How to freeze basil when you have a basil glut so you’ll have plenty when the cold days arrive and to get you through the hunger gap. 

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It’s So Hot Out Now, But Winter Is Coming…

As I’m indulging in an abundance of sweet watermelon and cantaloupe, I’m day dreaming. In my ideal world, I could garden outside all year round. No winter break, no frost covers or greenhouses, just my garden producing my favorite foods all the time. 

As things are however, I will soon enough have plenty of garden down time. And that makes it necessary to stock up on some food storage to draw from, while the garden takes its winter break, and all it will provide for a while are a few winter hardy greens.

Some Foods Are Going Into The Deep Freeze

Some foods though are going into the deep freezer and one of them is basil. And I’m taking full advantage of the abundance of basil plants I have growing all over my garden this year. It is the best basil year ever for me. If you too grow a lot of basil, why not preserve some for later use! 

My two favorite ways to preserve basil are salt-curing and freezing. Any other method just doesn’t really stack up to these two, in terms of preserving the amazing flavor and distinct aroma of this awesome herb. If you’ve ever used dried basil for a seasoning, you know what I’m talking about. It totally lacks everything that basil was meant to be. 

Use these easy and simple methods to freeze any herb

The following preservation methods work well for any fresh herbs and all the varieties of basil that you may want to preserve in the freezer for cooking later in the middle of winter. So chop up your favorite leafy herbs like Genovese basil, Italian large leaf basil, thai basil, lemon basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, celery leaves, etc., mix with your favorite oil and freeze, following the instructions below. 

There are several ways that basil can be frozen with great results. I love it when I can take a fresh chopped frozen basil cube and toss it into a winter cioppino, spaghetti sauce or some tomato and zucchini based pasta dishes. Or how about an authentic Italian pizza with a handful of whole basil leaves scattered over the top. So amazing, oh, don’t even get me going!

Granted, it won’t be the same texture as fresh, but the flavor will be there and the aroma as well. And once it’s cooked, no one will notice the difference. So that works for me. 

Pesto and the freezer method

Pasta with basil pesto anyone, in January? Not a problem with frozen, ready made pesto. Or whip up a batch from scratch by using a few cubes of frozen paste of basil with olive oil with your recipe. You’ll be able to savor the taste and fragrance of summer when you’re getting weary of wearing half a dozen layers of clothes to keep warm, and you’ve forgotten what sunshine looks like. Having ingredients handy, which were preserved at the height of ripeness and are full of stored sunshine you can taste, now that’s a great pick me up and comfort food.

If you want to freeze pesto, you can definitely do that. Just make a batch of your favorite recipe and put it in a freezer bag, press it flat for easy storage and you can break off portions if you don’t want to use the whole amount. However, pesto will not store as long as just plain basil with olive oil. So I would make some pesto to freeze and also freeze some basil with just the oil for longer storage. 

How To Freeze Basil

While there are many ways to freeze basil, I’ll start with my favorite and then I’ll add a few other methods that work well also, depending on the intent for its use.

Freeze Chopped Basil In Olive Oil

Of all the ways you can freeze basil, my favorite method is that of processing the fresh picked leaves with some good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The oil will preserve the deep green color of the basil and I like the convenience of just tossing a chunk of chopped basil into my pasta sauces or soups, or to melt it on top of a broiled steak. And besides, olive oil & basil just go together so perfectly, like peas & carrots or ___ & ___ – you fill in the blanks!

You can use any olive oil for that matter. The EVO is just my favorite to use, so don’t let me sway you from using the kind you prefer even though I’d love to! In fact any oil would work for that matter and if you want to splurge, you could also soften some butter and blend the basil with it. This is an excellent way to later have a buttery herbal chunk melting on steaks, fish and other foods that call for an herb butter.

In my experience, from all the different ways I’ve tried in the past, this method of freezing chopped basil with olive oil, is one of the longest keepers of all the freezer methods. And besides, it is a great way to deal with an abundance of fresh basil that you need to do something with at once without spending a ton of time fussing. 

Equipment: 

You’ll need either an electric food processor, Non-electric food chopper, a sharp knife, or a blender. I prefer either the electric or non-electric food processor. It’s quick when you’re dealing with a lot of basil and the basil still has a good bit of texture when done. Chopping with a knife gives the basil a better texture for when you want the pieces to show and you prefer that hand cut look and texture. 

You’ll also need either an ice cube tray, or a small cookie sheet with some parchment, or plastic wrap for rolls.

And you will need a zip-top freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. 

If you need to wash your basil, do so with very cold water. Then you’ll need a tea towel, Flour Sack Towel or paper towel to thoroughly dry the herbs. A salad spinner works great also if you have one.

