How To Preserve Herbs In The Freezer
Well, now that we’ve had our first snow in Chicago, I think it’s pretty likely that your herb gardening days are coming to an end for the year. Whether you picked the last of your parsley or basil plant, or you just don’t want to waste any expensive herbs you pick up at the grocery store – these methods are both easy and foolproof, with no freezer burn. Plus, when you freeze fresh herbs, it also maintains the taste, smell, and nutrients. Sure, dry herbs are fine… but it’s not the same!
How To Preserve Herbs In The Freezer
Frozen in Olive Oil
step 1
Chop the herbs just like you would if you were adding them to a soup or sauce.
step 2
Place them in an ice cube tray.
step 3
Cover the herbs in oil.
step 4
Freeze your herbs until the oil has set.
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Frozen in Broth
step 1
Chop the herbs just like you would if you were adding them to a soup or sauce.
step 2
Place the chopped herbs in an ice cube tray.
step 3
Cover the herbs with broth. (Can be chicken broth, vegetable broth, beef broth – whatever you like!)
step 4
Freeze until the broth has set.
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Frozen in Water
step 1
Chop the herbs just like you would if you were adding them to a soup or sauce.
step 2
Place them in an ice cube tray.
step 3
Cover the herbs with water.
step 4
Freeze until the water is frozen solid.
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Frozen in Pesto
If you know you’re going to want to use basil for pesto sometime this winter, skip the steps for frozen herbs and just make pesto NOW. All throughout my childhood (and still to this day), my mom makes batches and batches of pesto before winter hits. She then puts enough pesto for about a pound of pasta in each container, and labels them with the date they were made so she knows which ones to use first. Then, whenever you want pesto, take it out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge to defrost. So easy!
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What To Store Them In
After the herb cubes are frozen in an ice cube tray, transfer them to a freezer safe reusable bag! A plastic freezer bag works too, but you know… the environment 😉
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Herbs You Can and Can’t Freeze
I actually don’t know of any types of herbs that you can’t freeze, but I know firsthand that all of these freeze well!
- Basil
- Parsley
- Mint
- Chives
- Dill
- Sage
- Thyme
How To Use Frozen Herbs
Stir herb cubes into a sauce.
This is how I use frozen basil cubes the most! Just add one to your tomato sauce as it simmers. Whether the basil is frozen in oil or broth, it will all melt right into the sauce and give it a nice herby lift! I mostly do this with tomato sauces, but it also works for a curry, too!
Stir herb cubes into a soup.
We’ve all been at the grocery store wondering if it’s really worth it to buy a whole bunch of parsley just for the soup you want to make this week. Right?! But if you have frozen parsley in the freezer, just melt a cube or two into the soup. Easy peasy!
Add herb cube to pan before scrambling eggs.
Anyone else love chives and eggs? YUM. Add a cube of oil and chives to a pan over medium heat. Once the cube has melted, add your eggs and scramble to perfection. Delicious!
Thaw herb cubes in a strainer.
If you like this idea, but you don’t like the idea of adding extra oil or broth to your recipes, and water and freeze instead! Then, when you’re ready to use them, thaw the cubes over a really fine strainer so you’re left with nothing but the herbs (cool water might help this go faster!). You could also use a salad spinner to get them really dry, but that depends on how delicate they are. Regardless, the herbs won’t be pretty enough to use as a garnish, but the flavor will still be there so you can use the herbs in a salad, cocktail, or anything else!
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PS. You might also like my Meal Planning Templates, Fresh Produce That Lasts A Long Time, and 45 Trader Joe’s Healthy Favorites.
