How to Freeze Fresh Basil
This post will show you How to Freeze Basil, and frozen basil is a wonderful thing to have in the freezer when basil is out of season! I’ve been freezing basil for years, so I’ll also give you some recipe suggestions that can work with frozen basil.
PIN this post about Freezing Basil to try it later!
Have you ever tried freezing basil? When I wrote a quick little post about How to Freeze Basil years ago for a blogging event called Weekend Herb Blogging, I didn’t realize it would turn into one of the most popular posts ever on Kalyn’s Kitchen!
I’m still growing and freezing fresh basil every summer and if you have a garden where you’re growing basil or one of those basil plants from the grocery store on your counter, this post will help you freeze that basil it to use all winter in soup, stew, and pasta sauce.
And whether you use your frozen basil for summer treats like Basil Vinaigrette or use it in the winter to add to soups and stews, I bet you’ll be so happy you learned how to freeze basil once you see how easy it is!
Check out ideas for using frozen basil and more tips for preserving basil after the photos, and then get busy freezing some basil for winter!
Step One: Trim your basil plants often!
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/2-basil-400-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
If you’re a gardener who’s growing basil, trimming your basil plants regularly will let you freeze basil to use all through the winter. I do this several times each summer, whenever I have basil that needs to be harvested. Here’s how my basil looked before I trimmed the plants and pulled off the big leaves.
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/basil-trimmed-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
Here’s my basil after I trimmed it. Basil will actually produce more leaves if it’s vigorously trimmed a few times each year, since everywhere you cut the stem it produces two new stems. Just be sure to keep a few leaves on each stem (remember high school botany, that’s where the plant gets food.)
Step Two: Wash the basil leaves and dry them well!
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/washing-basil-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
I pinch off all the basil leaves, discard the stems, and wash the leaves very well in a salad spinner (affiliate link). Spin them as dry as you possibly can. If you don’t have a salad spinner, just wash your basil leaves in the sink and dry them well with paper towels.
Step Three: Chop the basil leaves in a food processor!
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/basil-in-food-processor-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
Put a few of handfuls of basil into the Food Processor (affiliate link), using the steel blade. The food processor bowl should be full, but not tightly packed. (I haven’t tried chopping up the basil by hand, but I’m sure it can work if you don’t have a food processor.)
Step Four: Add olive oil while you chop the basil!
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/chopped-basil-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
I pulse the food processor with one hand and drizzle olive oil into the feed tube with the other hand, just pulsing until the basil is coarsely chopped. You should make sure that all the basil is coated with oil, which keeps it from going dark in the freezer.
I use about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil for each batch in the food processor when I’m making coarsely chopped basil like this to use for pasta sauce, soup, or stew during the winter. When I’m making basil puree to add to Basil Vinaigrette I use more oil and chop the basil much more finely.
Step Five: Put the chopped basil in containers for the freezer!
![How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]](https://kalynskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/chopped-basil-in-containers-kalynskitchen.jpg "How to Freeze Fresh Basil and Ideas for Using Frozen Basil [found on KalynsKitchen.com]")
I have two sizes of these little plastic containers with tight lids that I use to freeze the basil. It doesn’t matter what size container you use, but a good trick is to measure the containers before you first use them. That way, when you pull one out of the freezer for a recipe, you’ll know how much it is. Some people like to freeze the chopped basil in ice-cube trays, then pop them out and seal with the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer (affiliate link).
Another way of freezing basil is in a quart-size plastic bag, smashing the basil down flat and pressing all the air out of the bag. This is easy to fit into a crowded freezer, and when it’s time to use some of the frozen basil you can just break off a piece and put the rest back into the freezer.
Ten Recipes for using Frozen Basil:
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Italian Beef Stew with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Basil
- Tomato Chickpea Soup
- No-Noodle Lasagna with Sausage and Basil
- Instant Pot Pasta Sauce
- White Bean Soup with Italian Sausage, Zucchini, and Basil
- Ratatouille Stew with Italian Sausage
- Sausage and Basil Marinara Sauce for the Freezer
- Leftover Roast Beef Stew
- Italian Sausage, Zucchini, and Macaroni Soup (with low-carb pasta)
More tips for preserving basil:
- If you don’t have enough basil to freeze, here’s How to Preserve Fresh Basil on the Countertop.
- Something I make with basil every summer is Basil Pesto with Lemon, which also freezes well.
- You can make and freeze French Pistou Sauce from Julia Child if you want a dairy-free sauce with basil.
Want Recipes that use Fresh Basil?
You can find all my favorites recipes that use fresh basil in my post on Cooking with Fresh Basil.
