How To Preserve Thai Basil
Welcome to this post about how to preserve thai basil. Since thai basil is a variety that can grow very quickly in the right conditions and also produce a lot of harvest, it’s a good idea to know some of the best ways to preserve it. In this article we will talk about some pretty common ways of preserving but also explain how you can ferment basil. A very old technique that is only recently starting to really gain traction. All the different approaches aim to maintain the best possible flavor of basil. All so you can use it in cooking whenever you want to.
Perhaps you’ve heard of people using basil in coffee? Well, we have written an article dedicated to this phenomenon. You can find it right here, Basil In Coffee, Is It Any Good?
How To Preserve Thai Basil
There are many ways of preserving basil and below is going to be some of our favorite ways. These have been tried and tested by both us, family members and close friends. We can proudly say that it has had a pretty good success rate actually.
Another good way of preserving it is by fermenting the thai basil. We find that the best way of doing this is by making a salt brine that contains a minimum of 2 % salt. We mix the cold water with the salt. Put the thai basil leaves in a glass jar that you can seal. Then you can pour the brine over it and then seal the jar. The process of fermenting is made up by letting beneficial bacterias turn the contents sour. it will increase the umami and deepen the flavor of whatever you are fermenting. You should also stir the leaves around and submerge them every day for the first week. This will prevent any mold forming on top. Use it in small proportions as it will be very flavorful.
Another good way is by drying the basil. This is best done with a large over tray spread out across it. Then you dry it in the oven at no more than 110 degrees. This will ensure that no flavors are lost in the drying process. Then you can keep them for however long you choose.
How To Preserve Thai Basil In Oil
Preserving thai basil in oil is one of the best ways of keeping all that good flavor. But unfortunately it’s not the technique that lasts the longest out of all these. But nonetheless it’s our favorite. We do it by simply putting a bunch of thai basil in a blender. Then we heat oil to about 140 degrees or 70 celsius. For half a liter of basil you can use about 1 liter of oil. This will make sure you are not wasting your basil by using too little oil and also not using too much oil will dull the flavor. After you have heated the oil you can pour it over the basil and mix until very green. We recommend that you let it sit and blend for about 5 – 7 minutes. This will pulse out all the flavor and leave a fragrant and aromatic thai basil oil.
Let’s reiterate again a little bit on what we have been talking about here. Thai basil can be preserved in a number of ways. All from preserving it in oil, to fermenting the basil or simply drying it. The choice really is yours.
Maybe you are wondering if you can freeze your basil at home and if it will stay good. Then we have another article that will explain all of that. Find it here, How To Preserve And Freeze Thai Basil.
