Can you freeze fresh herbs for later use ?
5 Comments
NikiMay 15, 2022
Chop chives and freeze them in a plastic deli container. Use as needed. They keep their color and texture seemingly forever!
MMHApril 8, 2022
We grow several different herbs & have handled them in a few different methods. We live in the Midwest and frost comes sometime in Oct. We plant more than we know we will use fresh with an eye toward the winter. When we know frost is coming this is what we do-
Rosemary wont make it through the winter here. We cut it off at the ground and stick the whole branches in a zip lock freezer bag & stick them in our chest freezer. The needles/leaves strip off easily when we are ready to use them.
We do the same with parsley. Antonia James has written about the flavor in the stems of some herbs. I save the parsley stems for chicken stock & the leaves do surprisingly well in the freezer.
We plant several varieties of thyme. They do as well as rosemary. And we freeze them whole on the branch. I throw them whole in to whatever im cooking. The leaves fall off the stem imparting their flavor & then I just fish out the stems.
We also plant lemon grass which surprised me when it was taller than I am. It freezes very well also. We just cut it down to 6-8 inch stalks.
Basil is tricky because cold temps turn the leaves dark - even in the fridge. We have finally settled on puréing it in olive oil. Then we freeze it in small quantities.
Then, we can turn that in to pesto or salad dressing, a marinade, pasta sauce or anything else at a later date.
We use the trick mostly because they are less time consuming - especially when low temperatures are coming fast.
Rosemary wont make it through the winter here. We cut it off at the ground and stick the whole branches in a zip lock freezer bag & stick them in our chest freezer. The needles/leaves strip off easily when we are ready to use them.
We do the same with parsley. Antonia James has written about the flavor in the stems of some herbs. I save the parsley stems for chicken stock & the leaves do surprisingly well in the freezer.
We plant several varieties of thyme. They do as well as rosemary. And we freeze them whole on the branch. I throw them whole in to whatever im cooking. The leaves fall off the stem imparting their flavor & then I just fish out the stems.
We also plant lemon grass which surprised me when it was taller than I am. It freezes very well also. We just cut it down to 6-8 inch stalks.
Basil is tricky because cold temps turn the leaves dark - even in the fridge. We have finally settled on puréing it in olive oil. Then we freeze it in small quantities.
Then, we can turn that in to pesto or salad dressing, a marinade, pasta sauce or anything else at a later date.
We use the trick mostly because they are less time consuming - especially when low temperatures are coming fast.
MMHApril 8, 2022
I apologize because im not sure the original question was about gardening but i guess the same applies no matter how much you have on hand.
I should also add that we freeze oregano on the stem as well. It darkens but the color is not important in things as much as basil.
I should also add that we freeze oregano on the stem as well. It darkens but the color is not important in things as much as basil.
NancyApril 8, 2022
Yes!
A great way to get more life out of them.
In plastic bags or boxes.
Or chopped and in ice cube tray (if you have one to spare). In that case, in oil or water. When you need to use, just remove one or two and add to your dish.
A great way to get more life out of them.
In plastic bags or boxes.
Or chopped and in ice cube tray (if you have one to spare). In that case, in oil or water. When you need to use, just remove one or two and add to your dish.
Showing 5 out of 5 Comments
Recommended by Food52
Popular on Food52
Continue After Advertisement