More tips for freezing herbs and vegetables:
- Freezing Garden Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs, and Vegetables
- How to Freeze Fresh Herbs: Rosemary and Thyme
- More about Freezing Fresh Herbs: Freezing Sage, Tarragon, and Mint
Historical Notes for this Post:
This post with all my tips for How to Freeze Basil was first posted in 2006, and I’ve been freezing my basil ever since then! The post was updated with better photos and more information, July 2008. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
167 Comments on “How to Freeze Fresh Basil”
Love basil recipes
Glad you like it!
Can I treat cilantro, sage, and dill the same way as freezing basil
I have a post on freezing sage if you enter that in the search bar. I haven’t ever frozen cilantro or dill so I can’t help with that.
Hi. why can’t you freeze basil like spinach?
I haven’t frozen spinach, but when I tried freezing basil without the oil it would turn dark in the freezer.
Thanks for your suggestions, on how to freeze fresh Basil. I did some but added Rosemary and it’s in the refrigerator in a mason jar
That’s a fun variation!
Loved your tips on freezing basil. Can other herbs be processed and frozen. I have a ton of sage.
Glad it’s useful for you. I have frozen sage using a slightly different method. You can read about it in this post on freezing sage, tarragon, and mint.
Could you freeze fresh pesto in the same way? I love to make pesto from my basil plant but have never thought of freezing
Yes! You can absolutely freeze pesto. You will see things on the web saying to freeze it without the cheese, but I never do that and mine freezes just fine. I love to freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, then pop out the cubes and put them in Ziploc bags. Then when I need a little pesto I just take out a few cubes!
I love making fresh pesto, what I do is freeze it in ice cube trays, then when frozen I pop them out and place them in zip lock bags. Each cube is about 2 Tablespoons. It's quick and easy with out any waste !!
Yes, I absolutely do that too, and have a recipe for it, but this is just a method to freeze the basil for other uses. You can never have too much basil, right?
I love all these tips, I have found I can successfully freeze parsley by just placing it straight into a plastic bag and pushing out the air, doesn't go black. I also have found I can use the more tender basil stems as well as the leaves, Yvonne Bew Zealand
I'm going to try freezing a lot of basil this year thanks to this post. This should work for chives also don't you think? I haven't found that chives taste very good after they're dried and they're up there with basil for me. Love them in everything.
Hope you enjoy the frozen basil. I am not sure about chives; freezing does soften the texture and I haven't used chives much in cooked dishes. But I do love the frozen basil mixed into salad dressing so maybe chives will work the same way. I'd love to hear how it works!
So obviously when you puree the herbs, you end up with a smaller volume vs. measuring fresh herbs. When using your frozen herbs (following a recipe), do you use the same measurement as called for in the recipe? i.e., if the recipe calls for 1 T of fresh basil, do you use 1 T of your frozen basil, or do you convert as one would when using dried herbs in place of fresh?
Good question; this is not something I've ever worried about because I really like basil so when a recipe calls for it, I always use a lot. But if you were making something where the basil really needs to be measured, I would use slightly less of this than you would chopped fresh basil. Not nearly as much of a difference as in dry to fresh basil though.
I haven't done it with a blender, and truthfully I worry that it will chop the basil too finely. If you don't have a food processor, I'd probably just chop up the basil with a knife and mix with olive oil in a bowl.
How about if do not have a food procesor,is it ok to use a blender? or even chop it with a knife?
Best way I've found with freezing basil is clean the leaves, leave them out to dry off on towels. Once that is done, roll them into foot long logs about 1" thick, and freeze them on a cookie sheet… Once frozen, transfer them to a zip lock bag, and every time you need 'fresh' basil, cut some off with your kitchen scissors…
Glad you like the site, Jana. I'm afraid I haven't ever grown lemon balm so I can't give much advice about it. I would try google though; I bet someone has written about it.
I just discovered your website searching for ways to harvest and store my abundant basil. I also want to harvest my lemon balm. Is it time? How to trim and harvest the herb,so it continues growing? Excellent work/site! Quite amazing, will let my friends know about it! Jana
Maria, at the end of the post above there is a link to a post on how to freeze rosemary and thyme. I trim my herbs way back in the spring every year.
Hi Kalyn, I just came across your site. I have rosemary and thyme plants that are overgrown and have a lot of thick stems. . I want to get new growth. What would be the best method of harvesting and preserving.
Maria
Can you use a blender to chop the basil? I don't have a food processor.
