[QUOTE=matereater;666288]oakley, how do you store / save your basil ?[/QUOTE]

I like pesto fine but probably over did that one a dozen years ago.
Twice a summer is good. The last batch I had enough to freeze a
half pint for a winter easy meal.

I also stopped growing a dozen varieties and stick with a big leaf,
a Thai, and a couple globe. The Globe for fresh snips.

I was not ready for an early frost so that was a drag to add that
to the 3 dozen ears of corn and tomatoes I dealt with that
weekend.

My favorite way now is to take the leaves, big leaf and Thai
separate batches, blanch in boiling water 2 quick seconds held
a cup at a time between two 'spiders',...the wire circle ladles.
Then into ice water. Dry between clean kitchen cloths and into a
qrt zip-lock. Into the freezer flat pack I can break off a chunk at
any time.

I used to blanch, dry, and pack in oil but most things I use it for
does not need olive oil.

I use mostly pecans and pepitas and would rather have them
fresh toasted and coarsely chopped and fresh grated parm, rather
than have it all blended together...just more versatile.

Cilantro can be processed the same way but I have a local market
that has fresh year round as well as big bunches of basil if I need
fresh.

Dried both one year and what a waste of good produce. Not a fan.

One of the globe basil I potted up and put it on the back kitchen
deck with the rest of the herbs.

I'll make an herb salt with that at some point...probably another
month of good weather...1/4 cup of kosher/sea salt to 2-3 cups
loose pack fresh herbs...rosemary, thyme, lavender, globe basil...
herbs into a cuisinart with 2-3 tbsp salt and chop fine, then add to
container with the rest of the salt...salt is the preservative.
(I fridge it but not sure if that is needed) great all fall into the
holiday season.

Oakley, the frozen leaves do not turn sort of black using your method?

gave the oven sauce a run, with shallots garlic and lots of basil. The lasagna ended up fantastic.

Two thumbs up on oven sauce.

[QUOTE=imp;667311]Oakley, the frozen leaves do not turn sort of black using your method?[/QUOTE]


They did for me when I tried it several years back. I'd like to know what the secret is- perhaps variety of basil? Are they very fresh or leaves that already flowered, which to me are a little more sturdy. I have a friend that swears by this too. She said she has a two year supply. Mine turned black within a day in the freezer.

- Lisa

Edit : I don't remember blanching. Maybe that is key.

[QUOTE=imp;667311]Oakley, the frozen leaves do not turn sort of black using your method?[/QUOTE]

Oh, sorry Imp. I though I responded.

I just looked for a pic of the variety but none. I think the sturdy
ones work the best for storage. Thick meaty varieties.
The leaves have to be as dry as possible.

Here is a decent link. Lots of pics.
[URL="https://anoregoncottage.com/freezing-basil-leaves-6-ways/"]https://anoregoncottage.com/freezing-basil-leaves-6-ways/[/URL]
Except she blanched too long. And had to
fish the leaves out so I'm sure that is why some got brown spots.
Or maybe not dried enough. But too much time in the hot water
is 'cooked' and would be hard to dry. Sandwiched between two
mesh colanders you can move fast to the ice water.
I don't bother with a tray in the freezer anymore. Tried rolling
in parchment once but they thaw too fast while unrolling and
taking out a few.

I might test her final and favorite way side-by-side with blanching

I have read back from the very beginning of this thread and not anywhere did I find why or the reason some people like roasted tomato sauce over simmered or boiled.

I may be stating the obvious to some but if you already know this then fine.
This is for people that dont know this.
I am the kind of person that wants to know the why of things and always have been.

First lets look at the tomato and other vegetables in the sauce.
For the most part they all contain natural sugar.
Sugar melts at 320F and caramelizes at 340F and above.
So roasting at 400F and above canalizes the sugars on the surface and to some extent below it.
The more you mix this up in a given amount of time for it to thicken will add more of that flavor to the sauce.

You will never get his kind of flavor from simmered down sauce but what you will get is a more fresh bright tomato flavor.
The more you let it thicken the higher the boiling point thus the big change in flavor as in homemade tomato paste not store bought that has sweeteners in it.

