|
|
Fresh Clips: Preserve Basil Like a Pro
By Kris Wetherbee
'Basil is easy to grow, but keeping that fresh spicy-sweet flavor intact is not so easy … unless you know a few vital tips and shortcuts.
• Frequent harvesting is key to luscious, flavorful leaves. Start by pinching the stemless and succulent cluster of new leaves at the top of a shoot above the leaf nodes (the joint in the stem where leaves grow) when plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall. At 12 to 18 inches tall, cut the plant back by two-thirds every three to four weeks. This will result in a multi-stemmed, bushy plant full of harvestable leaves.
• When storing basil, forego the refrigerator as the cold can cause leaves to blacken. Instead, keep basil fresh like you would cut flowers—in a glass of water on the kitchen counter. Change the water in your basil bouquet daily and you can keep the fresh flavor going for up to 10 days.
• Blessed with a bounty of basil? Freeze the excess in ice cube trays. Finely chop leaves (or puree in a blender) and mix with water, broth or olive oil. Then fill ice cube trays with the paste and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and transfer the basil pops into a zip-top freezer bag for easy storage. Drop a frozen cube or two into simmering soups and stews or to bring a touch of summer flavor to winter stir-fries and sautés.'
Source: The Herb Companion
Fresh for the Pesto Garden: Classic PestoBy Kris Wetherbee
Makes about 1 cup
This is the classic, fresh sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy. For best results when freezing this pesto, omit the cheese and add it later when the pesto is ready to be used.
· 2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
· 1/3 cup pine nuts
· 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
· 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
· 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
· Salt, to taste
· Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil to create a fine paste.
2. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Editor's Note: You can freeze several batches of garden fresh, homemade pesto for later use.
How to Freeze Fresh Basil
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen
'I pinch off all the basil leaves, discard the stems, and wash the leaves very well in a salad spinner. Spin them as dry as you possibly can. If you don't have a salad spinner, just wash your basil leaves in the sink and dry them well with paper towels.'Read more...
Find out health informations update, beauty care,fitness energizing moves, easy recipes, expert tips, and advice on losing weight from healtheverydays
Posting Komentar