You might be able to get it to work in a blender, but I am a bit worried that it will chop the basil more finely than you'd want. If you did it that way, I would only buzz for a second or two, then stir, repeating until it's all chopped. You could also chop the basil by hand and then mix with olive oil in a bowl.
Thanks, and you can also freeze the pesto. Some sources say leave the cheese out but I've frozen pesto with cheese and haven't notice any problem with it.
And here it is…what I didn't see before, when I sent a comment on the basil chicken breasts!
Awesome, this answers my "how" question!
Thank you for the wonderful recipes and for having such a fun and interesting blog. I've been lurking for years now and just had to come out of the woodwork to tell you how amazing this blog is. I'm always recommending it to people!
Thanks for this awesome idea. I searched out on ways to have a "fresher" way to store my basil in the winter after reading that it is one of several herbs that isn't flavor worthy when dried. Not sure if I agree with that but at least it lead me to your site. I followed your directions and them made 1/4 cup dollops onto a waxed-papered cookie sheet, put them in the freezer overnight, and then transferred the dollops into a freezer bag. Perfect! Thanks again!
Margaret so happy that I have helped you keep your basil to use in the winter!
Kalyn, I just discovered your blog with the heading that it was updated in June 2008. What a great find for me. Basil has become my very favorite herb and you are my very favorite blogger for having such fantastic tips for all of us. Bless you for giving us a method to save all of that fantastic taste for winter use. Have a great fall and winter, Margaret
I have heard about people freezing pesto like that and just breaking off as much as they need. I think that would work find for this basil too. Hope you enjoy it!
I press my pesto flat in a freezer bag and freeze it that way. I make the layer thing enough that it's easy just to break off what I need. I love the idea of having a more neutral option since I've been wanting to try using basil in some sweeter dishes.
Pesto has garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese besides the basil and it's much more finely pureed. This basil is barely chopped.
by adding the olive oil, isn't this like pesto? i made a bunch of pesto with my basil last year and froze it.
Glad it was helpful and thick plastic bags should work just fine.
Thank you, this was very helpful and I'm looking forward to having this basil in winter! I put my mixture into small plastic snack bags, doubled.
I hadn't thought of trying it with water; thanks for sharing that.
I either process basil with oil or with water and then spread it out on a cookie sheet. Place it in the freezer then when it's frozen I break it up like brittle and keep it frozen for soups and sauces or add other stuff to make pesto. I do this with Kale and Lamb's Quarter and Chard also. A good way to sneak in nutrients with my husband who turns his nose up at chard and kale unless it's saturated with oil and served with potatoes!
Cheryl, I use this all winter long in pasta sauce, soup, and stews.
Carol, so glad it's helpful for you.
And years after your post, it is STILL helping folks! I cut back all my basil today – the plants were HUGE. Then I went through what I had cut and took off the good leaves. All last winter, I had to buy basil weekly for my cooking, and I am determined to not do that again. So your description of how to freeze basil is very helpful. Thanks! Now I have to do the same with my rosemary, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and dill.
I'm going to try this. I've dehydrated my basil in the past but this would be so much fresher tasting! Thanks!
Time for a trim!
Thanks that is helpful our basil is 2 ft tall
I have to say Thank you so much for this post. I realized it is a few years old, however I received an email that my farmers market received a mis-shipment of 10,000 pounds of basil! And the best part, they are giving it away free, first come first serve. I will be going to get some free basil tomorrow and process and freeze it!
So glad it worked for you. I love having this basil for soup and stew in the winter, and tomorrow I'm going to trim my plants and do my second batch of the year.
It's the end of the growing season and we just harvested a giant basil bush! The first batch of leaves yielded about 2 cups once processed, and I'm freezing in mini muffin cups but will transfer to permanent containers once frozen. In all the years we've grown herbs, this was the easiest and fastest method for preserving we've ever tried.
Have never seen this type of basil before but I googled it and I'm fascinated. It looks like the leaves are similar although a little smaller, so I can't think of any reason you wouldn't handle it the same way for freezing.
Kalyn…….I've been growing Greek Columnar Basil. It's quite hearty and does not flower.The leaves, however, are a good deal smaller than Sweet Italian Basil. I'd like to freeze the leaves, but do I handle the preservation the same way?
Thanks for your advice.
Carrie, I honestly don't know, but if it was me I would probably puree them with olive oil and then re-freeze. You could leave a few of the ones you have now frozen and see what happens. (And do report back if you experiment, would love to know what happens.)
I have been making pesto for the freezer for quite a few years. Last week I went to puree the basil and my cuininart was broken….hummmm Late in the eve I decided to dry well and put in the freezer. I have borrowed a cuininart and plan to make pesto this eve. None of the leaves are black at this time.
