Herbs in tubes?

Question

The basil at the grocery store looked horrible, but saw they had this horribly overpriced tube of basil - like a basil paste, but need basil for pesto in a recipe tonight to bring to a cooking party. Has anyone tried those? I know I should try and grow my own, but always forget to water it.

Answer 1

Fresh IS best but sometimes you have to improvise, the tube is ok, make a batch that uses the whole tube and freeze the leftover, then when you need it again thaw and add some fresh basil to kickstart it

Answer 2

I love them. Absolutely worth every cent. I have a dozen different tubes in the fridge right now.

The most wonderful sauces can be created. Try equal amounts (a couple inches) of chili paste, garlic paste, and either cilantro or basil or italian paste mixed with an equal amount of sauteed butter. Pour that mix over shellfish before you cook and serve the remainder hot for dipping and you will be a convert.

Like I said, worth every cent. They last a long time too. One inch of basil paste is eqaul to about a half bunch of fresh basil.


And, for things like ginger that I don't use very often the pastes are perfect. No last minute run to the store for those fresh herbs, unless fresh is integral to the recipe.

And the flavors are so concentrated. Buy the tube. You will see.

Obviously I am not a professional chef, just a woman who has been cooking for years for her family and I don't mind that my entrees don't make the menu at the French Laundry (which is my favorite restaurant and cookbook in the world, by the way)

Answer 3

I know exactly the product you mean. It's basil (or whatever type of herb), pureed with a neutral-flavored oil and some kind of emulsifier. I bought a tube, just try try it, and I'd have to say that for the money (it IS very expensive), it's not worth it.

I've used it in a liquid medium, like salad dressings and marinades, and it works pretty well. But for anything else, I'd rather spend 60 seconds chopping fresh herbs.

As for your pesto: it may be too late, by now, for tonight's dinner party, but try using (fresh) flat-leaf parsley, if you can find it, for the bulk of your pesto. Use a tablespoon or two of dried basil leaves for flavor and aroma. The pesto will be pretty close to the original.

Alternately---if the fresh parsley doesn't look good, either---use the same quantity of fresh leaf spinach. Wash it well, and pluck or cut off the larger stems. Use the dried basil as above, and follow the remainder of the recipe. The result won't have as much "bite" as the original recipe, but it will still be quite good.

Fresh is always preferable to dried (or otherwise processed).