking how easy it is to forget what it is, especially if you’re freezing other herbs and greens.
- You can freeze basil in oil following the same ice cube instructions. Spin the basil in a salad spinner to dry it. Then, instead of water, pour olive oil or avocado oil into the ice cube trays and freeze.
- I don’t recommend running your basil through a food processor and freezing it as a paste. I have tried this method, and the basil oxidized very quickly, leaving me with an off-putting brown paste. (This doesn’t happen with pesto because of the other ingredients in it.)
- Be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent freezer burn and keep your basil tasting great.
- Frozen herbs are best used within a year. They are still edible after that, but the flavor and color will start to degrade. I like to make it a goal to use up my freezer stash before the next gardening season begins.
