IQF Basil Information and Supply

Uren can provide individually quickly frozen (IQF) basil as part of our IQF vegetable range, packaged and delivered to your choice of location, whether it be directly, or to a cold store for service deliveries. Uren is a leading supplier of IQF foods in the UK which means we can source IQF basil in a variety of cuts and sizes to suit manufacturing and food service needs, including:

• Basil 1-3mm

• Basil 1-6mm

Basil is part of the mint family and has a strong sweet flavour and aroma. Basil is an herb that is cultivated around the world but is most common in European dishes and particularly Italian cuisine as an ingredient to add flavour to pasta, sauces, soup, pizza, and bread. It is also one of the main ingredients in green pesto.

IQF basil has the same great taste, texture, health benefits, and nutrients as fresh basil, but with a much longer shelf life, which maximises its convenience.

Process

Sourced from our BRC accredited suppliers in Belgium, Uren can supply IQF basil year-round. Basil is commonly harvested in summer and once harvested, it is taken back to the factory to be cleaned, quality checked, washed, and cut to size, according to customer requirements. The basil is then individually quick frozen at incredibly low temperatures to prevent the formation of ice crystals to lock in flavour, freshness, and ensure a free-flowing product.

Shelf life:

24 months from production

Packaging:

10kg carton

Minimum order quantity:

1 pallet

IQF basil applications

Uren’s IQF basil can be used in a variety of manufacturing and foodservice industries to create a range of different products. These include, but are not limited to:

• Pre-packaged salads
• Ready meals – IQF basil can be used as a key ingredient in a range of both fresh and frozen meals such as curry, casseroles, hotpot, chicken tray bakes, fish cakes, pasta, and lasagne. Basil is also commonly used in vegetarian meals as it has a peppery spice to it when used raw.
• Pizza – Uren’s IQF basil is commonly used as a pizza topping to add flavour and colour.
• Soups – Basil is popularly used in soup dishes like minestrone, tomato soup, and broths.
• Pasta – Uren’s IQF basil can be used in a range of pasta dishes like linguini, lasagne, penne, and spaghetti Bolognese.
• Bread – Basil is a popular ingredient in bread dishes and is commonly used with garlic to season bread like ciabatta and focaccia, but can also be used to make basil bread and pane Bianco.
• Sauces and dips – Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto, but can also be used in sauces like Mariana, Bolognese, Ragu, carbonara, and Gremolata.
• Oils and butter – Basil is often used to flavour oils and butter, such as pesto butter, pesto oil, basil oil, and rapeseed oil.

Uren can supply IQF basil in volumes tailored to your business needs at a competitive market price. As leading suppliers of IQF fruit and vegetables throughout the UK, we have years of experience sourcing and delivering high-quality products to a variety of industries. Contact us today to discuss your business requirements, and our friendly team of experts will be more than happy to help. To find out more about our IQF vegetables, click here.