Freezing Herbs

Image from Our Garden Gate blog

#Savvy Tip

Freezing herbs is a great way to make use of surplus herbs in your garden or instead of throwing out herbs that you have purchased for a special recipe, freeze them to use later. Frozen herbs will keep their flavor for several months. Unlike dried herbs, where the flavor gets more concentrated when drying, frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs. There are two ways that you can easily freeze herbs.

To Freeze Herbs

Option 1 - Free flow

1. Make sure the Herbs are clean and dry. Spread the individual leaves on a small tray. Freezing the leaves flat and individually will prevent them from freezing together into a brick.
2. Cover and place the tray of leaves into the freezer
3. When frozen solid, place in airtight containers or plastic bags and return to the freezer. 

Once frozen individually, the leaves will not freeze together.


Option 2 - Using Ice cube trays

1. Make sure the Herbs are clean and dry.
2. Put 2-3 individual leaves or a spoonful of chopped herbs in ice cube trays.
3. Fill the tray half way with water. Make sure the leaves are down into the water, as best you can. They will tend to float, but we'll fix that with the next step. Place the half filled tray in the freezer.
4. Once the ice cubes are pretty much frozen, finish filling the try with water. The leaves will no longer be able to float and should be completely surrounded with water. Now place the tray back into the freezer to freeze solid.
5. Once the ice cubes are frozen, remove from the tray and store in zip closure bags.

When ready to use, toss the whole ice cube into your favourite stew or dish.