I've got a large bunch of basil in the oven to dry; the GF raises it in
huge quantities. I don't have enough recipes for basil that I can use it
up when it's fresh, and the situation is complicated by the fact that
she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.

Anyway, I am wondering about basil recipes, and ways to preserve it. I
have canning equipment, but I am not sure exactly how to deal with
canning basil. I've seen advice about blanching it and then freezing. Of
course, there's drying, and I can use it fresh, but there's so much that
it goes bad before I can use it all.

Any advice would be appreciated.

On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:

> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.

Pesto or pizza sauce.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 03:40:32 -0400, Travis McGee >
wrote:

>I've got a large bunch of basil in the oven to dry; the GF raises it in
>huge quantities. I don't have enough recipes for basil that I can use it
>up when it's fresh, and the situation is complicated by the fact that
>she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>
>Anyway, I am wondering about basil recipes, and ways to preserve it. I
>have canning equipment, but I am not sure exactly how to deal with
>canning basil. I've seen advice about blanching it and then freezing. Of
>course, there's drying, and I can use it fresh, but there's so much that
>it goes bad before I can use it all.
>
>Any advice would be appreciated.
No need to blanch. Put it in your blender or food processor with a
little water. Blend to make a slurry. Put in ice cube trays. Freeze.
Remove when solid and bag up the cubes. Keep frozen and use as
needed.
Janet US

I just picked a large quantity of basil. I pick off the leaves, rinse in cool water, pat dry with paper towel, toss in food processor with olive oil and chop. Then I pour the mixture into ice cube trays. When frozen, pop them out and place them in a freezer Zip-Lock bag and put back in freezer.

When I want pesto, I just heat one or two cubes in a pan, add garlic and Parmesan, then pour over pasta, or I add a couple blocks to spaghetti sauce. I've added a cube or two to home made Alfredo sauce, or thaw out a cube and spread on a pizza crust, then add cheese before baking.

If you're dehydrating the leaves, just crumble them into a jar. I've never heard of canning basic, but I guess anything is possible.

Denise in NH

On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
> On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
>
>> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>
> Pesto or pizza sauce.
>
I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add some
to soup or stock as needed.

His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as] pizza
sauce is probably out of the question.

Jill

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 03:40:32 -0400, Travis McGee >
wrote:

>I've got a large bunch of basil in the oven to dry; the GF raises it in
>huge quantities. I don't have enough recipes for basil that I can use it
>up when it's fresh, and the situation is complicated by the fact that
>she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>
>Anyway, I am wondering about basil recipes, and ways to preserve it. I
>have canning equipment, but I am not sure exactly how to deal with
>canning basil. I've seen advice about blanching it and then freezing. Of
>course, there's drying, and I can use it fresh, but there's so much that
>it goes bad before I can use it all.
>
>Any advice would be appreciated.

Here are a couple of ideas
http://www.kokoscornerblog.com/mycor...il-leaves.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/8l6vyw6

http://www.kokoscornerblog.com/mycor...-lemonade.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/klvo2mo

Hope that helps

koko

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:20:29 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:

> On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
> > On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
> >
> >> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
> >
> > Pesto or pizza sauce.
> >
> I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
> the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add some
> to soup or stock as needed.
>
> His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as] pizza
> sauce is probably out of the question.
>

I think it's rather odd of her to be growing so much without a plan
about how to use it.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:25:48 -0700, koko > wrote:

> Here are a couple of ideas
> http://www.kokoscornerblog.com/mycor...il-leaves.html
> or
> http://tinyurl.com/8l6vyw6
>
> http://www.kokoscornerblog.com/mycor...-lemonade.html
> or
> http://tinyurl.com/klvo2mo
>
> Hope that helps

Basil-Lemon salad dressing is also excellent.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.

On 8/15/2014 3:33 PM, sf wrote:
> On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:20:29 -0400, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
>>> On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
>>>
>>>> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>>>
>>> Pesto or pizza sauce.
>>>
>> I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
>> the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add some
>> to soup or stock as needed.
>>
>> His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as] pizza
>> sauce is probably out of the question.
>>
>
> I think it's rather odd of her to be growing so much without a plan
> about how to use it.
>
>
Maybe she just likes plants.

Jill

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:57:02 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:

> On 8/15/2014 3:33 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:20:29 -0400, jmcquown >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
> >>> On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
> >>>
> >>> Pesto or pizza sauce.
> >>>
> >> I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
> >> the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add some
> >> to soup or stock as needed.
> >>
> >> His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as] pizza
> >> sauce is probably out of the question.
> >>
> >
> > I think it's rather odd of her to be growing so much without a plan
> > about how to use it.
> >
> >
> Maybe she just likes plants.
>
I guess it can become compost or hoed under because it seems rather
useless to be offering suggestions.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:57:02 -0400, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 8/15/2014 3:33 PM, sf wrote:
>> > On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:20:29 -0400, jmcquown >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
>> >>> On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>> >>>
>> >>> Pesto or pizza sauce.
>> >>>
>> >> I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
>> >> the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add
>> >> some
>> >> to soup or stock as needed.
>> >>
>> >> His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as]
>> >> pizza
>> >> sauce is probably out of the question.
>> >>
>> >
>> > I think it's rather odd of her to be growing so much without a plan
>> > about how to use it.
>> >
>> >
>> Maybe she just likes plants.
>>
> I guess it can become compost or hoed under because it seems rather
> useless to be offering suggestions.

Perhaps she just loves to see it and the scent. I am like that with some
herbs

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Friday, August 15, 2014 5:40:32 PM UTC+10, Travis McGee wrote:
>
> Anyway, I am wondering about basil recipes, and ways to preserve it.

Thinly slice some chicken (breast or thighs), onion, maybe some Chinese greens, capsicum/sweet peppers, chillies. Fry with garlic, ginger, and some fish sauce or prawn paste. At the end of frying everything, add a huge bunch of basil leaves, and stir in. Could have some cashews (or peanuts) in there somewhere. Could use pork instead of chicken.

Fry thin pork slices, some sliced citrus (lemon, orange, kumquat, kalamansi), chilli, maybe some fish sauce or prawn paste or soy sauce, and at the end, add lots of basil.

Pesto pizza. Can do non-tomato; just put lots of pesto on a pizza base and cook. No cheese required, but you can try it.

Pesto and sliced roast pork sandwiches.

Bean, pork, and basil soup. Add basil at end.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:28:34 +0100, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
>"sf" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:57:02 -0400, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 8/15/2014 3:33 PM, sf wrote:
>>> > On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:20:29 -0400, jmcquown >
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> On 8/15/2014 9:18 AM, notbob wrote:
>>> >>> On 2014-08-15, Travis McGee > wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>>> she doesn't like basil with tomato very much. Go figure.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Pesto or pizza sauce.
>>> >>>
>>> >> I agree with the pesto suggestion. Also as others have suggested, use
>>> >> the blender/FP to mince the basil and freeze it in ice cubes. Add
>>> >> some
>>> >> to soup or stock as needed.
>>> >>
>>> >> His g/f doesn't like it in tomato sauce, so [what we think of as]
>>> >> pizza
>>> >> sauce is probably out of the question.
>>> >
>>> > I think it's rather odd of her to be growing so much without a plan
>>> > about how to use it.
>>> >
>>> Maybe she just likes plants.

Maybe she's smoking it.