Storing Fresh Basil leaves?

Question

I once saw martha stewart storing the leaves between kosher salt,does that work and how long?
or if you have some advice.
I also have thai basil,which for me is hard to find and i really like it.
Would definately like to store that.

Answer 1

I cut them, wash them, let them dry on a cloth or paper towel, then freeze them in a zip-loc bag.

That's worked pretty well for me. The scent when you open the bag and let them warm up is amazing.

Answer 2

. Keep basil in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp (not wet) paper towel, then in a plastic bag. It will last even longer if you store a bunch of basil in glass of water, stems down. Place a plastic bag over the leaves and refrigerate the entire thing, changing the water every couple of days.

If you have more basil than you can use, try freezing the leftovers. The color will darken, but the flavor is still superior to dry. You can also preserve fresh basil by layering cleaned leaves with coarse salt and storing in an airtight container. Another great way to use an abundance of basil is to make pesto, which can be frozen in small amounts and used to flavor meats, pastas, pizzas and any number of other dishes.

Answer 3

check this out
http://www.ehow.com/how_8285_harvest-store-basil.html

also, it's not the same as fresh but you can freeze it...you need to process it a bit first. After you clean the leaves, chop them finely, and mix with olive oil to make a thick paste. Then for ease of use later, freeze it in small quantities — an ice-cube tray is ideal. Once the cubes are frozen, transfer them to a heavy plastic freezer bag, and take them out one by one as you need them. They will be great for flavoring soups, sauces, salad dressings, etc.

Answer 4

you can make pesto ...olive oil fresh basil leaves and pinenuts and garlic ...clean and destem basil put into food proscessor add oil alittle at a time add garlic to taste and a small handful of pinenuts..pulse chop until all mixed well like a paste consistancy or thinner like cream spray icecube trays with oil and fill w/pesto freeze til solid and put in zip lock bag store in freezer use in pasta pizza,spread on bread tossed on pasta and grated cheese is an easy yummy meal....bouno appetito

Answer 5

Plastic container with rice to absorb moisture that could get in.

Answer 6

thats nice