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?

--


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article >,
"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?

Throw it in the food processor with some good olive oil and freeze it in
ice cube trays. Then you can pop one of those cubes into anything.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:16:13 -0700, Tamzen Cannoy >
wrote:

>with some good olive oil

Anyone here use "bad" olive oil?

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news
> 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?
>
> --
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>

Freeze it. Fresh herbs freeze perfectly well.

Jill

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?


Yep. It's annoying to have to buy a whole bunch of a herb when you only
need a little. I frequently cook a dish that calls for cilantro and I
just don't use cilantro in enough things to make it worth buying a whole
bunch. A buck and a half seems like a lot of expense for a herb when you
use only 20 cents worth of it. A few years ago I discovered Sabra
frozen herbs. They come in packages of frozen cubes. It is not quite as
good as frozen cilantro, but it is better than none at all, and it is a
heck of a lot cheaper than throwing out 3/4 of a bundle of fresh gone bad.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> A few years ago I discovered Sabra
>frozen herbs.

About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
scoops of cow manure.

On Jun 28, 8:21 pm, Mr. Bill > wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
>
> > wrote:
> > A few years ago I discovered Sabra
> >frozen herbs.
>
> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
> scoops of cow manure.

This is my first year trying to get the mints, basils, cilantro, dill,
catnip, hysop going. So far, so good. But, even if I am a failure
as a gardener, even if I just harvest the starter plants, I am ahead
of the grocery store. And then, freezing and drying.

B

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?
>


It won't freeze well when dry. IME it turns black and nasty.

Make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays or flat in a zip lock bag so
you can break off what you need.

If it's just a matter of a few days, wrap it in damp paper towel
then in a plastic bag in the fridge.

gloria p

Mr. Bill wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> A few years ago I discovered Sabra
>> frozen herbs.
>
> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
> scoops of cow manure.
>


Some are true perennials and the plant survives winter. Others seed
themselves and seem to grow wild. Others need to be planted every year.
My oregano plant has been around for years and keeps getting bigger and
bigger, sending out runners. I have to keep trimming the new roots and
growth. Mint is a gawd damned weed and is very invasive. It should be
contained with something that the shoots can't go under and high enough
to stop seeds from falling on the ground around it.

I don't have to plant cilantro or dill. It just keeps popping up all
over my herb garden. Basil has to be planted every year. Sometimes the
curly parsley survives the winter and comes back to life in the spring.
Some years it doesn't.

Mr. Bill wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> A few years ago I discovered Sabra
>> frozen herbs.
>
> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
> scoops of cow manure.
>


That depends entirely on your climate. In the Denver area, mint,
tarragon, thyme, catnip and lovage come up every year but more tender
herbs like basil, parsley, oregano, and rosemary are annuals here.
They don't like that one week every winter when it gets to ~20 below
zero F.

gloria p

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.

"gloria.p" > wrote in message
...
> Mr. Bill wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> A few years ago I discovered Sabra frozen herbs.
>>
>> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
>> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
>> scoops of cow manure.
>
>
> That depends entirely on your climate. In the Denver area, mint, tarragon,
> thyme, catnip and lovage come up every year but more tender herbs like
> basil, parsley, oregano, and rosemary are annuals here.
> They don't like that one week every winter when it gets to ~20 below zero
> F.
>
> gloria p

Gloria,

I agree with you completely, but both my flat leaf and my curly parsley came
back this spring like crazy. We have been doing a little traveling, and I
have to just chop it back and throw it away, so I get the new tender shoots.
I have my basil going well for this year. I love chives, and it grows very
well, and I can usually harvest some almost year round.

Have you been to the new Houston's Denver for dinner. We went Saturday, and
it was very good. A few rough edges still, they really should be doing
better. We have enjoyed Houston's in other cities. Overall, it was an
excellent meal.

DP

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:41:04 -0400, Mr. Bill > wrote:

>On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:16:13 -0700, Tamzen Cannoy >
>wrote:
>
>>with some good olive oil
>
>Anyone here use "bad" olive oil?

There's good and then there's better, but it's never bad unless it's
rancid.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

In article >,
Mr. Bill > wrote:

> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
> > A few years ago I discovered Sabra
> >frozen herbs.
>
> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
> scoops of cow manure.

Good concept (I have an herb bed too) but Basil is an annual.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.