Am I best to just leave the leaves until I need them….or can I puree now.
Thank you
Diana, you'll love using this basil in the winter!
Thanks, I have huge basil plants, they are more like bushes, and I hate to see it go to waste.
Diana
Just to clarify, this way of freezing basil is not Basil Pesto, which is an Italian type sauce made from pureed basil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. This is chopped basil coated with olive oil, which keeps the basil from going brown when it's frozen.
Jessica, you're going to love this if you haven't done it before!
I have some basil plants in my garden, thanks for sharing on the storing.
Mark, glad it's useful for you!
Great tip. I'm drowning in basil this summer! Thank you! xoxom
Thanks Kalyn, for the great pesto freezing tips, etc. I'm going to go and pick some Basil from my garden and get ready to freeze it.
I personally wouldn't mix the different types of basil, I'd freeze them separately. I would make pesto first and then freeze. I'm not sure how the frozen basil would work for making pesto later.
I have basil, opal basil, thai basil, lemon basil, spicy basil and dwarf basil. Should I freeze them individually according to their type or mix and match? Can I just freeze the basil and make pesto later of should I make pesto now and freeze? Thanks Lori
These were great directions! I really loved the pictures. Thanks:)
I'm afraid I've never grown ginger or grown mint inside, so I don't know what to suggest. Mint is easy to grow outdoors, but I'd guess it might not get enough light in a window.
Hi, I am new to the site….I have a piece of frozen ginger…can I thaw it out and cut off a chunk to grow indoors or should I start with a fresh never frozen chunk? also I want to grow fresh mint on my windowsill…I bought a small plant last year at the grocery store and the plant slowly died after I snipped off all the delicious leaves! Any suggestions for either would be greatly appreciated!
Andrea
I buy those big jars of pre-peeled garlic cloves from Costco and freeze them, but the garlic does come out a bit softer when it's been frozen. Still perfectly usable though. If there is any other trick to it, I don't know what it is.
Hey Kalyn!
Do you know of a way to freeze fresh garlic? We have lots of peeled, fresh garlic in our fridge, too much to use before it goes bad. Thanks!
I gave up on saving the flowers; too much work for so little volume! I do think the leaves were a little more bitter than usual; I had read that that happens once it's bloomed. But they were still good enough for homemade marinara, that's still way better than storebought!
Foo Foo, good to know. I do always snip them off when they first appear, which may be one reason I've never eaten them. Thanks for the info.
Basil flowers (the small buds actually) are extremely flavorful! We always throw themm into the blender when making pesto. By themelves they are great to add to veggies which you are about to grill. Always snip them off the plants as a lot of energy goes into producing the flowers. You will get more leaves and a much longer season.
Jana, I've never eaten the flower part. I don't think it would hurt you, but I doubt that it tastes that good. (Maybe taste some and see what you think.)
Kalyn, I just received some fresh basil from a friend, in the form of numerous sprigs, each of which has a few leaves and a long flower spike, mostly still in the green stage. Do you know if the green flower bracts are edible? They smell like the leaves, and I hate the thought of throwing away all that delicious aroma! Thanks.
I can make regular basil pesto and just freeze it in ice cubes with a thin layer of olive oil on top? Sweet!
Frieda, that happens to me too. I suspect it's snails, but I'm not really sure what causes it. I've been known to use snail bait around the edge of the garden, although I don't like to put it close to the herbs. I try to keep the leaves picked, which does help.
Kaylyn, I need your help! This is my first time growing basil, and I really appreciated your tutorial on growing basil. I have 3 lovely plants in my yard. Now, I'm getting swiss cheese looking basil leaves. What could be eating up my plants?
Anna, brilliant idea!
Since I have a small freezer with not a lot of extra space I put my pureed basil into small sandwich sized zip lock baggies. I press out all of the air and lay them flat to freeze. Once they are frozen they stack up up-right in the freezer and don't take up much space. When I need some basil for a recipe I just open a bag and break off the right amount.
Frieda, you're welcome. You'll be glad you trimmed it because your basil will produce more, and you'll love having it in the freezer this winter! Utah is getting a pretty good group of bloggers, fun isn't it.
Kaylyn, thank you so much for your basil post! We just started this year, and I never realized I had to trim them. Nice to meet another fellow Utah blogger! Keep up the great work!
Sam, EVOO is olive oil, it's the best type. Any type of olive oil will be fine.
Thanks for the wonderful information. I was wondering can I use EVOO or does it have to be OLIVE OIL. Thanks again for the post.
