Freezing and preserving herbs

ab7

tessie_bear wrote: »

parsley is odd....i can grow loads and do by just placing it in the garden and it goes like the clappers....my mum cant seem to grow it at all....old wives tale it grows in households where the lady wears the trousers so to speak....i freeze mine and add it to butter for garlic bread and to melt on to steak

I've had a bumper lot grow this year.......maybe that's cos DD grew it and she defo likes to think she wears the trousers in this house :rotfl:

tessie_bear

ab7 wrote: »

I've had a bumper lot grow this year.......maybe that's cos DD grew it and she defo likes to think she wears the trousers in this house :rotfl:

perhaps there is some truth in it then :eek:

morwenna

My parsley is also going great guns - but I cheated and only planted a pot of growing parsley from Aldi. It has really taken off though

I will open freeze the (washed) sprigs and then stash in bags to crumble into whatever - because this is what my Mum did when we had the allotment. IHTH

ubamother

Parsley is funny stuff, grows for some, not for others. I just planted mine along the edge of one of my veg beds three years ago and it took, and seeds itself every year. I graciously allow it to do its own thing, on the basis that if I helped I'd probably kill it!

Penelope_Penguin

northwest1965 wrote: »

I have an abbundance of parsley at the moment. Is it best to freeze it or dry it?
I want to make some garlic butter, which will keep longer (if not frozen) using fresh or dried parsley?

Parsley will keep if you dry it, but it will lose all its flavour I'd prefer to freeze it.

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread on keeping herbs so that you can see some other suggestions.

salthepal

I propogate basil bought from Lidl by popping the stems with a couple of leaves on top in a glass of water for about 3 weeks. Watch the roots form - when they have, plant them on in light soil and you have new plants for your windowsill or herb bed.

ceridwen

SailorSam wrote: »

I don't know.
If i were going to try and use them for cooking, i think what i'd do, put them in water and freeze that, a bit like an ice cube.
But i'm not sure it would work.

I was wrong, i've just found this,
Herb Gardening - Preserving Herbs by Freezing

Very helpful article.

Dumbass question by me though - I've copied out the two methods of freezing herbs and think I will go for the one about open-freezing individual herb leaves on a tray.

The method says "Spread individual leaves on small tray or cookie sheet. Cover and place tray of leaves into freezer." I got stuck at that point wondering what I should be using to cover the tray with - or do I not really need to bother as to whether the herbs are covered or no?

kinkyjinks

ceridwen wrote: »

Very helpful article.

Dumbass question by me though - I've copied out the two methods of freezing herbs and think I will go for the one about open-freezing individual herb leaves on a tray.

The method says "Spread individual leaves on small tray or cookie sheet. Cover and place tray of leaves into freezer." I got stuck at that point wondering what I should be using to cover the tray with - or do I not really need to bother as to whether the herbs are covered or no?

I've always open froze (??) herbs in the past with nothing covering them and when they've frozen, moved them into a bag or tub. If you really wanted to cover them I bet a clean tea-towel would do the job.

Filey

Some herbs just don't taste the same when dried. Basil and mimt are two that come to mind. Oh yes, and parsley. I grow some shrubs and trees in very large containers and I often sprinkle herb seeds, especially parsley and thyme, to cover up bare soil, look pretty and be useful. I thing parsley is very decorative, the curly sort. The flat leaved parsley tends to grow huge and untidy.

mrshubbard

Hiya, I hope this is the right place to ask? My mum gave me some potted herbs which are doing brilliantly and I can't use them all before the leaves start going. Does anyone have any tips of the best way of freezing or drying them? I used to buy frozen herbs and still have the ice cube type trays and lids so was thinking of using these. Would I need to add any water or just chop and freeze?

Thanks