Our Hopeful Home: How To Make Frozen Basil Bombs

There's nothing better than fresh garden herbs to add savory flavor to your favorite recipes. One favorite garden herb, by far, is basil. It's easy to grow, and even easier to add to recipes in the summer. But did you know you can freeze it and have "basil bombs" at the ready to use in recipes all winter long?

Fiskars garden shears cutting basil leaves

Just read on for the how-to -- and as a bonus, at the end of this post, I share some ideas for how to use your frozen basil!

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Caveat: I am by no means an expert on how to grow and/or freeze basil, but I'm sharing my experience so that you can maybe learn something from it.

Freezing fresh basil couldn't be easier -- other than growing it, of course -- which really isn't too difficult, either. (Although you can just buy a basil plant from the produce section of your local grocery store if you are so inclined! No judgement.) I'll save the "how-to-grow-basil" post for another day. Today's post is all about how to preserve your fresh garden basil for future use.

Supplies For Freezing Fresh Garden Basil in Olive Oil

plastic ice cube trays tall bottle olive oil

1. ice cube tray(s)

2. fresh basil leaves ripped into small pieces (stems removed)

3. bottle of olive oil

4. garden snips

5. zip-lock sandwich bags (optional)

6. freezer safe plastic containers (optional)

How To Freeze Garden Basil In Olive Oil

1. First you need to collect your fresh garden basil leaves.

According to Savvy Gardening, you want to cut central stems back to a lower set of leaves where two tiny leaf buds emerge from the leaf axil . . . . . once you decide where you're going to trim, cut the main stem about a quarter inch above the leaf buds.

Remove as many stems as you think you need to give you enough leaves to freeze. By snipping off at the main stem, above a set of established leaves, you encourage the plant to produce more leaves as the summer progresses. And more leaves means more yummy recipes!

2. Once you have enough basil leaves, rinse them and pat them dry.

3. Remove stems. Then rip the basil leaves into small pieces suitable for placing in your individual ice cube tray sections. It's preferable to rip them by hand, versus chopping or cutting the leaves, as the latter method results in less flavorful basil as well as brown, discolored basil leaf edges.

3. Stuff the torn basil leaf pieces into the individual ice cube sections almost all the way up to the top.

4. Pour enough olive oil into each compartment to fill to the top. Allow some wait time for settling. If necessary, add more olive oil.

basil bombs olive oil ice cube tray colander tomatoes

5. Place the ice cube tray onto a metal tray that can withstand being in the freezer. Trust me, you'll be glad you used a tray, especially if you accidentally spill any of the olive oil! Leave in the freezer overnight.

6. Once the basil cubes are fully frozen, pop them out of the tray and place them in either a zip-lock bag or any freezer-safe container. I used a zip-lock bag, hoping to take up less freezer space.

TIP: I had to use a clean dinner knife to gently loosen the four sides of each cube before being able to pop them out.

NOTE: If you go with these ice cube trays with lids you can just leave the cubes in the tray until you're ready to use them!

SOME WAYS TO USE FROZEN BASIL AND OLIVE OIL CUBES (a.k.a."Basil Bombs")

For hot foods, it's best to just throw the frozen basil cube right into the hot pot or pan as you're cooking. It can defrost as it cooks along with all the other ingredients!

For cold recipes it's recommended that you allow the basil cube to thaw first before adding to the recipe.

Some great examples of foods that can benefit from basil cubes:

pasta sauce (my favorite way to add a nice kick)

soups (especially chicken or vegetable)

homemade salad dressing

stews

scrambled eggs

These are just a few suggestions, but the possibilities really are are endless!

Last but not least, you can also freeze your fresh garden basil in water, rather than olive oil, if you prefer. If you choose to go that route you can defrost the basil cubes in a bowl, toss out the water and then dry your leaves before using them! (Great to have for caprese salads in the winter!)

Well, that's it for today, friends!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about

How To Make Frozen Basil Bombs

and that I've inspired you in some way.

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