I read somewhere that you can freeze whole basil leaves to use out of season. I found out today that it works pretty well. I froze some at the end of summer when it was clear I wasn’t going to use up what was in my outdoor pots. It’s also a great way to salvage basil when you buy too much.
The leaves get dark and are soggy but the basil was fine to chop and throw into soup. The leaves were still aromatic. I think it would work well in many things that don’t require that the basil be fresh; I wouldn’t use it in bruschetta or as a garnish, for example.
How to: Wash basil leaves and pat dry. Make stacks, with as many in each as you might want to use in a recipe. I did the equivalent of five or six large leaves in each stack. Separate the stacks with pieces of waxed paper and seal airtight in a plastic storage bag or container. Or you can place stacks in individual snack-size plastic storage bags. Freeze.
I used two stacks in a big pot of soup.
I did not know you could freeze basil but good to know! It makes sense that it would get dark but if it still works in soups and such, all good!