How to Freeze Fresh Herbs for Cooking
I have an abundance of basil every year so I try to mix up my preservation methods. I hang-dry most of my basil, but I like to freeze a good chunk of it to toss into pasta sauces and soups. Today, I want to show you how to freeze fresh herbs to make the most of your garden harvest.
How to Freeze Fresh Herbs
Freezing herbs is a great way to preserve the herb harvest and it is a fairly effortless process. With just your herbs, an ice cube tray, and some water you can preserve your herbs for up to one year!
What Herbs Freeze Well?
You can freeze any herb, but some act differently than others when frozen.
Delicate herbs like basil, mint, cilantro and parsley will appear wilted when they thaw. Basil may also start to turn black when frozen. If you are like me and plan to use frozen herbs in cooked dishes, this is no real issue. Color and quality can be preserved for a longer time if you freeze these tender herbs in olive oil or butter.
Hardier herbs like rosemary and thyme freeze very well in water, oil, butter, and on their own with no liquid. You can also freeze leafy greens (like kale, collards, and swiss chard)
How to Freeze Herbs in Ice Cube Trays
STEP 1: Gather
Head out to the garden and gather the herbs you want to preserve. Don’t have an herb garden yet? No worries! You can purchase from a local gardener or use store-bought herbs.
STEP 2: Wash
Put the herbs into a colander and rinse them well. This will help to remove any bugs and dirt that may be on the leaves. Lay the washed herbs out in a single layer on a paper towel to dry.
STEP 3: Separate
Remove the leaves from the stems. You can pick each one off by hand or you can use an herb stripper for this step.
STEP 4 :Chop
Roughly chop the herbs into the size that you prefer. I like bigger chunks of basil in my pasta sauces so I chose to leave mine in bigger pieces. You can even add them to a food processor if you want them chopped fine or pureed.
STEP 5: Add to Tray
Add the chopped leaves to an ice cube tray. Fill each well ¾ full of herbs. 
STEP 6: Add Water
Add water over the herbs to fill the wells. You can also freeze herbs in olive oil or butter. This adds an extra dose of flavor when you pop the frozen herb cubes into a dish.
STEP 7: Freeze
Place the filled ice cube tray into the freezer and allow several hours to freeze.
STEP 8: Store
Pop the frozen herb cubes out of the tray and add them into an airtight container like a sealed freezer bag or a mason jar. A vacuum sealer, if available for you, is always the best option for storing frozen foods to avoid freezer burn.
How to Store Frozen Herb Cubes
Herb ice cubes can be stored in an airtight container like a mason jar or a freezer bag in the freezer for up to a year. You may notice some freezer burn if using a Ziploc bag. Vacuum-sealing is the best way to avoid freezer burn and maintain the quality of your frozen herbs for a longer time.
Leave your filled container in the freezer for storage. Frozen herbs will last up to one year in the freezer, but take note that they may lose flavor or change color over time.
For example- Basil frozen in water will start to turn black. I don’t mind the loss of color and I plan to use my frozen basil fairly quickly. If you want your basil to stay green for longer, try freezing it in olive oil or butter.
How to Use Frozen Herbs
These cubes can be tossed into pasta sauce, soups, stews, and other cooked dishes. Stir some frozen herbs into scrambled eggs, homemade butter, or even homemade bread dough!
You can use frozen herbs in almost any cooked dish that you would use fresh herbs in. They won’t work well as a garnish, but they are great as an ingredient.
If you are adding frozen herbs to a soup or sauce, there is no need to melt the water off first. If you are adding herbs to homemade butter, salad dressings, dough, etc, then you may want to allow the water to melt off to avoid adding too much liquid to the recipe.
Other Ways to Preserve Herbs
There are several different methods of preserving herbs. They can be dried, frozen, infused in vinegar, and added to butter and sauces.
How to Freeze Fresh Herbs for Cooking
Materials
- Basil
- Water
Instructions
STEP 1 Gather
Head out to the garden and gather the herbs you want to preserve. Don’t have an herb garden yet? No worries! You can purchase from a local gardener or use store-bought herbs.
STEP 2 Wash
Put the herbs into a colander and rinse them well. This will help to remove any bugs and dirt that may be on the leaves. Lay the washed herbs out in a single layer on a paper towel to dry.
STEP 3 Separate
Remove the leaves from the stems. You can pick each one off by hand or you can use an herb stripper for this step.
STEP 4 Chop
Roughly chop the herbs into the size that you prefer. I like bigger chunks of basil in my pasta sauces so I chose to leave mine in bigger pieces. You can even add them to a food processor if you want them chopped fine or pureed.
STEP 5 Add to Tray
Add the chopped leaves to an ice cube tray. Fill each well ¾ full of herbs.
STEP 6 Add Water
Add water over the herbs to fill the wells. You can also freeze herbs in olive oil or butter. This adds an extra dose of flavor when you pop the frozen herb cubes into a dish.
STEP 7 Freeze
Place the filled ice cube tray into the freezer and allow several hours (about 4 hours) to freeze.
STEP 8 Store
Pop the frozen herb cubes out of the tray and add them into an airtight container like a sealed freezer bag or a mason jar. A vacuum sealer, if available for you, is always the best option for storing frozen foods to avoid freezer burn.
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