Freezing Fresh Herbs for Later Use

Some herbs can be dried, but others are at their best when fresh. Fortunately, if you have a freezer, you can freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays for later use. I like to do this in summer, while the annual herbs are still at their best, so I can pop out the herb ice cubes and use them over the winter months.

This is a strategy I sometimes like to use for herbs like parsley, dill and chives which do not work so well for drying. I sometimes also like to freeze some fresh basil because it can taste quite different when dried in my opinion and it is another moister herb which can be more difficult to dry.

This simple job could not be easier. Simply fill an ice cube tray around 1/3 full with fresh water. Chops the herbs finely and cram as many leaves into each space in the tray as you can, then top them up with water – trying to make sure that the leaves are below the water surface.

I also sometimes freeze basil in an ice cube tray with olive oil rather than with water. Again, it is important to make sure that the chopped leaves are covered, or they will turn black when frozen.

Growing your own herbs in your garden is, of course, a wonderful thing to do. And when you dry some herbs and freeze others, you can enjoy your own homegrown herbs all year round.