Kalyn, thank you for the info about freezing basil. I have planted basil in between my tomato plants and they now need pruning. I had my first experience with pesto last year – so delish! I will post my results on my blog. Thank you for sharing!!
I'm going out to trim up my basil as soon as I've finished this comment 🙂 Freezing it with the olive oil is a stroke of genius. Thanks!
I'm about to lose a Basil plant that has been overwatered and your directions for freezing will save what's left and make it easier when cooking with basil in the future. First time to your site and it is now a favorite in my "food and beverage" category.
Anonymous, so glad it was helpful! Give my best to your mom too.
Kalyn, My mother swears that she saw something on tv that said there is a way to freeze basil without it going black. She is 80 yrs. old and I didn’t believe her. I just recently started playing with a computer, so she said, why don’t you see if you can find it on the internet? Well I did and I also found some many other things on your website. Thank you, my mother and I can now freeze basil as well as many other things.
Thanks so much! This was a great help! I just pulled in my final batch before the temp drops to 27 degrees tonight and wanted to make sure I could save it all in the freezer.
Now, of course, I must poke around your site and see what else you’ve got going on.
I haven’t ever tried freezing cilantro, so I’m not sure how it would work. I haven’t really been able to grow it successfully (snails just mow it down) so I just buy it at the grocery store!
Hi Kalyn — love this idea and can’t wait to grow a forest of basil next year in my garden! But as much as I love basil, my favorite herb is cilantro — do you have a technique for storing cilantro for winter use as well?
Patricia, I think that’s just brilliant!
Hi Kalyn, I really enjoy your blog. I came home from the farmer’s market with a huge bouquet of basil and wanted to try your freezing method, but I didn’t have small containers and no ice cube trays either. I did have some eggs that were in one of those molded plastic cartons. I washed it well and bingo, I had 24 nice little molds! Thanks for all your great ideas.
Anonymous, there is no reason you can’t chop the basil and mix in the olive oil by hand, it will just take a lot of chopping. The most important thing is to be sure each piece of basil has a thin layer of oil coating it. That’s what prevents the basil from turning black.
I read your receipe for freezing fresh basil, but I don’t have a food processor. Is there any other way to do it? I’ve tried wrapping in saran wrap or foil, but it turns black.
I was reading your post on how to freeze fresh basil…
You can do this with oregano also…
clean and dry the leaves….
chop in food processor..
the take ice cube trays and put the crushed lives in it with olive oil…
making sure its covered with enough olive oil….
freeze it… then pop them out ..
wrap them .. and re refreeze…
you now have individual servings
Great ideas. I got a HUGE bag of basil in my CSA share this week and had no idea what to do with that much! Now I do.
Thanks!
No wonder this was one of your most popular posts, it is an extremely useful guide to freezing basil.
I will have to try it out with my basil plants soon!
Jenefr, yes I do think this will work with other herbs. The only thing to remember is whether that particular herb mixed with olive oil will be useful in winter dishes the way basil is. I think parsley would be a good choice to freeze using this method.
You can freeze many herbs just on the stems, I’ve written about freezing rosemary and thyme and sage, tarragon, and mint, all of which can be frozen just on the stems, the leaves will fall off when they’re frozen.
Kalyn, do you think this would work with fresh mint or other herbs?
Also, since I didn’t have any cute little containers, I put my mix in an ice cube tray and froze it and then put it in a big bag, hopefully they won’t get too yucky. (I am hoping for my birthday to get one of those vacume sealers but I think I am getting a fence instead.)
Thanks!
This is wonderful. Thanks for the information. I’ve got herbs taking over everything I cook, eat, and drink. I’ve never frozen herbs before, but I’m dehydrating the heck out of them. It works well, too. I appreciate having another method to save them for later.
Melissa
How timely! Thanks so much. My basil *just took a header off my deck today during a thunderstorm. Fell about 10 feet and broke all but one of its main stems. So I’m sitting here with 4 giant stems full of basil and no idea how to freeze it. You rock!
The Japanese beetles are gorging themselves on my basil 🙁
I read somewhere they only hang out for 1 month so I’m letting my basil be the victim rather than my other veggies. The lower leaves still look good. I can salvage the plant when the beetles go away.
In the past I have successfully saved seeds and grown more basil in the winter. I didn’t know I could sprout it in water.
I’ve done pesto in ice cube trays very successfully. I like pecans in pesto. They have more flavor than pine nuts.
Thanks for the tip, Kalyn.
Paz
Kalyn, what a timely udpate as my basil is overflowing and I hate to lose even a leaf! Thanks so much!