How To Freeze Basil in Olive Oil

1. Now, if you grow your own basil, go into the garden and pick yourself a good size pile of basil leaves. The more the better, just leave enough for it to keep regrowing. I like to just take all the tops off. This keeps it from bolting prematurely, and encourages the plant to branch out and produce more tops for next week.
2. Remove any tough stems and save in the freezer for future soup stock. The tender stems will chop up fine and they are full of basil flavor too, so you don’t need to remove them.
3. Load up the bowl of your food processor with basil. You can add a bit of garlic too if you like. Personally, I prefer to add that later when I cook.
4. Lock the lid and pulse a few times. Add more basil at this point if you have it. Pulse a few more times and then turn it to continuous processing on low, to free up your hands for pouring in the olive oil while the blades are running. I like to get enough olive oil in there to have a spreadable paste. But you can add more if you like. 

The olive oil will help keep the basil fresh longer, by keeping oxygen out. And it will help to keep it from getting freezer burnt.

Now choose your method for freezing.

Use an ice cube tray to press the paste into and make basil cubes. Place into the freezer and once frozen, take the cubes out and put them into a plastic bag or other freezer-safe container. You can then just take a cube each time you want to add some to your food. This way is not my favorite! It’s too much trouble to clean an ice cube tray, the paste might discolor it and flavor it and sometimes it’s hard to get the cubes out of it.

Spread the paste onto a parchment lined baking tray, using a silicone spatula. You can then score it for easily breaking it apart later. Place it into the freezer and when it’s frozen, break apart the “cubes” and put them into a plastic bag or other freezer-safe container. Then you can just take out a cube when you’re cooking with it.

Make a roll out of the basil paste and roll it up into a piece of parchment or plastic wrap. When you want to use it, just cut a chunk off. If you make the roll too thick, this can be a bit of a challenge and you might need to partially defrost it first.

And here is my favorite way, the freezer bag method. Fill a plastic freezer bag, or even better a silicone freezer bag with the paste. Press out all the air, seal it and press the paste into a flat, thin shape. This will cause less chance for freezer burn. It keeps longer in my experience, due to less surface exposure. Plus it is easy to store in a full freezer. And it’s really easy to break a chunk off when you’re going to cook with it.

Now that you have the best way for freezing basil in olive oil, here are some uses: 

Salad dressings
Green smoothies
Melt on Baked Potato
Toss with Pasta and Garlic
Tomato sauce
Pizza sauce
Italian tomato based dishes
On top of a grilled piece of meat or fish
Basil pesto
Mixed with fresh goat cheese or yogurt cheese for a dip or spread

Freeze Basil In Water

This method will make basil ice cubes that work as well as the oil method for some things. But you’ll have a watery mess when you defrost it rather than a nice oily paste.

So if you’re planning to use the basil on a grilled steak or top your meal with a little pad of basil, the water based basil ice cube is not such a good option.

However, if you’re planning to use the frozen cubes in drinks, shakes, or soup, this works great. You will get a nice fresh basil flavor without the fat. 

All you need to do is fill an ice cube tray with chopped garden basil, top it off with water and freeze. Once it’s frozen, pop out the cubes and seal them up in a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Then just take however many you need and keep the rest frozen.

Freeze Basil Whole

If you want to have basil leaves for topping a pizza or other baked item, you might want to freeze some basil as whole leaves. This is also quick and easy when you are busy with so many things to preserve from your garden. 

Freezing basil straight from the garden is not a very long term solution

Freezing basil whole just as it comes from the garden is actually not the best practice. It will deteriorate and it will lose its flavor and appeal rather quickly. However, if you plan to use a batch fairly soon, maybe within a few months after the growing season, then freezing it this way is fine. 

I usually freeze a few bags this way when things are busy. This is great when I just need to get the basil into the freezer quickly, rather than losing it to bolting. I just need to remember to use this unbleached basil first.

You can spread out the leaves on parchment or plastic wrap. Then roll them up and store them in a bag. Remove just what you need each time you want to use some. I prefer to put enough leaves for a meal or a pizza, into a quart size freezer bag. I’ll roll it up tight and seal it, to get any air out. This helps preserve it longer and to keeps it from getting freezer burn too quickly.

The better way for long term storage

For longer storage however, my preferred method is to toss the basil leaves with a little olive oil till they are all coated. Then I put them into a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. This can be done by rolling them up or squeezing the bag flat very gently while sealing.

Store smaller batches rather than a large gallon bag to keep the contents fresh. When you need some, just break off what you need and use it. The olive oil helps keep the leaves from oxidizing which can keep them fresh longer.

Some people blanch the leaves in boiling water and toss them in ice water before freezing. I never do that, but using blanched basil leaves is an option for keeping them fresh longer than just freezing them right out of the garden.

There you have it: How to freeze basil for long term storage!

These are the ways I freeze basil around here during the summer months. I love to use a lot of it in my cooking and tossing a cube or two of chopped basil into a tomato dish is just so good. It will taste and smell like basil and will transform even a bland dish into a delicious treat. It will lighten up a dreary winter day with the bright flavors of summer. And even better, it will do that without all the bugs, Right? Right!

If you have a favorite way to preserve basil, I’d love it if you would share it below in the comments. You can also check out my other favorite way to have fresh tasting basil available year round. So if you have extra basil, check out more fresh ideas at How to store basil long term by salt curing. See you there!

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