Freezing and preserving herbs

saffronflowers

Thanks guys -

Bong - that is the one thing I dont need to freeze have about five huge bushes!!!!!

Thank you Pink

SFx

jay-jay

I usually use dried herbs in recipes but would love to use fresh instead. Do they keep longer in the fridge or can I freeze them? I seem to throw the majority of the pack out when I do decide to use them which I hate to do
Thanks

Ephemera

jay-jay wrote: »

I usually use dried herbs in recipes but would love to use fresh instead. Do they keep longer in the fridge or can I freeze them? I seem to through the majority of the pack out when I do decide to use them which I hate to do
Thanks

It depends on the herbs - you could try putting the ones with woody stems like rosemary in a little water (say in a cup) - cut off the bottom centimetre of stem and strip off a few leaves at the bottom, use the offcuts first.
The others like basil will freeze - try putting them in an ice cube tray and cover with a little water.
Other things you can try are preserving them in a little wine vinegar or olive oil. They will not be likely to keep for long periods and the flavour may change too. Just do a little and see what results you get.

Alternatively find a seed exchange / beg some seeds from friends or family and grow your own! Oregano, basil and thyme will grow happily on a sunny windowsill and rosemary is green all year round outside. You may be able to pick up reduced pots of growing herbs at the supermarket - remember to keep them moist and they will last for weeks if you only use a little at a time!

yraunaj

is there anyway to freeze fresh herbs just bought some cheap

Pink.

Fresh herbs usually keep well in the fridge for about a week and they freeze well too. There's an older thread that should help you, so I'll add your thread to it to keep all the suggestions together.

Pink

floss2

We have a small "Mediterranean garden space" (back yard!) which has several very healthy rosemary plants in pots, along with basil, thyme, dill, fennel, parsley, chives & a bay tree.

Ideally we would like to preserve some of these herbs, to use in the winter when the perennial plants are tucked up under their fleecy blankets & the annuals have died back.

I know we can make basil or rosemary oils, and chop parsley, chives, fennel tops & dill and put straight into freezer bags, but what about the thyme & bay?

One year I dried bay leaves on the windowsill, but they went a very yucky beige colour, so I binned them (:o ). I've read somewhere that it's possible to dry some herbs in the microwave - has anyone tried this, is it succesful & how do you do it?

Thanks, Floss xx

Olliebeak

You could try freezing them.

I've grown herbs for the first time this year, and got so much coriander, parsley, basil that I've had to freeze them.

check out this link:

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-freeze-fresh-herbs-rosemary-and.html

Penelope_Penguin

Hi there :beer: I'll add this to the existing thread on preserving herbs to keep all suggestions together.

Penny. x

Emmenelle

Morning all

I've always thought that herbs didn't freeze very well, but reading one of my recipe books last night, it says to chop up left over herbs, add a teaspoon of water and pop into ice cube trays.

Does anyone do this? It would be great if it works as I buy basil, parsley and chives most weeks and throw most of them away . If it does work, then I might buy other herbs this week and freeze them to liven up meals.

Are there any that don't freeze well this way?

Thanks in advance.

abaxas

Easy!

Chop them up and freeze in a litle plasic box. Shake it around every 30 mins or so the bits dont freeze together. Then take a spoon full out when u need them!

We do this for mint and basil, but chives definitly dont work. They go all limp and lifeless.