Subscribe:

Dave Smith wrote:

> I don't have to plant cilantro or dill. It just keeps popping up all
> over my herb garden. Basil has to be planted every year. Sometimes the
> curly parsley survives the winter and comes back to life in the
> spring. Some years it doesn't.

You must be getting sweeter winters than me here in Italy, my parsley has
never made it to spring. The best ones are rosemary and sage, both big and
strong. Then, every year I plant new parsley and basil seedlings, this year
the basil is "Pra", the one grown in Liguria for pesto.
--
Vilco
Mai guardare Trailer park Boys senza
qualcosa da bere a portata di mano

"bulka" > wrote in message
...
> On Jun 28, 8:21 pm, Mr. Bill > wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:17:50 -0400, Dave Smith
>>
>> > wrote:
>> > A few years ago I discovered Sabra
>> >frozen herbs.
>>
>> About thirty years ago, I discovered herbs are perennials. A well
>> stocked herb bed will produce for many years. ....with a couple of
>> scoops of cow manure.
>
> This is my first year trying to get the mints, basils, cilantro, dill,
> catnip, hysop going. So far, so good. But, even if I am a failure
> as a gardener, even if I just harvest the starter plants, I am ahead
> of the grocery store. And then, freezing and drying.
>
>

Many of the common herbs folks like to use fresh are annuals, like basil.
And many are bienniels like parsley. Parsley will come up the second year
but is really too bitter for culinary use... plant parsley fresh each year.
I like the curly parsley better than flat leaf. I no longer plant basil,
it's not an important herb in my cooking. Also be very diligent with
planting many herbs, they are very invasive anything in the mint family.
And dill is extremely invasive as its seeds spread far and wide, also
fennel. With planting an herb garden know what you're doing or your
neighbors will want to plant you.

On Jun 28, 5:43 pm, "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?

Pull the leaves off, stick them flat in a baggie, squeeze all the air
out, seal, and freeze. (Or, obviously, use one of those suck 'n' seal
setups - I don't have one.)

Nothing will replace fresh basil in, say, salads or fresh spring
rolls, but frozen works just fine in cooked dishes. Flavor is as good
as fresh.

Works for any fresh herb.

--
Silvar Beitel
(looking forward to vast quantities of fresh basil from the garden, if
it would ever stop raining around here :-) )

Dale P wrote:

>
> Have you been to the new Houston's Denver for dinner. We went Saturday,
> and it was very good. A few rough edges still, they really should be
> doing better. We have enjoyed Houston's in other cities. Overall, it
> was an excellent meal.
>
> DP



No I haven't. We were on vacation just after it opened and I hadn't
heard much about it. It's in Cherry Creek north, right? We're in the
S.E. burbs of Denver and don't get into the city very often.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep it in mind.

gloria p

In article >,
says...
> 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.
>
So grow it, take one of the stems, stand it in a glass of water for
about 6 weeks until it roots.

Plant it in good compost in a pot, you may find it tries to flower,
pinch it out and it grows more leaf "branches" with less plant height.
--
Carl Robson
Get cashback on your purchases
Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm
Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553

Elder wrote on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:27:04 +0100:

> In article >,
> says...
>> 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.
>>
> So grow it, take one of the stems, stand it in a glass of
> water for about 6 weeks until it roots.

With me, in a glass it will dry out or rot. Outside, the horn-rats will
eat it!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

ViLco wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> I don't have to plant cilantro or dill. It just keeps popping up all
>> over my herb garden. Basil has to be planted every year. Sometimes the
>> curly parsley survives the winter and comes back to life in the
>> spring. Some years it doesn't.
>
> You must be getting sweeter winters than me here in Italy, my parsley has
> never made it to spring. The best ones are rosemary and sage, both big and
> strong. Then, every year I plant new parsley and basil seedlings, this year
> the basil is "Pra", the one grown in Liguria for pesto.


This is peculiar. I assume that even in this very southern part of
Canada winter would be colder than in Italy. It sometimes hits -20C or
colder. Some years my parsley survives the winter and sometimes it does
not. My oregano is thriving. In fact, I have split and transplanted it
mid season and it still thrives. Rosemary and sage have never survived
a winter. The cilatro and dill reproduces all over. I don't have to buy
and plant new plants each year, just dig up the sprouts and transplant
them in a more orderly array. At least once a week I have to go through
the garden and remove the new plants popping up all over.

