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Can you freeze herbs? Absolutely. Learn how to freeze fresh herbs and stop wasting the bounty from your garden or, even, the grocery store. We’ve all done it: a recipe calls for parsley, we use a few stems and let the rest molder in the crisper. There is a better way!
How to freeze cut herbs in oil
- Wash and dry the herbs.
- Cut or mince into the size dice you like to use.
- Place loose pockets of herbs in the ice cube dish compartments. Do not pack the herbs in. If you like, measure the amounts, such a one teaspoon per cube, or whatever fits your ice cube tray. This comes in handy when you are following recipes later.
- Now, pour olive oil in to cover.
- Then put the filled trays in the freezer. Once solid, remove the frozen cubes, and store in a Ziploc bag or other freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
- When ready to use, simply add the amount of herbs required by a recipe straight into a skillet or thaw first if adding to a cold dish like pasta salad.
How to freeze herbs without oil
- First, rinse the herbs and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Then place herbs in a single layer on a baking sheet and put in the freezer.
- Once frozen, transfer the herbs into an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc-type bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- To use, simply remove the herbs one sprig at a time and add to recipes.
Tips for Freezing herbs
- Learn which herbs are best frozen in oil. Herbs with thinner, more fragile leaves – think basil or cilantro – take best to being chopped and frozen in oil. Their fragility makes them less suited to freezing whole. Heartier herbs, think those with thicker leaves and twig-like stems – rosemary and oregano – do well being frozen whole.
- Dry your herbs off very well before freezing. You can do so by blotting with paper towels and/or leaving to dry in a strainer for a while.
- Freeze while fresh for the best taste. While less-than-fresh herbs can be frozen, ensure the most zing by freezing when fresh from the garden or store.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, they are still fine. Freezing does not always but can change the color of fresh herbs.
Taking the extra step of blanching herbs like basil will help keep their color bright but may not be worth the effort. To blanch, immerse herbs in boiling water for a few seconds and then immediately plunge into an ice bath.
If you want to float one perfect green basil leaf on top of a pizza, totally fresh is the way to go. However, for minced herbs, especially in cooked dishes, it is hard to tell the difference.
Just like saving leftovers, extending the life of your herbs is like having money in the bank. They are a culinary asset, there to withdraw (from the freezer!) as needed.
More kitchen tutorials:
- How to Cook Rice
- How to Cook Pasta
- How to Make No Churn Ice Cream
- How to Freeze Garlic
- How to Cut Basil
- How to Chop Parsley
- How to Chop Cilantro
- How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
- How to Make Cajun Seasoning
- How to Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning
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How to Freeze Herbs
Ingredients
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- dried thyme
- Olive oil for cut herbs
Instructions
Cut Herbs in Olive Oil
- Rinse the herbs, pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Chop the herbs, and place them into an ice cube tray
- Pour olive oil to cover the herb and fill up the ice cube.
- Place the ice cube tray into the freezer. Once solid, remove the herb cubes from the tray and store in a ziploc bag for up to 6 months.
- To use, simply add the amount of herbs required by a recipe straight to a skillet or thaw first if adding to a cold dish, like a pasta salad.
Herbs On stem Without Olive Oil
- Rinse the herbs, pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Place herbs in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the herbs into an airtight container or freezer-safe ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- To use, simply remove the herbs one sprig at a time and add to recipes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This is a great idea! I have herbs growing, seemingly, in abundance and was looking for a way to share them with my folks and friends…ta-dah…this is it! Thanks for the gift of knowledge…🥰will be trying this out over the weekend…🥳
So glad you found dit helpful!
I just spent the last hour+ painstakingly picking apart the good from the not-so-good parsley, cilantro, mint, and basil. I am excited to see how this works.
I’ve used this method with spaghetti sauce as it spoils faster than I can use, once opened. One frozen spaghetti cube equals 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce.
I probably packed my cubes a little fuller than I should🤞🤞
I love that idea with the spaghetti sauce – no food waste! Hope you find this trick for fresh herbs just as useful.
Thanks so much for the herbs freezing tips. Over the years I have bought hundreds of dollars worth of fresh herbs and use them once and then ended up having to pitch them because they spoiled in the fridge before I needed them for another recipe. I am so excited because I have rosemary and thyme right now in the fridge and they are going in the freezer after I use some of them tonight for dinner. Thank you so much for your tip. It will save hundreds of dollars in the future!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you’re finding this post helpful.