Basil is readily available in the herb section of supermarkets these days. But have you ever had to use it all at once, discoloring the excess?



Basil

Fresh basil is sensitive to cold air and moisture, and requires treatment such as wrapping in wet paper towels when refrigerated. In this article, we introduce "salted basil," which can be preserved for a long time by pickling in salt.

Ingredients

∙ Basil leaves as needed
∙ Salt of your choice as needed

Directions

1. Wash basil, remove stems, and carefully blot dry


2. Spread enough salt to cover the bottom of a clean storage container.


3. Spread the basil on top of the salt and repeat the process of pouring more salt on top until the basil is gone.



4. Seal tightly and store in the refrigerator.


You can use refined salt or coarse salt of your choice (I use coarse salt used to boil pasta). The amount of salt can be just enough to sprinkle on the basil, but make sure the salt covers the entire leaf.

How to

use

This is basil that has been in the ground for more than a week. It is semi-dry and soft, but the aroma is still there, and the saltiness is very strong when eaten as it is. It is delicious without any bitterness or green smell!

When using the basil, it is best to remove the salt from the basil and wash it with water or remove the salt. Just tear off a small amount and use it on pasta, meat dishes, pizza, etc. to add a strong basil flavor and seasoning at the same time.


The aroma is also transferred to the embedded salt, so it can be used for seasoning dishes and boiling pasta. The noodles are also delicious with a faint basil aroma.



Salted basil can be refrigerated and stored for six months to almost a year, with little pressure on the shelf life. Home growers may want to prepare it at harvest time. It is less labor intensive than dried basil and can be made quickly with salt, so if you can't use it all at once, give it a try!