Basil was not in vain received the title of "royal grass". Unusual taste and benefits are the reason for harvesting the leaves for the winter period.
Before you prepare the basil for future use, you need to determine the way of harvesting. There are three ways to prepare the basil for the winter: freezing, drying and canning, and we will describe each of them in the recipes below.
How to procure purple basil for the winter?
The leaves of the purple basil have a subtle and spicy taste, characteristic of the southern varieties of this seasoning, so the most common way to preserve the flavor is drying. Consider several drying technologies that will enable us to understand how to prepare basil for the winter and preserve the flavor.
Rinse the leaves of basil, dry well and finely chop. Spread the basil with a uniform layer on paper and dry naturally in a warm, ventilated room, periodically turning the leaves. After drying, shift the basil into a glass container with a tight lid, so that the aroma persists for a long time.
There is also an express version of the technology. In its framework, the plants are placed in a preheated oven for a minimum of (about 40 degrees) an hour. After turning off the oven, its door is left open and leaves are dried for an hour.
If you decide to repeat the procedure of drying in a microwave oven, the process will take about 3-3.5 minutes at 700 watts.
How to prepare a green basil for winter?
Most varieties of basil have a green color. These varieties are resistant to cold and unpretentious. They retain the aroma of essential oils for a long time at low temperatures and therefore most often the green basil is stored in a cooled form.
We wash the washed and dried basil in sterilized jars with layers, pouring them with salt and firmly pressing one layer to the other. After the greens let the juice, tightly roll up the jars and store in the refrigerator at a temperature not higher than two degrees. Salt is an excellent preservative, because the green preparation for a long time will retain its piquant taste.
How to prepare the basil in oil for the winter?
If you like salads from fresh vegetables, then for salad dressings the basil in oil perfectly approaches. In addition, olive oil is a good preservative, because this piece will retain its useful properties for a long time.
Ingredients:
- leaves of green basil - 180 g;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- salt - 45 g;
- olive oil - 110 ml.
Preparation
Washed and dried basil leaves are cut and placed in prepared dishes. Crush the cloves of garlic with the flat side of the knife and send it to the basil leaves. The mixture is poured with olive oil so that the oil covers the workpiece, and place it in a plastic container in the freezer. A large amount of oil will not allow the mixture to freeze, so it is possible to use frozen filling without much difficulty, selecting the necessary quantity for the dish.
How to prepare basil for the winter in the freezer?
One of the options for freezing is a dry method, often used at home. The collected basil is soaked in cold water for an hour, carefully washed and dried, the prepared greens are laid out on packages, letting air out of them and tying them. In a day, you need to shake the packs, so that the leaves fall apart, and do not freeze into a single coma. With this method, the greens are stored for about a year.