"gloria.p" > wrote in message
...
> Dale P wrote:
>
>>
>> Have you been to the new Houston's Denver for dinner. We went Saturday,
>> and it was very good. A few rough edges still, they really should be
>> doing better. We have enjoyed Houston's in other cities. Overall, it
>> was an excellent meal.
>>
>> DP
>
>
>
> No I haven't. We were on vacation just after it opened and I hadn't heard
> much about it. It's in Cherry Creek north, right? We're in the
> S.E. burbs of Denver and don't get into the city very often.
>
> Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep it in mind.
>
> gloria p

Yes, it is just West of Josephine on Third. They do have a small parking
lot, which is very important in that part of town. I am near DU, so very
close for me.

DP

"Dave Smith" ha scritto nel messaggio
> ViLco wrote:
>> Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>> You must be getting sweeter winters than me here in Italy, my parsley has
>> >> never made it to spring. The best ones are rosemary and sage, both big
>> and >> strong. Then, every year I plant new parsley and basil seedlings,
>> this year >> the basil is "Pra", the one grown in Liguria for pesto.
>
>
> This is peculiar. I assume that even in this very southern part of >
> Canada winter would be colder than in Italy. It sometimes hits -20C or >
> colder. Some years my parsley survives the winter and sometimes it does >
> not. My oregano is thriving. In fact, I have split and transplanted it >
> mid season and it still thrives. Rosemary and sage have never survived >
> a winter.

It's not just cold, Dave. Italy has lots of differences from one area to
the other, since in the mountains there might be snow all summer and on some
of the islands plants have to be protected in summer.
Parsley is biennial in this part if Italy and I bet Vilco has a friendly
creature who likes it. Both rosemary and sage will take a lot of cold...
sage grows in Maine... but they won't take cold AND wet. Rosemary that gets
an ice collar is a goner, even if the temp isn't that low.

James wrote to Elder on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:30:18 GMT:

>> In article >,
>> says...
>>> 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.
>>>
>> So grow it, take one of the stems, stand it in a glass of
>> water for about 6 weeks until it roots.

> With me, in a glass it will dry out or rot. Outside, the
> horn-rats will eat it!

I just discovered Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend. It's a sort of pesto
in a tube, keeps well in the fridge and works for any dish where the
texture of the leaves is not important.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

I have a good sized herb garden and I found most of them will keep year
round. For basil, I make pesto and freeze in small batches. You can
also just chop the basil in a food processor add olive oil, then freeze.
Or you can hang them to dry, then crumble into a jar. I do this all the
time, as so many herbs come up at the same time. Or you can dehydrate
them in a low temp oven, then jar them. I really like to use my herbs
fresh, but I usually cut too much at once, so 1/2 will get used fresh,
the other 1/2 gets dried or frozen for later.

I also have tons of chives, which I snip into small pieces with shears,
then place in a baggie in the freezer. When I need some, I just scrunch
the bag a little and a small amount will come out, just right for egg
salad, or potato salad, etc.

I'm still bummed about losing all of my pesto I made last summer. There
must have been about 50 to 75 frozen pesto cubes in my freezer when we
had that week without electricity in New England last December.

I also freeze sliced leeks and julienned pea pods. There's always more
than I need at once in a package, so I use some fresh and chop and
freeze the rest. When I make a stir fry I just dump out the right
amount from the freezer baggie and I can't taste the difference between
fresh or frozen in certain foods. At the very least, there's no waste.

I love harvest day in late summer when all of my herbs are hanging at
the same time in my dining room. I have a wire strung across a beam. I
wrap an elastic around the stems and hang with Christmas tree hooks.
The smell of drying Rosemary, Lemon Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Dill, and
Lavender is intoxicating. I have a friend who always wants me to invite
her for coffee on the day I hang my herbs to dry.

I thought I might try growing Leeks, but the package says it needs 4
months growing time. That will bring me to the end of October. That's
getting into frost time up here. Does anyone here grow leeks? I didn't
have good luck with garlic. I let them overwinter, but when I picked
them they had a nice top growth, but were no bigger than when I planted
them, one little bulb with top growth. What went wrong?

Denise

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:09:02 -0400, Denise in NH wrote:

>
> I love harvest day in late summer when all of my herbs are hanging at
> the same time in my dining room. I have a wire strung across a beam. I
> wrap an elastic around the stems and hang with Christmas tree hooks.
> The smell of drying Rosemary, Lemon Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Dill, and
> Lavender is intoxicating. I have a friend who always wants me to invite
> her for coffee on the day I hang my herbs to dry.
>

it sounds delightful.

your pal,
blake