Janelle, would have loved to been able to meet you at BlogHer. I think the the plastic containers will make the basil last a bit longer in the freezer, but ziploc bags would work too. You could use the ice cube trays, then pop the basil cubes into zip-loc bags.
Cool: how about ziploc, do you think that works?
I haven’t frozen just basil, but adore freezing pesto in ice cube trays:))). I wrote a post about it and you will laugh, get emails all the time about the cool red ice cube tray (in my photo). I bought it at ikea a few years back:).
I hope you are well, I SO wished I could have made the BlogHer conference this year, but family reunion prevailed.
Cheers,
Janelle
Kalyn: This is such helpful information. I just learned how to keep basil in my kitchen from Ross Parson’s book “How to Pick a Peach” — don’t refrigerate, just put in a glass with water on your kitchen counter — and now your post on saving it for winter cooking. Terrific! My basil is growing abundantly in pots on my back porch and I didn’t know what to do with it all. This is very instructive. I’m not surprised that it is one of your most popular posts but thanks for re-posting. Janice
Thank you for your advice. Bute in India we get only dried Basil leaves. But i will keep this in mind.
This is brilliant kalyn. I was wondering how you would do it without them going dark. I will definitely try this.
Comments before this one are from June 2006 to July 2008, when I updated this post with better photos and more complete instructions.
Audrey, I don’t think I’ve tried doing it that way (I just make the pesto and freeze that.) I think it will work, but the basil will be a bit more wet, so you’ll probably need less oil. I’d thaw it in the fridge first. Let me know how it turns out, love to try it.
I just followed your recipe for frozen basil. Once I collect a bunch, can I use my frozen basil to make pesto?
I freeze dill, parsley, mint… my mother used to freeze them but I did not know that you can freeze basil, I must try it as it is one of my favourite herbs as well. I have always basil plant on my window 🙂
Enjoy your weekend, Margot
Lora, sounds like a good system. I’ve been thinking about buying some ice cube trays just for this reason, thanks for the reminder!
I’ve been using this same method for freezing Basil, but, instead of putting the Basil/Olive oil into small plastic containers, I put it into ice cube trays. ( I have several trays that I use strictly for freezing herbs, as well as some for freezing juice from my Meyers lemon tree). Once frozen, I put the cubes into freezer zip-lock bags and store in the freezer. One cube equals, approximately, one tablespoon of fresh chopped basil. When I need Basil over the winter months I just take out a cube, let it thaw and I’m good to go!
Hi Holly,
Basil is an annual, which means it only lives for a certain length of time. Theoretically you could plant new seeds and grow it inside in the winter, but I doubt you could really get enough sun to do it successfully in Utah. Don’t be afraid to cut your basil way back during the summer though. I trim mine 4-5 times each summer and freeze each crop.
I”m in Utah and I wondered if it is possible to haul my basil pot inside for the winter, have you tried that or do basil plants have a specified life span? Can’t wait to go try freezing some basil now. I planted about 8 or 10 basil plants in a large pot and they are going crazy and they get bushier every time I pluck out the flower heads. Thanks for the great information! HOlly
Anonymous, do the basil leaves turn dark when you freeze them this way? I’m usually using them in something where I don’t mind the oil, bit I might try your method too. Thanks for letting us know.
I take basil leaves off the stems and arrange on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer—then I pack the frozen leaves into zip lock bags, date and place back into the freezer. The basil retains its fresh taste in recipes with no added oil.
Kalyn, I just froze some basil last week but I simply washed, dried and froze the leaves in zip-lock bags (as per an Italian lady’s suggestion) but I do see the colour change.
I will likely cull some more basil and I’ll try your method as well as I like the preserving the the vibrant green of the basil.
Thanks!
I have grown basil and tomatoes for years to make my own marinara sauce. I have successfully frozen both. For the basil I chop it up and put it into ice cube trays and add water. Freeze solid and put into zip freezer bags. Then it can be thawed or just popped into the sauce.
Just Great! I’m new to growing herbs and have several basil ready to start harvesting and was looking for a way to freeze them when I ran upon your site. Thanks
don in Texas
OK, I never thought frozen pesto would be anything like fresh. Well, I just thawed some to have with goat cheese and roasted red peppers. It was FABULOUS! It really CAN be frozen. Your method of freezing with olive oil is perfect! IF I wanted to “brighten” up my pesto a bit I would stick it back in my food processor and add a bit more lime juice (I love the brightness of lime juice in pesto) and that’s it. Thank you for offering this information, which I was about to dispute on a cooking forum. I was smart enough to google it first!!!!!! 🙂
Kalyn,
Thanks for the tip…last year I left alot of basil on the plants because I didn’t know what to do. I plan to freeze it with a little water in ice cube trays. I will send a yummy email in the middle of winter when I add it to my marinara sauce 🙂
June
Adele, I apologize, sometimes when comments come when I’m at school I totally miss them. I can’t imagine why this wouldn’t work with tarragon too.
