Do you love cooking with fresh herbs? Not only are they taste nice, they smell lovely too! It’s simple to use fresh herb plants too. You can always clip off what you need and add to the rest of your ingredients for a fresh flavor you will love.
But what do you do when it’s winter and fresh herb plants are few and far between?
Try freezing as a fresh alternative to drying your herbs because it’s a simpler and better way to keep your herbs fresh. In three steps you can store them for future recipes—grow your herbs, harvest them and freeze your herbs. You do not have to do anything special to prepare your herb plants for freezing, other than rinsing them. If they are not packed too tightly, you can crumble the frozen herb plants in your hands before you open the freezer bag.
If you do want them measured before you freeze your herbs, you can dice them up and freeze them in ice trays. Simply fill each compartment of the ice cube tray almost to the top with diced basil or whatever other plant you want to freeze and add water. Once the ice cubes freeze, put your herbs into freezer bags and later take your herbs out and toss the cubes into your sauces, soups, stews or other dishes. Be sure to mix it up!
If you want to experiment with freezing herbs, these are some good ones to start with:
- Basil: Remove the leaves from the stem just before the flowers of your basil when you’re ready to harvest your herbs and dry your herbs. Once they’re dry you can put them in a freezer bag to store your herbs. If you don’t have much time, just take the leaves and put them into a freezer bag and stick your herbs in your freezer to keep them fresh. Another way to keep your basil is to layer your herbs in the bottom of a plastic container and cover them with extra virgin olive oil, which will both keep and bring out the flavor. You can keep your herbs like this for several months.
- Parsley: Do not keep this fantastic herb as just another ornamental garnish. It will work well in almost any Italian meal. Nobody appreciates parsley for it’s positive attributes. It cannot help it if the other Italian herb plants (like oregano, basil and garlic) have stronger, more memorable flavors. Parsley works hard to help other herbs taste better. Toss some crushed parsley into your pot along with your other ingredients and your it will strengthen the flavors of the other herb plants. I generally take the leaves and put them into a freezer bag, put the bags on the shelf of my freezer and then put a box of vegetables on top of my bagsto freeze your herbs flat. When you’re ready to use your herbs, just crunch the bag up in your hand and they are instantly chopped.
- French Tarragon: If you plan to over-winter your French tarragon plant, be sure not to trim it back too much. Of course it’s best to use the foliage fresh, but you can tuck some of these leaves into a freezer bag and they will get you through the winter months. Add your herbs to your chicken or fish dishes. French Tarragon is good for creating vinegars, cream sauces and mustards.
Don’t forget to write the name of the herb on the freezer bag so that when you pull your herbs out of the freezer you’ll know what it is.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Italian Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
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