James Silverton wrote:
> Hello All!
>
> A number of recipes call for fresh basil but, unless you grow it
> yourself, basil has to be bought in large bunches that are much more
> than you need.For example, you can buy cilantro in bunches for 70-80
> cents but a bunch of basil will cost $2 or more. That much basil is more
> than needed for many recipes (especially Thai). What am I to do?
>

Here's what I do with cilantro and parsley:

Rinse the herbs and shake them hard to get off most of the excess water.

Put the entire bundle in a zip lock freezer bag and seal it.

Freeze it.

When you need some "fresh" parsley or cilantro, take it out of the bag
and snip off what you need with kitchen shears onto a sheet of paper
towels. Let it defrost for a minute or two. The water will be absorbed
by the paper towels and you will have some nice chopped herbs.

This works for most uses. I'm sure some folks will find fault with this
method, but I've been doing it for years and it works for me. YMMV

Living here in the semi-tropics, there is always basil growing in the
garden.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.