As for making a sweeter sauce in my opinion a person is far batter off using a sweet or semi sweet wine reduction or some sort of fruit juice or even fruit or brown sugar but not refined white sugar.
I made that mistake once and only once.:no:
Another method to kill the acid taste and sweeten tomato products is to add a wee and I mean (wee) amount of backing soda.
You use too much and you will have food that tastes like the alkali flats.
Been there done that too./puke
Try a 16oz glass of tomato juice or V/8 juice with about 1/8th to 1/16th teaspoon of baking soda in it and see how sweet it becomes.
The flavor change is amazing.

And last but not least I like to add some Blue cheese or Gorgonzola cheese to my sauce when I have it.

Both of the above will reduce heartburn to a very great extent.

Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;667993]I have read back from the very beginning of this thread and not anywhere did I find why or the reason some people like roasted tomato sauce over simmered or boiled.

I may be stating the obvious to some but if you already know this then fine.
This is for people that dont know this.
I am the kind of person that wants to know the why of things and always have been.

First lets look at the tomato and other vegetables in the sauce.
For the most part they all contain natural sugar.
Sugar melts at 320F and caramelizes at 340F and above.
So roasting at 400F and above canalizes the sugars on the surface and to some extent below it.
The more you mix this up in a given amount of time for it to thicken will add more of that flavor to the sauce.

You will never get his kind of flavor from simmered down sauce but what you will get is a more fresh bright tomato flavor.
The more you let it thicken the higher the boiling point thus the big change in flavor as in homemade tomato paste not store bought that has sweeteners in it.

As for making a sweeter sauce in my opinion a person is far batter off using a sweet or semi sweet wine reduction or some sort of fruit juice or even fruit or brown sugar but not refined white sugar.
I made that mistake once and only once.:no:
Another method to kill the acid taste and sweeten tomato products is to add a wee and I mean (wee) amount of backing soda.
You use too much and you will have food that tastes like the alkali flats.
Been there done that too./puke
Try a 16oz glass of tomato juice or V/8 juice with about 1/8th to 1/16th teaspoon of baking soda in it and see how sweet it becomes.
The flavor change is amazing.

And last but not least I like to add some Blue cheese or Gorgonzola cheese to my sauce when I have it.

Both of the above will reduce heartburn to a very great extent.

Worth[/QUOTE]

And here is the link to Worth's tomato sauce recipe which was posted way back in 2014!

I've made this several times and [I][B]it is to DIE FOR!![/B][/I]:love::D:yes:

[URL="[b]http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=33529[/b]"][b]http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=33529[/b][/URL]

Could you try that link again it doesn't work.
Worth

Worth, your recipe will be the next sauce I make, thanks for all the information you posted.

Now trying to see how I'm going to adjust for not having a gallon of tomato purée.

I can't get the link to open and I dont know where I posted the recipe.
I remember it but need to see what I did.:lol:

See if this link works

[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=33529[/url]

That one works.
Thanks.
Worth

Worth, that has got to be the oddest recipe for spaghetti sauce I have ever seen. :surprised: :lol:

Harvest is about over but still managing a few last oven roasted
batches.
Perfect when just 4-5 lbs are trickling in. This one is just Hatch
chili, tomatillo, onion and garlic. While the oven was on anyway
for supper. This was more of a 'sweat'. Probably reduced by about
half with out much caramelization. No spice. Straight to the
freezer for Winter recipes. Will add a zip to many things and a
decent green sauce on its own.

Like others mentioned, another benefit is that dinner continued,
on to other things, took care of some laundry. no need to tend a
saute pan or sauce pot and risk over caramelization or 'gasp'
scorching into the danger zone of carbon...burnt bitterness.

Is that parchment lining your pan?



[QUOTE=oakley;668431]Harvest is about over but still managing a few last oven roasted
batches.
Perfect when just 4-5 lbs are trickling in. This one is just Hatch
chili, tomatillo, onion and garlic. While the oven was on anyway
for supper. This was more of a 'sweat'. Probably reduced by about
half with out much caramelization. No spice. Straight to the
freezer for Winter recipes. Will add a zip to many things and a
decent green sauce on its own.

Like others mentioned, another benefit is that dinner continued,
on to other things, took care of some laundry. no need to tend a
saute pan or sauce pot and risk over caramelization or 'gasp'
scorching into the danger zone of carbon...burnt bitterness.[/QUOTE]