How to Freeze Fresh Summer Herbs

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By Jennifer Melnick Carota
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Fresh Basil all Year Long!

My garden grows an abundance of fresh herbs over the summer growing season and I refuse to loose one ounce of herbalisous goodness when the weather turns cold. Here's a simple trick that can preserve your gardens green treasures until the next growing season!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Fresh herbs
Plastic storage containers
Water
Freezer

Step 1

Harvest and wash your herbs in cold water to minimize wilting.
Step 2

Remove stems from larger herb plants like basil or large flat-leaf parsley or roughly chop herbs as you would if preparing to use.
Step 3

Place herbs in small marked plastic freezer containers. Choose your container size according to how much you normally use at one time so that you don't have to thaw a large container of herbs and then re-freeze.
Step 4

Fill each container with ice cold water, leaving 1 inch of airspace. (This will allow for expansion during freezing.) Now store your herbs in the freezer until you need them!
Step 5

To thaw, remove herb container and let thaw naturally in the container or place container in a shallow pool of warm water in the sink for an hour or two.
Step 6

Drain over a colander and/or dry unchopped herbs in a salad spinner. Your fresh herbs are now ready to use!

Comments

buitenstaander said

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on 9/18/2008 Herbs DO grow in abundance. It's good to know that when the season is going strong that there is a way to save them for another time of the year when the herbs aren't growing. Thanks! Make herbs a gift!