The fall harvest this year produced a particularly large quantity of basil. We decided to freeze it so that we could use it in soups, stews, and sauces for the winter.
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First we blanched the leaves by dipping them in boiling water for 30 seconds |
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,..then plunging them into ice water to keep them from wilting. |
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Later, we decided that it would be easier to do this once we separated the leaves from the stems. With the quantity we had, this process took Julia and Catherine 8 hours! |
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Once blanched, the leaves were left to dry for a few hours on paper towels. We were all getting pretty hungry at this point, so we used a fan to speed up the drying process. |
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Once the leaves were dry, we put them into seal-able bags and squeezed the air out. Some was also made into delicious pesto! |