Anonymous, no problem. I try to defrost the basin in the fridge if I can, but you can do it in the microwave. I use it in soups, stews, pesto, and mixed into Italian dressing to make “basil vinaigrette” which is good drizzled over fish, vegetables, and of course, tomatoes.
I am sorry, I posted the message twice, I am new to blogging!
After researching how to freeze basil for some time I can finally relax, your instruction with the pictures is perfectly helpful, thank you!
Can you give some tips on defrosting & using frozen basil?
This is so helpful,I love that yu included pictures, thank you.
Can you give some tips on what is the best way to defrost & use frozen basil?
I was wondering the same thing! I planted basil this year too, and it's time to trim, so I'll freeze of course, but not sure of the best way to defrost/thaw?
Sorry I missed these previous comments. I defrost in the fridge over night. For ideas for recipes using the frozen basil, enter "frozen basil" into the search bar on the blog and you'll get recipes where I've mentioned using it. I use a lot of mine for basil vinaigrette, and it's also great in pasta sauce.
Great ideas; very helpful. Do you think this process would work for my other favorite herb “tarragon”?
I’ve been freezing basil for years. Last year, I tried making basil pesto and freezing individual cubes in ice cube trays, then into freezer bags when frozen. These cube-size portions are great to add flavor to recipes or when my grandsons ask for bowties and “green sauce.” This year, I line the trays first with saran wrap, freeze, then lift the whole sheet of saran wrap out–so much easier to remove the frozen cubes. Hope this is helpful to someone.
Mema
Thank you so much for the saran wrap idea!
Luv2cook, lucky you!
Senait, if you have a really sunny south facing window you could try it, but basil needs a lot of sun. I haven’t tried growing it inside.
Hi. Wow, I’m new to this whole blogging thing, so please excuse me if I am writing in the wrong area. I was reading these great tips on freezing basil and I love it! I am wondering if anyone can give me tips on growing basil indoors. Can this be done? I live in San Francisco, and I don’t have a garden, but I love herbs.
I grow basil in a sunny south window every winter. The leaves will be a little smaller and the basil grows a little slower but it works great otherwise.
Great post, Kalyn. One of my friends planted a couple of basil plants but they don’t use basil. So they invited me to come to their house to pick some. I went and got a WHOLE bunch. Their plants were upto 3ft high. Now, I know how I save it to use it all year long :).
Thanks, again.
Jennifer, it will sound crazy, but at the end of the season I just cut off the branches of rosemary and thyme and put them in the freezer in a ziploc bag. Then when I need some I just take a branch and pull the leaves off. They come off really easily when they’re frozen.
So helpful, Kalyn, thanks! I too have often frozen pesto, but sometimes in winter I’d love to have just the basil. Do you use the same method with rosemary and thyme, coating the leaves in olive oil?
Virginie, try it. It’s great for so many dishes.
Nerissa, thanks for the tip about lemongrass. I haven’t ever grown it, but I’ve been thinking about trying. But even when I buy it at the store, I usually don’t use it all.
This is wonderful info. In a place where I rarely if ever see basil It’s good to know how I can keep the taste of summer in the freezer without resorting to turning it all into pesto.
Cooking Diva tells me that you can freeze lemon grass too.
What a great idea ! Thank you for it. My basil always burns when I try to freeze it. I’ll follow your wise advice now.
Gattina, I missed you. Don’t hesitate to trim your basil and it will fill out the plant even more.
Christa, glad to help you learn how to preserve your garden stuff. I grate the ginger while it’s still frozen with a microplane grater. It works very well.
Alice, thanks for the tips.
Shauna, welcome.
Ruth, try again with the basil. It’s not that termperamental except you should put it where it gets maximum sun if you can.
EJM, glad to hear that your husband was pleased. I LOVE the idea of whole pine nuts.
Kalyn,
great tips on trimming and freezing, I’ll do so before its season finished!
Ruth, you really must try growing basil! You should definitely grow enough to be able to garnish things at least. Our garden is almost entirely in shade and still the basil does grow.
We make pesto from those humungous bunches of basil that are available at the vegetable stores in early September….
