Freezing Herbs
Apr 21, 2022, Updated Nov 25, 2022
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Freezing herbs allows you to have fresh herbs all year long, even in the middle of winter when the garden isn’t producing. Don’t let those extra herbs go to waste this summer, learn how to freeze herbs so you can have fresh flavor all year long.
How to Freeze Herbs
Gardens can produce a lot of fresh herbs during the growing months, and a lot of time, this is more herbs than you can use before they go bad. Freezing herbs is a great way to save those fresh herbs. When you thaw the herbs, you will have that same vibrant flavor as when the herbs were first picked.
The benefits of freezing herbs
There are a lot of benefits of preserving fresh herbs. You can have fresh herbs all year long, even when they are not in season or you can’t find them at grocery retail. It also helps to preserve the flavor and nutrients better than other methods of storage, such as drying.
How long do frozen herbs last?
Using this method, the herbs will last for about 12 months. You will take the herb blocks from the trays and move them to storage bags. This will keep the herb cubes from getting freezer burn and will keep them at their best for up to 12 months.
Do you have to blanch herbs before freezing?
You do not need to blanch the herbs before freezing them using the ice cube method. The herbs are going to be set in olive oil.
What Herbs are Best for Freezing?
Herbs such as basil, chives, cilantro, tarragon, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, and thyme are best for freezing. These herbs have a higher water content which helps them to freeze well and maintain their flavor when they are thawed.
Related: Fruit and Herb Flavored Ice Cubes
How to Get Herbs Ready for Freezing
First, clean the herbs. I like to place the herbs in cold water and swish them around. This gets rid of any dirt, bugs or chemicals that might be on the herbs.
Let the herbs dry well. That prevents the herbs from forming water crystals when you freeze them.
Chop the herbs. You want the herbs the way you would use them in recipes because you won’t be chopping them after they have been in the oil.
How to use When ready to cook
These herbs are stored in olive oil inside of an ice cube tray. This creates a cube that you can add to soups, sauces or other dishes.
The olive oil will help to keep the herbs from drying out when they are frozen and also adds flavor to the dish.
If you don’t want to use the entire cube of herbs, you can just break off a piece of the herb cube and add it to the dish.
Related: A Guide to Cooking with Fresh Herbs
Adding the Herbs to Recipes
When you are adding these to a recipe, you will add them at the end of cooking. This helps to preserve the flavor and color of the herbs.
If you are adding them to a soup or sauce, you can just drop the herb cube in and let it melt.
You can also chop up the cube and add it to the dish.
If you are using the herbs in a recipe that will be baked, such as a casserole, you can add the frozen herb cube to the dish and then bake it according to the recipe directions.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Herbs – you can show a variety of herbs to use
- Ice Cube Trays
Step-by-step directions
Add chopped herbs to the bottom of an ice tray.
Pour in olive oil.
Freeze them and grab them as you need them (to preserve them from freezer burn, remove them from the ice cube tray and place them in a freezer lock bag).
For more great tricks and ideas, visit our Pinterest page.
Freezing Herbs
Equipment
- Ice cube trays
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Herbs
Instructions
- Add chopped herbs to the bottom of ice tray.
- Pour in olive oil.
- Freeze them and grab them as you need them!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
