How To Preserve Fresh Herbs

I am a firm believer in using fresh herbs while cooking. They make such an impact on the flavor and outcome of your food. The problem is it can be difficult or expensive to get fresh herbs year-round. Plus, buying herbs in bulk from the store when you only need 1tsp for a recipe is frustrating and usually leads to waste. Due to these reasons , I decided to start trying out different methods for preserving herbs, including drying and freezing. Read on to learn how to preserve fresh herbs,  what worked, what didn’t, and how you can savor the flavor well after peak harvesting season!

 

Harvesting Your Herbs

 

The most important part about herb preservation is properly harvesting fresh herbs from your garden. To do so, follow these steps:

 

1. Timing is everything. Cut branches from your herbs in the mid-morning allowing the sun to dry the dew from the night naturally.

 

2. Harvest the herbs right before they flower for peak flavor.

 

3. Never cut more than 1/3 of your herb plant at one time or it could cause serious damage to the health of your plant.

 

4. Choose healthy branches and leaves to harvest. This goes without saying, but unhealthy branches will not have the flavor or potency as healthy ones.

The Drying Method

 

The best herbs to dry are: Thyme, Bay Leaves, Dill, Lemon Balm, Lavender, Rosemary, and Oregano.

 

1. Harvest your herbs.

 

2. Remove any dead or diseased parts.

 

3. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. Let them thoroughly air dry, otherwise mold can occur.

 

4. Remove the lower leaves along the bottom 1 inch part of the stem.

 

5. Make small bundles about 6 stems or less and tie with a string. Hang the bundles upside down in a dry, airy space, ensuring they have plenty of air flow.

 

6. Check regularly to ensure that herbs are receiving proper air flow and are not rotting.

 

7. Once fully dried, place herbs in labeled and dated small mason jars. Store in your pantry or cabinet and use within one year.

 

8. The ratio of fresh to dried herbs for cooking is one to one, 1 TBS fresh to 1 TBS dry.

 

 

The Freezing Ice Cube Tray Method

 

The best herbs to freeze are those high in water content such as mint, chives, basil and tarragon.

 

1. Harvest herbs properly.

 

2. Remove dead or diseased parts of the plant.

 

3. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

 

4. Finely chop and dice herbs into small pieces.

 

5. Put chopped herbs into cleaned ice cube trays.

 

6. Pour extra-virgin olive oil or melted organic ghee over the herbs until the ice tray cubes are ½ to ¾ full.

 

7. Cover ice cube tray lightly with plastic wrap and place in freezer. Let them set in freezer overnight or longer.

 

8. When fully frozen, remove from ice cube tray and store in frozen labeled and dated plastic bags or glass Tupperware.

 

9. When cooking requires herbs, pull out desired amount of frozen herb cubes and add to your pan or dish, defrosting cube in the pan.

 

The Freezing Whole Method

 

The best herbs to freeze are those high in water content such as mint, chives, basil and tarragon.

 

1. Harvest herbs properly.

 

2. Remove dead or diseased parts of the plant.

 

3. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

 

4. Remove leaves from stems, such as mint or basil.

 

5. Boil a small saucepan of water.

 

6. Once a rolling boil is achieved, place whole leaves into the boiling water and blanch for 2 seconds.

 

7. Transfer leaves to a bowl filled with iced water to stop the cooking process.

 

8. Place leaves on a paper towel in a warm room and allow to dry completely.

 

9. Store in a labeled freezer-safe glass Tupperware, separating layers with wax paper.

 

10. Use as desired. Ratio is ¾ tsp frozen to 1tsp fresh.

 

 

 

The Microwave Method

 

This used to be a common method of preserving herbs. However, in my experience I do not recommend this option. Although it is a quick option, microwaving makes herbs lose their potency and changes their chemical make-up. This ultimately makes your herbs lose flavor. I recommend using one of the above listed methods instead.

 

 

Do you know a different way to preserve your herbs? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below! Happy herbing, everyone!