I just made some pesto with basil from the garden. Does it freeze well?

[Ilsa]

I've got tons of basil, and more to come. I've given it away. Cooked with it, but I managed to make several small jars of pesto. What is the best way to keep it for the long haul? Does it freeze well? Will it expand much in the jars or remain about the same in volume? I need tips for making this work out well.

Also, I need tips for what to do with the rest of the basil that I harvest over the next week. Should I use a dehydrator or oven? Freeze it whole? Thanks.

[hatrack]

1. Freezes well

Freeze it as ice cubes using ice cube trays, then put cubes in a ziploc bag (double-bagged, to avoid picking up other tastes from the freezer) and store in freezer. Works like a charm, and keeps for quite awhile (I have some left from last summer that I still plan to use).

[JDPriestly]

2. Lucky you. I am trying to get tons of basil, but my clay soil

is not good for gardening. Please tell me your secrets. Oh, how I love basil. I'm in Los Angeles. It is hot and dry here. That should be good for basil. Where are you? That might tell me something about what I should do here to get a better basil production.

[sazemisery]

5. Grow it in pots. n/t

[japple]

3. Pesto seems to work better. If you freeze the whole basil leaf,

it will turn black and, though the flavor is stil there, it looks un-appetizing. My sister made tons of pesto (minus the cheese and nuts, which we added just before serving--freezing the parmesan seemed to make it rubbery), which we put in baby food jars and stored in the freezer, but the ice-cube tray method works just as well.

[Vinca]

4. I bought a bunch of little half cup plastic containers just for freezing pesto.

It's so handy to have frozen pesto on hand year round!

[tsuki]

6. Freezes with or without cheese. I use round 4 oz plastic containers,

but then, son loves pesto and tomato sandwiches.