Freezing Herbs 101

To make meal preparation faster, tastier and save you money and time, freeze your fresh herbs. I hear you groaning out there! But, it’s easier than you think. Whether you grow your own or you buy the costly ones at market – you can use every bit.  All you need is either a small food processor, chopping device or a sharp knife, plus empty ice cube trays – as needed – and a good olive oil, chicken stock (canned or fresh), or white wine – and the herb of your choice.

Example

Basil. If you buy a plant for $2.99 you can make two trays of the herb. Each cube will equal about 2 teaspoons. First, it’s very important to clean the leaves thoroughly. Then chop as fine as you like. I usually do two types – chopped and then a minced. After chopping, put the basil evenly into the first tray and top off with olive oil. In the other tray, do the same and top off with chicken broth. Freeze until hard and then pop out the cubes and store in your freezer in a freezer bag (be sure to label). The next time you are cooking spaghetti sauce, soups, or creating a dip, etc. – pop 1 or 2 cubes into your recipe. Better yet, if you are using a canned soup, sauce, dip, etc. – add the fresh flavor of the herb and it makes it taste so much fresher, plus, herbs are healthy! Freezing herbs in olive oil, chicken stock or white wine keeps their color green and the flavor 100%.  Some other herb combinations are:

• In olive oil: Rosemary, minced Garlic, Oregano, Sage, Basil, Thyme, etc. If you cook a lot of Italian, then mix basil and oregano together.
• In chicken stock: Sage, Parsley, Basil, Tarragon, Thyme, diced Celery leaves, Cilantro, etc.
• In white wine: Ground Peppercorns, Dill, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemon Zest, Mint, Jalapenos, etc.

My daughter loves to make scrambled eggs and throw in a cube of cilantro and a cube of jalapeno – she swears her friends beg her for the recipe! Yet another use for this idea is to put a decorative label on your herbs and give a combination of bags as a Hostess gift  along with a basil plant and ice cube tray (plus the directions) – cooks LOVE it! Once you see how easy this is to prepare and then discover how much time it saves you in the kitchen, you can explore and come up with your own creations. I do herbs, zests, peppercorns, etc. in several different ways – soy sauce, beef stock, red wine, vinegar, sugar syrup, and my favorite, real butter! A cube of chopped chives in butter goes perfect with a fluffy, baked potato – and it’s quick. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination and your cooking needs. Love and get cooking! Dona Marlene