[newbiegrower]

I have heard that fresh herbs can be frozen but I was wondering how to do this

[dawninspain]

My method which has worked so far is, for example with parsley, is to wash it, pat dry on kitchen paper and chop it up as you would do before adding it to a casserole or say a pan of drained potatoes as a garnish,  then pack it into icecube trays, freeze and when frozen turn the cubes out into a plastic bag which you store in the freezer.  

To use - the cubes can be added frozen directly to casseroles etc or for cooked vegetables defrost beforehand and then add to the hot vegetables so that the residual heat warms the parsley or whatever through.

This will work with most leafy herbs eg parsley, mint, basil etc. Although once frozen though they would not be at their best in salads etc.

Good luck, Dawn

[GrannieAnnie]

I don't freeze them often, but sometimes I just put the cleaned herbs in a little plastic bag.  Freeze them whole, then when frozen, just crush the herbs in the bag.  My chives I do normally chop first then put them into a small magarine tub.  they don't very often stick together, but if they do, I just shake the tub about (with the lid on!) and they unstick!!!!

[Heather_S]

Yup i don't bother chopping either, grannie. Freezing only works very well for leafy herbs. Woody herbs are better off being dried usually as that increases their flavour. Leafy herbs just go blah when dried.

Woody herbs would be, sage, rosemary, thyme.

Leafy herbs would be nearly everything else, stuff like parsley, leaf coriander, chervil, basil, i guess chives too... my chives survive winter so I don't think to freeze'em. I do take the larger stems out since they don't shatter so well when frozen, at least in the case of basil.