3 Favorite Ways to Use Extra Basil

Reader Contribution by Jessica Kellner and Editor-In-Chief
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If your garden is anything like mine, you are dealing with a basil explosion right about now. Basil is one of my favorite herbs, but no matter how much Caprese salad or pesto I make, it seems there is always more than I know what to do with. So I’ve been looking into good ways to use and preserve my supply. Here are a few favorites:

1. Basil Popsicles

To me, basil screams summer. And what goes better with summer than popsicles?? Search the internet, and you’ll find a huge variety of yummy-sounding recipes. This one from the blog Deliciously Organic yields a fresh and tasty treat that includes fresh basil, raw honey and organic yogurt. 

Get the recipe to make these delicious treats from the blog Deliciously Organic!

2. Basil Beverages

For my friend’s strawberries-and-cream-themed bachelorette party early this summer, we made these delicious strawberry-basil-champagne cocktails that were a huge hit. Ever since, I’ve been obsessed with basil beverages. They come in many varieties, are amazingly refreshing, and seem fancier and more complicated than they really are. 

This recipe for basil limeade is perfect for summer.

3. Frozen Basil

When I’ve made all the basil recipes I can think of, I turn to preserving this summertime treat to enjoy all year. Last year, I exclusively froze basil as pesto—delicious, but somewhat more labor-intensive than I’d like for a superquick preservation job. This year I’ve made some pesto to freeze, but more frequently I’ve been taking the easy route: Chop some fresh basil, mix it with some olive oil, blend briefly with the hand-mixer and pour into ice-cube trays. If I’m feeling extra lazy, I will just chop the fresh herb, put it in ice-cube trays, cover with a bit of water and freeze. This winter, I will just pop the herb cubes into sauces, soups or casseroles for some summer flavor.

  • Published on Jul 31, 2013
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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