Among the many spicy plants, basil occupies a special place, and in literal translation the name of the plant is translated as “royal smell.” Depending on the variety of garden crop, the content of essential oils and phytoncides, appearance, intensity of taste and aroma may differ. Growing greens is not so difficult, and in order to preserve its valuable properties, you should know about the features and rules for preparing basil for winter storage.
Varieties of basil. Which variety to choose
The main difference between all varieties of basil lies in the color of the plant, its height and its taste. Today there are more than 150 varieties of culture. In addition to culinary use as a seasoning, basil greens are often used as a medicine that has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Based on the degree of color of the grass, it is customary to distinguish green and purple species; they served as the basis for further selection. The plant has been known for more than 2,500 years and its homeland is considered to be Iran and India. The plant was brought to Europe in the 16th century, and in our country it began to be used only in the 18th century.
Green types of basil They are distinguished by their sweetness and delicate aroma. Their color can vary from light to rich dark green. The most famous varieties include:
- Genoese - has a pronounced anise smell, is considered an essential ingredient for making pesto sauce;
- Evenol - the large leaves emits a lemon, pepper and clove aroma, often used for soups and marinades;
- Broadleaf - thanks to the aroma of pepper and due to the content of essential oils, it gives a special taste to salads, and is often used in marinades.
Purple varieties have a sharp taste and smell, they contain 2 times more oils compared to green varieties. Basil is ideal for preparing salads, soups, meat and fish, as well as sauces, but it is never used with mushrooms. Due to its rich color, purple basil is often used to decorate flower beds.
In terms of taste characteristics, the variety of plant varieties is amazing. Representatives of basil can have the following shades:
- clove;
- peppery;
- citric;
- mint and menthol;
- vanilla and a number of others.
According to the growth criterion, it is customary to distinguish short, medium and tall varieties. The height of the bushes, depending on the characteristics, can vary from 30 centimeters to 85 centimeters. They may differ in terms of green mass yield.
Regardless of the variety, when grown in Russian regions, the plant gains the greatest amount of essential oils in the spring, during the period of active green growth.
Preparing the main ingredient
Basil is harvested in the form of individual leaves or sprigs. This must be done carefully, avoiding injury to the roots. Fresh leaves are used for freezing; they are picked raw until flowering. For recipes that involve chopping, the collection method is not critical and you can use twigs. To obtain good quality workpieces, it is important to exclude the ingress of rotten and defective greens.
The collected basil is washed under warm running water and placed on a dry towel to evaporate the moisture. It is necessary to sort through the raw materials, remove excess debris, foreign objects, coarsened stems and leaves with obvious signs of damage.
Drying basil for the winter
Harvesting basil using the drying method is quite simple, and there is no need to use special equipment. The advantage of this method is the maximum preservation of healing properties and taste, while the aroma of dry seasoning is slightly inferior in properties to freshly cut herbs.
In home drying conditions, it is often necessary to process raw materials as quickly as possible, so an oven or electric household appliances are preferred to natural drying. Regardless of the chosen method, it is important to know about the basic rules of the process.
Naturally
Drying naturally allows you to preserve the aroma of the plant and the maximum amount of nutrients. You can do this in two ways:
- drying greens on a flat surface;
- preliminary collection of plants into bunches and hanging.
The first option is more often used in cases where seasoning is made for culinary purposes. Its essence lies in the fact that pre-prepared greens are laid out on a flat surface and dried in the natural conditions of the room.
The second option is used to obtain medicinal raw materials or to obtain an ingredient for cosmetics. It involves forming bundles of twigs by tying them at the base for further hanging in the room. It is recommended to form them from 6-7 pieces. The ideal place for this drying method is the attic.
It is important that there is good air circulation in the drying area and no direct sunlight.
Excessive humidity will cause the grass to smell like moldy hay; too much light will cause the product to darken. If there is insufficient ventilation, the greens will begin to rot and deteriorate, and it will be impossible to obtain high-quality material. The process should be monitored periodically; to prevent rotting of the raw materials and uniform drying, it is necessary to periodically turn the raw materials over.
In the oven
Drying in the oven must be done carefully, as it can easily dry out the herb.The advantage of this method is its speed, but the usefulness of the final product, compared to natural drying, is less. The process looks like this:
- the sheet is removed from the oven;
- heat the stove to 40 0C;
- Leaves are laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet;
- the greens are placed on a sheet in the oven, the door is left ajar;
- basil is kept for 1 hour, the product is stirred periodically;
- The oven is turned off, the greens are left in the oven with the door open overnight.
The readiness of dry basil and the degree of drying are checked by touch and visually. Properly prepared basil crumbles easily and can be ground.
In an electric dryer
It is recommended to process the leaves in an electric dryer, since, in the presence of twigs, it is often not possible to achieve uniform drying. After processing, the following manipulations are carried out:
- the leaves are placed on a pallet;
- form an even small layer;
- provide a temperature of 40 0C.
During the process, the degree of drying of greens in the electric dryer is monitored. Some people use a microwave to obtain dry seasoning, turning on the equipment at full power for several minutes. The average time to obtain the finished ingredient at 700 W mode will be 3 minutes.
Freezing
Freezing allows you to preserve a large volume of basil while requiring a minimum of time. There are quite a lot of methods, so you can use any of them.
Fresh herbs are frozen mainly for later use in teas or as a cosmetic product. The blanched method and puree are more often used to prepare raw materials for use in culinary purposes, in the preparation of first and second courses.
