Freezing Fresh Herbs

Many people consider drying fresh herbs to preserve the harvest, but freezing fresh herbs offers a viable alternative. Several herbs freeze well, including basil, lemon balm, oregano and mint. Often these herbs preserve better through freezing than solar drying. Frozen herbs retain their flavor and add bold accents to dishes throughout the year.

Three Methods for Freezing Fresh Herbs

There are three basic methods for freezing fresh herbs: freezing them flat, using ice cube trays, and blanching and freezing them. The first two methods are the easiest but the blanching method may be worth the extra time, allowing you to store fresh herbs in the freezer without compromising flavor or nutrient quality.

Baking Sheet Freezer Method

Freezing fresh herbs using baking or cookie sheets is perhaps the simplest of all methods. Select fresh herbs from the garden, cut or snip them from the plant, rinse under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Lay them flat on the cookie sheet and slide it into the freezer. If a baking or cookie sheet doesn't fit in the freezer, you can use smaller metal pans. Make sure the herbs aren't touching each other; if they are they may stick together. Place in the freezer until the herbs are frozen solid. They should pop off the tray easily by sliding a spatula underneath the herbs. Pack the frozen herbs tightly into freezer containers. Write the date on the container so you know when you packed them and use them quickly to retain flavor. Keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Ice Cube Tray Method

You can use either metal or plastic ice cube trays to freeze herbs. Fill the trays halfway with water. Snip, rinse and pluck the leaves off the herb plant. Push them into the water in the ice cube tray. Try to pack them in as much as you can so that they don't simply float to the top, but don't pack them so tightly that there's no water around them. Freeze for one to two hours. Remove the trays and add water to the top of the ice cube trays. Freeze completely. When the cubes are frozen solid, pop them out of the tray into freezer bags or containers. Date the bags or containers, place them in the freezer, and use when needed.

Blanching Method

Blanching vegetables is a time-honored method of preventing freezer burn, and some say it helps vegetables and herbs retain their flavor. Blanching means immersing the vegetables quickly in boiling water, then immersing them in ice cold water. To blanch and freeze herbs, pick fresh herbs and boil a pot of water. Do not add salt or anything to the water. When the water reaches a strong, rolling boil, quickly dip the herbs into the water for approximately 30 seconds. Remove and quickly rinse under cold water or make a bath of ice cubes and cold water and swish the herbs in the ice water bath. Lay the herbs on kitchen towels or paper towels to dry. When dry, place them on sheets of waxed paper, roll up the paper, and affix a rubber band around them to hold them in place. Pop into the freezer. You can also lay them on trays like the first method, freeze and place in bags to store.

Purdue's 4-H website recommends blanching, but other methods of freezing herbs work fine. If you feel you may need to store the herbs for several months, blanching may help them retain color and flavor over a longer period of time.

Using Frozen Herbs

Drying herbs concentrates the flavor, and smaller portions are used to flavor food. Freezing herbs locks in the best summer garden flavor but does not concentrate it. Use the same amount of frozen herbs as you would fresh herbs in a recipe.

If you've made herbal ice cubes, it may be helpful to freeze the same amount of herbs in each compartment of the ice cube tray so you'll always know exactly how much you are adding to a recipe. For example, using one teaspoon of basil ensures that the measurement will be exact when you whip up a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce; just toss one frozen cube into the pot of sauce, simmer, and the cube will melt, dispersing the herbs into the sauce in a measured portion.

While it's harder to share frozen herbs with friends and neighbors than it is to drop off some fresh basil or oregano, freezing those fresh garden herbs locks in the flavor of home grown herbs and provides home cooks with gourmet taste year-round.