Save the basil!

We love basil in this house. In the dreary winter months, I really love having "fresh" herbs. Basil is the only herb I've ever preserved and I really like this method.

A few summers ago I planted a few rows of basil. When it was time to harvest it, I researched it and came up with this method. I thought about hanging it upside down and drying it, but then I needed to deal with hanging basil around the house.I also have a food dehydrator, but it didn't seem all that much different than just going to the store and buying a bottle of it already dried.

So, I made a concoction with it. A yummy concoction. 

This year, Mom has ONE plant that is producing like crazy. It is over 2 feet tall and has turned into a bush.

First, collect the leaves. Wash them off and put them in the blender. (I use my Magic Bullet)

Add some olive oil. I add quite a bit. (These directions remind me of my husband's grandma who died a few days before our wedding. She was known to give recipes with directions like "add milk til you think you have enough" :))

Blend it all up real well and pour into ice cube trays. I didn't add as much olive oil as I did a few years ago I don't think. It was more of a liquid while this year it had to be spooned into the trays. *note to self for the second batch I'm about to make....*

It looks gross. It looks like something gone wrong. It looks nasty even in my bad lighting for this picture. And it may make your ice taste like basil for a week or so afterwards. But, you'll love it.

Stick it in the freezer overnight and then pop them out and put them in a freezer bag. (Make sure to get as much air out as possible... air=freezer burn and ice crystals)

Then, this winter, get a cube out, pop it in a skillet and you are ready to go! This year we have switched over to all cast iron and stainless steel, so I'm even more ready to try these out since I have to use oil anyway!