This is going to be a quick post because we’ve just been so busy this summer, I haven’t had time to post, but I thought it was worth sharing.  Sorry, I don’t have step by step pics but it was pretty easy so hopefully you’ll get the gist.

Herb Preservation – Part 1 – Garlic scapes:  I planted a ton of garlic last fall, and got a Walmart shopping bag full of scapes once I cut those off.

To preserve them, I stuffed the whole lot into my food processor with a little extra virgin olive oil (highly technical, I know).  I don’t have an exact amount of either, nor do I think you need one.  I added olive oil as I needed to, as they were processed in the machine.  I ended up with a thick garlic scape paste.  I put into ice cube trays, and froze.  Once they were frozen, I popped them out of the trays and stored in a large plastic bag.  This way, I can add them to soups or other dishes.  I think I’ll also try to thaw them and see if I can use in salad dressings.  Maybe they’ll be too wilty, but it’s worth a try.

 

Herb preservation Part 2 – Basil Pesto:

I gave my basil a haircut last weekend and got all of this:

And this is how I made my pesto:

4 c. packed basil

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil (I added a little more as needed)

1/4-1/2 c. cheese (I used Organic Valley raw sharp cheddar, I did not grate but cut in smaller pieces)

1/2 c. walnuts

Process in blender.  It takes a little while to get it all blended, and you will have to stop your blender often to pack it down again and/or mix it up.  I did a batch at a time, and I had enough for 6 pints.  Store in freezer.  I made sure to leave about an inch or so head room to allow for expansion when frozen.   I took a picture of the end results and it was lopsided and I had a big mess in the background, so I decided to skip it. 🙂  The pesto was beautiful, anyhow.   You’ll just have to take my word for it. 🙂