herbs Archives - Cooking in my Genes

How to Freeze Fresh Basil in Olive Oil (3 easy ways)

Jessica Kostka — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:32:11 +0000

Have lots of fresh basil? Preserve your basil’s fresh flavor by freezing it in olive oil!

Since the growing season of basil can be quite short, freezing the fresh basil is one of the easiest ways to preserve flavor and use it all year long.

I love to plant fresh herbs every year in my garden and basil plants are one of my favorite herbs in the Summer. However, with such a short season, I wanted to find an easy way to enjoy my basil in different ways once the end of summer comes around. Following my three favorite methods, I’ll show you how to freeze basil in olive oil for use in the Fall and middle of Winter.

Why Freeze Fresh Basil In Olive Oil?

Locks in flavor: The olive oil traps the oils of the basil, ensuring the herb tastes fresh and fragrant when thawed.
Convenient portions: When frozen in ice cube trays or smaller silicone molds, you get perfectly portioned ‘fresh herb bombs’ you can drop directly into hot pans or soups.
Stops discoloration: Freezing basil on its own causes the basil to discolor. Covering it in oil protects it from the air, keeping your basil bright and beautiful!

Ingredients needed

Fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil

How to prepare fresh basil for freezing

Remove the leaves from the stems, then wash the leaves thoroughly and dry them completely (moisture causes ice crystals). Using a salad spinner and paper towel is the most effective and simple way to do this.

Method 1: Freezing basil leaves in olive oil – ice cube trays

Chop & fill: Finely chop the basil leaves and pack into an ice cube tray.

Add oil: Pour olive oil over the chopped basil until the leaves are completely covered.

Freeze & store: Freeze until solid (ideally overnight). Once frozen, remove the frozen olive oil cubes and store in a heavy duty freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

Method 2: Blending basil with olive oil and freezing in portions

Blending basil with olive oil before freezing creates a stunning green paste— similar to a pesto base—that preserves its flavor and texture.

Remove the leaves: Remove the leaves from the stems.
Wash and dry: Wash the leaves thoroughly, run them through a salad spinner, and pat them down with paper towels.
The ideal ratio: Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil for every 1 cup of firmly packed fresh basil leaves.
Puree: Place the dry basil leaves into a food processor or blender. Drizzle the oil evenly over the top based on the ratio above – pulse until the basil is finely chopped and completely coated in oil. Stop pulsing before it turns into a completely liquid puree – a little bit of texture is best.
Portion: Spoon the pureed basil paste into a clean plastic or silicone ice cube tray. Fill each well about 3/4 full to leave room for expansion.
Seal: Pour a small drizzle of olive oil over the top of each individual cube. This creates a seal that stops the top layer from turning brown.
Freeze & store: Freeze until solid (ideally overnight). Once frozen, remove the frozen cubes and store in a heavy duty freezer bag.

Method 3: Layering basil leaves with olive oil and freezing

Layering whole basil leaves with olive oil before freezing is a wonderful way to keep the basil fresh-tasting and to preserve their shape and color throughout the winter months.

Coat & toss: Put your washed and fully dry basil leaves into a large bowl, add a small amount of extra virgin olive oil to the bowl (roughly 1-2 tablespoon of oil for every 1 cup of basil). Then toss gently with your hands until all the basil is coated.

Layer flat: Place the oil coated leaves into a heavy-duty freezer-safe bag. Layer them evenly so they lay flat and squeeze out any extra air. Press your hands firmly over the bag to push all the trapped air out toward the opening, then seal it tightly.

Freeze flat: Lay your bag flat on a freezer shelf or sheet pan until frozen solid. This not only helps save space but is the best method to break off a piece and use exactly what you need.

Tips for storing and using frozen basil in olive oil

Double bag it: Basils fragrance isn’t only potent when fresh, it can seep out while frozen. I recommend using a heavy duty/freezer ziplock bag, or double bagging your basil to avoid your ice and other items tasting like basil.

Label with dates: Use a permanent marker to write the date and oil type on the container. Use the oldest batches first.

Enjoy fresh basil flavor year round – how to use

The frozen basil in olive oil cubes are one of my ultimate kitchen shortcuts, allowing you to completely skip the thaw and drop frozen shards directly into hot pans where they will melt within 30 seconds.

Break off the pieces of frozen whole leaves in oil to add to hot dishes – serving as an instant flavor base for pasta sauces, tomato sauces, stews, soups, curries, and risottos.

