Hi All,

I have an abundance of basil growing in the garden.  I am also sick of tomato mozzarella salad... LOL.

Should I Freeze it?

Thanks

if you just throw it in the freezer you'll ruin it, make pesto, its a good way to use up a large quantity of basil, and pesto freezes very well.

Thank you. Fresh garlic or powdered ok?

Fresh garlic is always worth it, unless you're putting it in the bag before a sous vide cook.

If you have way too much, dry them yourself. Kenji at SeriousEats recommends using your microwave. Most of my good food-related ideas over the last few years have come from him.

Make a batch of basil butter - it keeps very nicely.

Or chop with olive oil and freeze in "ice" cubes.

Pesto is the answer you seek. Freeze it in ice cube trays pop it out and store in freezer in ziplock bags.

I never get sick of tomato mozzarella salad.

always fresh garlic

This ^^^^ is the only way I've found to preserve basil without combining it into a food item. I put it in the blender and drizzle evoo until it starts to flow and chop reasonably well (don't make a puree). You may have to stop several times and scrape the sides down. Then pack it into ice-cube trays and freeze. The key is to pack tightly so there are no air bubbles; any part exposed to air will oxidize and discolor. The interior parts will remain brilliant green and will be GREAT additions to any dish that uses basil and olive oil. I just toss a cube into spahgetti sauce when I make it and it thaws and combines as I stir the sauce.

It doesn't freeze and then thaw looking fresh, but it does freeze and then thaw tasting fresh. I wash the leaves, lay them out on towels in a single layer for a few hours to dry off most of the surface water, and then freeze the leaves in bags. Toss handfuls into marinara sauce, make pesto with it, put it on pizza ... yum! It just doesn't make salads or sandwiches at all. I don't do the blending with olive oil and freezing into cubes, because some of the things I do with basil don't go well with that much oil. 

I currently have 3 gallon bags of basil in the freezer, from this season. Unfortunately something happened to my watering setup and my plants have mostly died. I'll be planting more once the temperature in north Texas stops being 100*.