When I planted my basil and tomatoes in the Spring, I imagined the tomato salad I’d make in the summer. Unfortunately this year my tomato crops were sabotaged, and I only had a few small fruits to pick from the plant. As for the basil, I had the opposite problem. That fragrant plant grew like a wildfire. I hate to waste food, and I couldn’t just sit here and watch it die. There was a TON of basil left, and I couldn’t use it fast enough.
When you’ve got lots of basil, you make pesto – but I’d already been there, done that. I read about blending it up with oil and freezing it, but I wanted to do better. I wanted to cook with my fresh basil throughout the fall and even the winter. I didn’t know until recently that you can freeze fresh basil. There really are few things you can’t freeze! It’s so easy to do. All you need is a bunch of basil, a chopping knife, water and an ice cube tray. Step 1: Chop your cleaned basil. Not finely, just enough to fit inside the cube in your tray.
Step 2: Cover completely with water.
Step 3: Pop it in the freezer. 
Once it’s done, you’ll have these fragrant ice cubes that you can add to your pasta dish for a fresh summer meal even when there’s snow outside your window. You can even defrost the leaves and make your pesto later if you like. But at least you have the choice.
This is such a good idea! I need to start growing my own herbs.
This is I great idea. I don’t cook with herbs usually because I end up wasting most of them. Thanks for the great tips on freezing.
I do the same thing with cilantro! Great idea!
Fresh basil tastes so much better than the dried stuff – but I had no idea you could freeze it! I learn something new from your blog every time I come by for a visit :)
For such a small plant, basil is incredibly prolific! I’ve also dried basil to store it over the winter.
Is there any way to freeze basil so you can use it to make caprese salad later in the winter?