Fresh leaves
The easiest way is to freeze fresh herbs; the disadvantage is the need to provide storage space in the freezer. The process is organized using ordinary plastic or special freezing bags; they often use the method of forming “tubes” or ordinary plastic containers.
Special products made of polyethylene for freezing require the presence of clamps that simplify the process. When putting greens into bags for further storage, you need to carefully remove the air inside. This trick will help preserve the herbs better and save space in the freezer.
It is not recommended to place a large amount of greens in a bag; in the future it will be difficult to use the preparation, since the plant cannot be frozen again.
To store them in the form of bunches, the greens are wrapped in plastic wrap and formed into rolls, which are placed in the freezer. When using containers, the seasoning is crushed with a knife and placed in containers, which are sent for storage at sub-zero temperatures.
In order to prepare fresh leaves, use clean, washed and sorted basil leaves, water and molds. The advantage of this method is the ability to preserve the vitamins and beneficial properties of the plant as much as possible.
The process looks like this:
- basil leaves are crushed;
- add greens to a container of water;
- the liquid is mixed and poured into molds;
- containers are placed in the freezer.
The degree of crushing of the leaves can be different; the freezing time depends on the volume of raw materials. On average, water with seasoning freezes within an hour. It is necessary to check the degree of ice formation before removing the containers.Next, the cubes are removed from the molds and stored in plastic bags in the freezer.
Freezing in blanched form
One of the most common problems associated with freezing is the loss of color in the plant's leaves. This can be avoided by using heat. Basil is blanched for 3 seconds, that is, treated with boiling water. You cannot work on delicate greens for a long time, as such actions will lead to their overcooking. Next, the plant is placed on a sheet of parchment and sent to the freezer. After complete freezing, the raw materials are placed in bags and sent for storage in the refrigerator.
Freezing Basil Puree
It is convenient to freeze basil in a puree consistency, since this produces concentrated raw materials and the possibility of portion storage. To do this, the greens are processed, placed in cold water for 10 minutes and thoroughly crushed in a blender. The resulting mixture is placed in ice containers, which are kept in the freezer for a certain time.
With olive oil
Freezing with olive oil will help preserve the harvest. This processing of raw materials involves its further use in recipes for the preparation of various sauces in which oil and basil act as ingredients.
The process looks like this:
- the basil is processed, thoroughly washed and sorted;
- grind with a blender;
- add olive oil;
- poured into molds;
- frozen in the refrigerator.
The oil method involves complete freezing until cubes form. They are stored after removal from the molds in a regular plastic bag in a freezer.
Pickling basil
Harvesting using the salting method does not involve temperature exposure, this allows you to preserve the maximum amount of minerals and nutrients. Only jars and metal lids are treated with sterilization. For preparation take:
- basil - 400 grams;
- salt - 200 grams.
Lay out the basil leaves, successively alternating layers with salt. Store salted greens in the refrigerator, under rolled up lids. This ingredient is used in dishes in compliance with the rule - first add salted basil and only then, if necessary, add salt.
Cooking pasta
This recipe allows save basil and makes it possible to use it in soups and main courses. The following proportions are used:
- basil - 400 grams;
- salt - 2 teaspoons;
- olive oil - 100 milliliters.
The processed basil is crushed, mixed with oil and salt. The resulting paste is placed in containers and stored in the refrigerator.
Canning
The method of canning basil allows you to obtain a product that can be stored for several months in the refrigerator without loss of quality. For a simple recipe, use salt, sugar, vinegar and basil. The secret is that the greens are kept in boiling water for 1 minute, then ground using a meat grinder and the main ingredients are added to the hot mixture. The jars are sterilized in the standard way and rolled under the lid.
You can preserve greens using the following recipe:
- salt - 50 grams;
- greens - 50 grams;
- olive oil.
This amount of ingredients is designed for a container of 250 grams. Basil and salt are placed in layers in sterilized jars up to the neck level and then filled to the brim with olive oil.The jar is closed and stored in the refrigerator.
Basil is often used in preparing tomato preserves. The idea is that the fruits, pierced with a fork, are placed in sterilized jars, layered with layers of basil. The marinade is prepared as follows:
- water - 2 liters;
- salt - 100 grams;
- granulated sugar - 200 grams;
- Apple cider vinegar - 100 grams.
The marinade is prepared from the listed ingredients until it boils and poured into jars. Next, drain the solution, boil it and pour it back into the jars, after which the containers are rolled up with lids.
Rules for storing basil in winter
Basil should be stored taking into account the permissible period, which depends on the type of preparation. Frozen products have the longest shelf life. The following rules apply:
- frozen - up to 2 years;
- dried - up to 1 year;
- canned - up to 1 year;
- salted - from 3 to 4 months.
Properly prepared basil can be stored for at least a year. After opening, the jars are stored in the refrigerator. To avoid spoilage, the product is consumed immediately after opening the container, therefore, when preparing preparations, you should not use large-volume containers. Containers from 250 to 500 grams are considered optimal. If defrosted, the product is not re-frozen, since the taste and external qualities are greatly lost.
Dried basil is stored in linen bags in a dark place or in an airtight container. It is recommended not to keep the seasoning together with other herbs to prevent the absorption of foreign odors. Under proper storage conditions, greens can be stored for more than a year, but over time, the aroma and beneficial qualities of the plant decrease.
Do not store greens in places with high humidity levels, as this increases the risk of mold due to water absorption. The quality of the product should be checked periodically to prevent the appearance of rot; if such a problem exists, the seasoning should not be used for culinary purposes.