-Elizabeth, in Toronto
P.S. Many of the garden centers sell basil in the “vegetable” section rather than the “herb” section. Ruth, you should be able to get 6 plants for about $1.00 in the vegetable area rather than 1 spindly plant for $2.00 (or more) in the herb area. (I know the garden center that is on Christie just north of Bloor has a deal like that…)
Isn’t it amazing that the “covering basil with olive oil entirely before freezing” is not a standard instruction? We only blundered upon it after being devastated by quite black frozen pesto the first time I froze it (some years ago)
Until your post about freezing basil here, I’ve never seen it spelled out that way. I’m so glad you did.
-Elizabeth
P.S. Thanks for the link! My husband is tickled that you mentioned his brilliance at thinking of serving basil pesto with whole toasted pinenuts. And you really must try it! It’s fabulous.
Kalyn, I couldn’t agree more. Basil is my all time favorite herb. I’ve tried to grow it, but it’s always been a failure, so I just buy it instead. Of course up here in Toronto, the big fat gorgeous bunches are only to be had in summer. The rest of the year we have to buy tiny little packets for the same price!
Thanks for sharing the gardening tips. Maybe I’ll try again!
I just found your blog today! Great blog! I will be back again and again as I look for great recipes…
My blog is: http://ca.360.yahoo.com/the.bunnyo I am blogging my attempted to go a year without junk food…
Shauna 🙂
Some important things about basil are to never let it flower-keep pruning. Prune the branch to just above a set of leaves to promote side branches. You can prune as low as to leave 3 sets of leaves on the branch. Fertilize every other week with nitrogen fertilizer such as fish emulsion. If you need to prune more than you need, strip the lower leaves, put in water, change water daily and you will soon have rooted cuttings ready to plant for more wonderful plants
This is really helpful to know, Kalyn. Usually I make pesto and freeze that, but I’ve never tried freezing basil on its own. I didn’t know ginger root could be frozen too. Thanks for the great tips!
Ivonne, it did smell good! Nothing like the smell of basil.
Thanks Joe!
Ed, there’s always next summer!
Gabriella, can’t wait to see what you do with your basil.
Charles, love to help people learn new things.
PatL, I used to use ice cube trays too before I found these little containers. (Great minds thinking alike and all that!)
Yes, I love doing that! I freeze mine in ice cube trays, then put the frozen cubes in a plastic bag. If I do it just right, each cube is 1 T of oily basily goodness! Yum!
I am still learning the ropes about herbs and stuff. This is a nice tip. I didnt know that herbs can be frozen. I only learned about the dried stuff.
Great post! I hae done it many times but it is great to see it all laid out.
and yes, I do remember the high school botany part.
Great post. We should have done it while we had loads of basil.
Great tips Kalyn!
I can almost smell that basil from here, Kalyn!
Orchidea, interesting to know that it’s common to freeze basil in Italy. I had read in so many cookbooks that you can’t do it, but they’re probably by American writers.
Tanna, of course you’re right. Before I get too jealous about you growing basil in the winter in Texas, I should think about the hot summers. In Utah summer is pretty nice because of no humidity, although it gets pretty hot here too.
Well, Kalyn you may not like your winter but I sure don’t like our summers! Nobody and nothing is perfect.
I’ve so far been successful at getting my husband to create some area sheltered enough in our mild Texas winter, that I’m able to grow basil all year. But, this will be useful if I have another basil failure like this winter. Thanks for a great tip.
Comments which are unrelated to the content of the post and appear to be nothing more than an attempt to advertise another blog will be deleted. I apologize if this seems harsh, but I learned from experience that if you let people post comments like that, they will do it over and over.
Adoro il basilico!
My parents in Italy have basil in their garden and they use it fresh but me… here in Sweden… I always buy basil, simply take the leaves off, wash them well and then put them in the freezer. All people I know in Italy also freeze basil when it is out of season.
Ciao.
Great advice Kalyn. I’ve found that basil does freeze great, if it has oil added to it. And it’s wonderful to be able to take out a little frozen cube of it and toss it in soup or some other dish.
Genie, don’t be afraid to cut them back. Sometimes I even trim them more vigorously than the one in the photo. I think as soon as the plant has some good sized leaves you can start cutting it back. I’m usually careful to leave a set of leaves on each stem, but honestly I don’t know if it’s necessary. That’s just a habit I have from “pinching back” houseplants, and I’m guessing the same principal applies here.
Kalyn, this may be the most helpful bit of information I’ve read in weeks! Thanks so much for posting this — I’m definitely going to put it to use, especially now that I have two basil plants.
I have to admit…I’ve been nervous about cutting the basil back. My two plants are still pretty small, but I want them to start getting bushy so I can use them regularly. How soon do you usually do your first cutting back?
Genie
The Inadvertent Gardener