Y’all, this is a safe space. And I need an honest answer from you guys.
Who here REALLY uses all fresh herbs all the time?
Unless you’re Ina Garten (and if you are OMG I LOVE YOU PLEASE INVITE ME TO YOUR HOUSE!!!), it’s doubtful that we all use all fresh herbs in every dish we make. As much as I’d like to I have embraced the fact that I haven’t had the energy to garden fresh herbs in the past, and buying them is waaaaaaaaay too pricey unless it’s totally necessary.
So. What do I do when I need to buy fresh herbs for a dish and then have 12 tablespoons of leftover chopped fresh herbs? Other than hurry up and use them in another recipe (not always possible), I freeze them for soups and stews and grain dishes later on!
It’s as simple as chop and freeze, and yes I do this with really leafy herbs like cilantro and basil as well. When it’s an herb like rosemary or thyme where you really only need a few tablespoons at a time, I put a tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs in the well of an ice tray, fill it up with filtered water, stir a bit (so all the leaves don’t rise to the top), and then freeze for 24 hours. After that just transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container and store in the freezer for future use.
For the leafy herbs like cilantro I chop it up and toss it into a freezer-safe plastic bag with about 1/4 cup of filtered water. It’s important to note that it won’t be leafy again when it thaws, but the flavor is still there. I like to make cilantro-lime rice for burrito bowl night, and I’ll set a bag of frozen cilantro in the fridge to thaw, then drain it off and stir it into the rice. Voila!
For the basil I like to make a batch of pesto and freeze that in ice cube trays. It makes for a really easy and really yummy quick pasta – just cook pasta to al dente, then stir in a couple of pesto cubes. Let it sit for a few minutes to melt, and then just stir it up!
I’d love to hear any other tips you guys have!
Now I know what to do with all my cilantro before it goes kaput on me! Fabulous!
We live in zone 3 with a short growing season so preserving herbs is a necessity. We also don’t get very much in the way of fresh herbs at the grocery stores. My son, a not famous but excellent chef, has taught me to simply but them into a sealer jar fresh from the garden and pop them into the freezer. They stay almost completely like ‘fresh from the garden’. I then chop them like fresh herbs to use in recipes. This method doesn’t add unnecessary water to the recipe.
That’s a great idea, especially to not mess with the texture of the herbs!
This is such a great idea! I will have to remember to do this during the summer when I can get inexpensive fresh herbs from the farmers market!
Wow that’s very impressive. I should try doing this one. Thank you for the tip 🙂
This is something that I ALWAYS say I’m going to do and then I NEVER do. I’ll let you inspire me to greater things. 🙂
Super idea! Thank you.
I love fresh herbs but almost always forget to buy them since I also don’t love the waste that usually happens. This is a great idea and now I just need to put it in practice. Thanks!
This is a very good idea. You can also do it with butter (melted with herbs), rolled in cellophane and frozen.
You put it first in the fridge for one hour. It will make your butter harder. Then, you cut some slices that you put in the freezer.
Oh, I LOVE the idea of using butter to preserve them!
I have to say, that’s pretty impressive. I’m doing good to purchase fresh herbs from the store, your herb-usage puts me to shame! 🙂
Oh girl, I only buy ’em when they’re TOTALLY necessary – but I’m not going to let it go to waste!