Homemade basil butter

I’ve had a few summers when my basil crop has been out of control. I use a lot of my fresh summer basil to make pesto, but another favorite is basil butter. It’s easy to make, and is very versatile. Read this sponsored post to learn more about making basil butter.

Instead of serving plain butter alongside an assortment of fresh breads and pastas, prepare this herb-laden hand whipped butter. You can also use it on grilled steak, chicken or grilled fish. It’s delicious with corn on the cob, potatoes, green beans and so much more.

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How to make basil butter

While you can use a food processor to make compound butters, I prefer to whip my butter by hand. There is no cooking involved, you just add the raw ingredients to the softened butter.

It is easiest to soften butter the night before, but it should soften on the counter after an hour or two.

I use jarred minced garlic for my basil butter. You may prefer to use garlic powder, but I personally don’t think it makes it garlicky enough. I find that the little bit oil in minced garlic just helps give it that extra garlic flavor. I use about 1 ½ tablespoons (approximately 4 cloves) of minced garlic in my basil butter. How much garlic you use depends on your personal preference

Preparing the butter

Start by beating the butter in a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, beat it by hand until it’s soft.

Preparing the basil

To avoid slicing the basil without bruising the leaves is to use a technique called chiffonade. It’s quite easy! Stack a few fresh basil leaves and roll them up tight! Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the basil leaves perpendicularly down the roll.

Making basil butter

Add your basil slivers to the bowl with butter along with a pinch of kosher salt and your garlic.

Use the rubber spatula and begin to fold the basil into the butter.

Fold the basil into the butter until all of the basil is covered in butter. Your butter should be evenly mixed.

Form butter into a log.

Enjoy your work immediately by spreading some homemade basil butter on a freshly baked loaf of Wildgrain bread.

Homemade basil butter.

Kerri Jablonski

This homemade basil butter is delicious. Instead of serving plain butter alongside an assortment of fresh breads and pastas, prepare this herb-laden hand whipped butter. You can also use it on grilled steak, chicken or grilled fish. It’s delicious with corn on the cob, potatoes, green beans and so much more.

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Ingredients

  

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter (two standard sticks)
• 1 cup basil, thinly sliced (may also tear into pieces)
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic (i used jarred garlic)
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Start by beating the  butter in a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, beat it by hand until it’s soft.
• To avoid slicing the basil without bruising the leaves is to use a technique called chiffonade. It’s quite easy! Stack a few fresh basil leaves and roll them up tight! Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the basil leaves perpendicularly down the roll.
• Add your basil slivers to the bowl with butter along with a pinch of  kosher salt and your garlic.
• Use the rubber spatula and begin to fold the basil into the butter.

  Fold the basil into the butter until all of the basil is covered in butter. Your butter should be evenly mixed.
• Form butter into log for immediate enjoyment or put it in silicone cubes for freezing.

Notes

This basil butter can be kept in the frig for up to two months or the freezer for six months.

What is compound butter?

Making compound butter is a great way to preserve herbs and herb blossoms. Compound butter is made by softening butter and mixing it with flavoring. It’s a great way to enhance flavors when you are cooking.

What is basil butter made of?

Use fresh garden basil and blossoms to make basil butter. This garlic herb compound butter is easy to make and can be frozen for later.

How do you store basil butter?

If you don’t eat it all, basil butter will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

For freezing , wrap the rolled log of compound butter with parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. Remove excess air. Freezing basil butter is a great way to preserve those summer flavors.

Alternatively, you can fill a silicone mold with your butter (like a silicone ice cube tray), freeze the butter, and then pop the butter out of the molds and store in a freezer bag. The frozen butter cubes are perfect for mixing into Wildgrain pastas.

The perfect holiday treat

Homemade basil butter and a Wildgrain bread subscription box is the perfect holiday gift idea!