Basil Cubes

Dandy's Mom, Krystal asked a question about basil cubes, so I thought maybe a short explanation post.  If your not interested in herbs, feel free to skip. 

I like to save herbs in several ways for my winter cooking. My house does not get enough light to continue to grow herbs indoors, so I grow them outdoors in the summer and save them multiple ways. Air drying, dehydrated, and freezing.  In my earlier post today I commented that I was going to make basil cubes.  This is the freezing method.  There are multiple ways you can freeze herbs. My preferred ways of freezing them are by making ice cubes of each herb or herb mix with various liquids.  For example. When I process the basil tonight I will make some cubes of basil in olive oil, some in white wine and some in red.  I will freeze a few more cubes of basil that has been made into a paste with olive oil.  I will freeze a few in some softened butter.  I love this method as by doing them in the various liquids I can just toss a frozen cube into whatever i am cooking and the oil or liquid just adds more flavor to the pot.

Some herbs I will also wash and lay out on a paper towel very loosely, Then I roll this all up tightly, when I need some of that herb, I just unroll a section of towel and take some frozen herbs to throw in. This give you the herb flavor without the extra liquid, but I find that the herbs don't seem to retain as much flavor as long this way.

Enjoy!

PS Krystal How is my favorite sable boy?