Basil preserved in olive oil and salt

At the end of the growing season I am always left with a ton of basil. A great way to preserve the leaves is to keep them in the fridge, covered in olive oil and salt. They will keep for many months this way. I use them in any cooked dish that won’t mind a little extra oil. They are great in a stir fry, mixed with roasted meat and veggies, or in one my favorite dishes, Ezekiel’s chicken.

This is the easiest way I know to quickly store a whole lot of basil for long term use. This time, I had about 5 cups of basil leaves from two plants. It took less than 10 minutes to remove them from the stems, pack in the jar, and stick in the fridge. We will have the taste of summer in our fridge all winter long.
 
What are your ideas for using up lots of basil or other herbs? Let me know in the comments. And take a peek at my shelf in the fridge of different homemade preserved foods in the photo below!

Basil preserved in oil and salt
Recipe by Hillary Huber
 
Ingredients
 
Basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt
 
Instructions
 
Film the bottom of a glass jar with olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt over it. Pack a handful of basil leaves into the jar. Pour a little olive oil over the leaves, then sprinkle a little salt. Add another handful of basil leaves, push down, pour a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat until you have used all of the basil leaves. Push down on the leaves to tightly pack them into the jar and soak with oil. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep at least a few months in the fridge. The top layer may turn dark over time because it will be exposed to oxygen when you open the jar. Keep this darkened top layer and repack it over the leaves each time you use some.