How to Freeze Herbs

I freeze the herbs I grow in my garden to use in dishes during the winter. If you don’t have an herb garden, you can use this method to prevent any fresh herbs that you buy at the store from going bad.

It is easy to preserve herbs by freezing them in an ice-cube tray. You can freeze herbs in water, broth, or olive oil. I choose the liquid I freeze the herbs in based on how I intend to use the herbs. I freeze oregano in vegetable broth since I use it to make minestrone soup. I almost always saute chives in olive oil, so that is what I pour over the chives before freezing the in the ice-cube tray. I often add mint to tea, so I freeze it in water

You can add the herbs that were frozen in water or broth directly to the pot of soup while still frozen. They will thaw as the soup heats up. I allow the herbs frozen in oil to thaw in the refrigerator before using them.

How to Freeze Herbs:

Pick your herbs before they bloom, if possible.
Wash them in cool water to remove any dirt and bugs. Pat them dry with a towel.
Remove the leaves from the stems. You can do this quickly by pinching the stem between your index finger and thumb and sliding your fingers down the stem. Most of the leaves will easily come off.
Dice, chop, or mince the herbs if necessary.
Place the herbs in an ice-cube tray.
Cover them with water, broth, or oil.
Place the ice-cube tray in the freezer.
Once frozen, you can pop “herb cubes” out of the tray and put them in a freezer bag or lidded container until you need them.

You will usually have about one tablespoon of herbs and one tablespoon of liquid per cube, so you will need to factor that into your recipe.