For restaurant style trick, use a chunk of this basil oil or a couple of cubes to de-glaze your pan after searing chicken or steak; dropping it into the hot pan lets you scrape up all those wonderful caramelized browned bits to create an instant, flavor-bomb pan sauce. These flavor bombs can easily be used in my Marry Me Chicken and Minestrone Soup recipes – along with many more.

Finally, you can easily upgrade your next batch of garlic bread by melting a cube of basil oil, mixing it with a minced clove of fresh garlic, and brushing it over your bread before toasting it.

WINTER

How long does frozen basil in olive oil last?

Proper storage keeps your frozen basils flavor fresh for 6 to 9 months – getting you through those cooler months!

How do I know if my cubes of basil are still good?

Check for:

Freezer burn: Large ice crystals formed inside the container.
Rancid smell: Olive oil can oxidize over time. If it smells like play-dough, crayons, or stale cardboard instead of fresh basil, the oil has gone rancid.
Complete browning: If the leaves have turned entirely black or dark brown, the flavor will likely taste bitter or metallic.

FAQs

How long does the frozen basil and oil last in the fridge (pureed, chopped or flat)?

Six to nine months is best; the basil is at its freshest.

If I run out of olive oil, what else can I use?

Recommended substitute: Avocado Oil
Use in a pinch: Grapeseed Oil, Sunflower or Safflower Oil, Canola or Vegetable Oil
Do Not Use: Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil or Walnut Oil or Butter

Can I use in fresh salads?

No, once its thawed, it will look wilted and wet, the flavor is gone.

How do I know if my cubes of basil are still good? Check for:

Freezer burn: Large ice crystals formed inside the container.
Rancid smell: Olive oil can oxidize over time. If it smells like play-dough, crayons, or stale cardboard instead of fresh basil, the oil has gone rancid.
Complete browning: If the leaves have turned entirely black or dark brown, the flavor will likely taste bitter or metallic.

Recipes to use frozen basil in

The post How to Freeze Fresh Basil in Olive Oil (3 easy ways) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

30 Seasonal Recipes to Make in April

Jessica Kostka — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:06:09 +0000

Let’s chat about all of the bright and fresh recipes to make in April!

While this month is still a bit of transition to Spring, there are still a lot of delicious dishes to make.

Plus I’ve got recipe ideas for your Easter brunch and dinner menus!

If you enjoy cooking more seasonally, I highly recommend Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden. He walks you through all of the ways to enjoy vegetables from early-Spring through Winter. This book has given me so many new ideas on how to cook different vegetables during this time of year.

And speaking of vegetables, I’m currently planning what to plant in my vegetable garden! Growing your own food is absolutely so satisfying. Once we’re in the midst of the summer I love being able to go outside and pick what I need for the recipe I’m cooking. This year I’m going to try a few different types of radishes and some of our other favourites like beets, carrots, lettuces, jalapeno peppers and tomatoes.

What’s In Season in April

Though the weather in April can still be a bit up and down, the produce at the markets and grocery stores is definitely bright and fresh for the Spring season.

Arugula
Asparagus
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Leeks
Lemon
Mushrooms
Radishes
Rhubarb

Recipes to make in April

What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in May

Jessica Kostka — Mon, 11 May 2020 21:08:05 +0000

I can finally feel Spring in the air!

Garden centres are open which has allowed me to start planning our vegetable gardens.

We got our hands on some fresh herbs that we’ve already been cooking with AND they’ll eventually get planted once it warms up just a bit more. So with that in mind, let’s chat what’s in season and May recipe inspiration!

The first gardening I really did was planting herbs each summer. I love that I can go outside and grab some parsley for the finishing touch to a recipe when I need it. Or, any other herbs for that matter!

I started small by planting a round planter of herbs each summer just like my Mom did (& still does) to this day. I find it’s the easiest way to grow them when you don’t have a lot of space too.

How to Use Fresh Herbs in Recipes

Parsley:

We use parsley as a garnish a lot. However, it’s so great mixed into fresh summer pastas – think baby tomatoes, parsley, parmesan cheese, garlic and squeeze of lemon. YUM!

Thyme:

Fresh thyme is delicious in my Sweet Potato & Cheddar Drop Biscuits. These are great for Spring weekend breakfast or brunch.

Rosemary:

Chop fresh rosemary and mix with olive oil, salt & pepper for the perfect potato ‘marinade.’ Bake chopped potatoes with this mixture at 425F for about 40-50 minutes for a crispy & delicious side.

Basil:

One word – pesto. I basically harvest all of my basil, make a batch of pesto & freeze it. Then, wait for the basil to grow back to start this process all over again! Pesto is SO versatile; I love it on pasta or in pasta salads. Also, basil is a delicious herb to use in cocktails.

Dill:

I love making my own yogurt-dill dip using fresh dill, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Plus don’t forget pinches of salt & pepper! Delicious with salmon or on sandwiches. You could also try adding some fresh dill to this yogurt dip that goes with my parsnips fries; just limit the garlic a bit so that the dill flavour comes through!

Cilantro:

If you’re on ‘team cilantro,’ it is so fantastic for tacos and asian-inspired dishes.

In general, whether you’re buying fresh herbs from the grocery store or market or pulling them from the garden, take a little extra time when you bring them home so they last longer in the fridge.

Tips for Storing Fresh Herbs

Soft herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro and dill have ‘soft’ stems so store them like you would fresh flowers. For parsley, cilantro and dill, cut about 1 inch off the stems, place in a jar with water, cover with a plastic produce or ziploc bag and store in the fridge. Keep in the fridge and replace the water every couple of days. These can last about 2 weeks so when ready to use, take the amount you need, wash and they’re ready!
Basil is a bit of a tricky one as it’s very delicate. If purchased from the grocery store, it’s like grown in a greenhouse and comes already packaged. I usually leave this at room temperature and use within a couple of days. If I’m cutting basil from the garden, I’m generally going to use it right away. However, you could follow the same instructions as the soft herbs BUT leave it in the water at room temperature.
Hard herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage store well when wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel, then wrapped in plastic and put in the fridge. They will last 1-2 weeks. My best tip for these herbs is to
Mint is technically a hard herb because of it’s stem, however, I’ve found I can store either way mentioned above and it still does well.
And, the best way to clean any herbs that you’re using is get a bowl of cool water and dunk the herbs in a couple times so that any dirt sinks to the bottom. Refresh the bowl with clean water before moving on to another herb.

With all of this fresh herb talk, let’s get to the recipes to make in May! Many of which feature some favourite herbs like mint & basil:

Cucumbers – Minty Cucumber Gin Spritz

Fresh Herbs – Easy Basil Pesto

Radishes – Spring Toast with Radishes, Pea Shoots & Feta

Rhubarb – Rhubarb Cake

Strawberries – Easy Strawberry Jam

Tomatoes – Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Halloumi Salad with Pesto

I hope that the Spring season reaches you wherever you are if it hasn’t already! And, that these recipes inspire you in the kitchen this season.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in May appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites

Jessica Kostka — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 16:15:18 +0000

We’re transitioning from Spring to Summer in June and there are so many amazing ingredients to cook with!

At the farmer’s market I’m starting to see a lot more fruit come in from British Columbia and much more seasonal vegetables too.

A lot of my inspiration for dishes come from What’s In Season so let’s chat what’s fresh for June plus my favourite recipes, cookbooks and a peak at my backyard garden too!

I absolutely adored this cookbook I took out from the library, Bake the Seasons, mostly classic baking recipes based on each season and some savoury recipes too. I didn’t have nearly enough time with this book so I’ve added it to my list to take out again.

We also made this tasty Spicy Noodle Salad from Food by Maria, a local blogger from Calgary! She also has a beautiful vegan cookbook, and even if you’re not vegan you can totalllly enjoy her recipes – many of them are just simple and delicious!

With some beautiful almost summer-like weather in May, we started planting our vegetable gardens! So far we’ve planted golden and candy cane beets, carrots, breakfast radishes, onions, garlic and arugula. Out of all of the vegetables, the breakfast radishes grow super fast so we can plant them almost 3 times throughout the summer.

If you like radishes I’d highly recommend trying them out! Radishes are such a great ingredient in salads and I also love them on toasts with feta or goat cheese. They’re such a great vegetable to plant when you’re starting out; whether you have a container garden or backyard garden, both are great!

This weekend I’m planting herbs, kale and jalapenos (they grew SO well last year, who knew!?)

So with all that said, let’s check out What’s In Season for June!

Cherries – Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Cucumbers – Summer Vegetables & Grains Salad

Fresh Herbs & Greens – Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata

Peppers – Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Strawberries – Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Rhubarb – Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

I’ve been testing many recipes this last month including a delicious tomato, arugula and pesto salad with fried halloumi cheese (OMG try this cheese if you haven’t yet!)

And, you’ll also see TWO rhubarb recipes coming to you in June; apparently I’m on some sort of a rhubarb kick but hey, it’s the season so why not! So I hope you like rhubarb too 🙂