While fresh dill, sage, and rosemary are easy to dry, I've found that its best to freeze leafy herbs such as parsley, basil, and cilantro. Freezing is a quick and easy method of storing fresh foods. Over the course of the Summer, I picked parsley from my garden and froze a total of two gallon freezer bags full, which I'm able to use all year long in meals that call for fresh parsley. Freezing is also a great way to stock up on fresh herbs that are on sale at the store. If you purchase some basil for a recipe, but cannot use the entire bundle before it goes bad, freezing the remainder is an easy way to preserve it for future use.
I've had good success using the ice cube method. I just plop a few frozen parsley cubes into soups, sauces, and other meals that I'm cooking. I haven't tried thawing them out and using them "fresh," although a friend of mine froze cilantro via the ice cube method, then thawed the cubes, drained the water and added the cilantro to fresh salsa. She said it tasted great. My herb cubes contain about 2 tablespoons of herbs. If you're making recipes that call for specific amounts of herbs, you may want to measure the amount that your ice cube tray holds. Enjoy!
1. Wash herbs, but do not dry.
2. Chop finely.
3. Pack densely into empty ice cube tray.4. With faucet running at a slow trickle, fill each tray cube to top with water. The leafy herbs will probably fluff above the water a bit, which is fine.
5. Place tray in freezer until frozen.
6. Pop out frozen herb cubes from tray and store in a plastic bag in the freezer.
7 comments:
Great post! I've seen frozen cubes of leafy herbs for sale in the grocery store and resisted the urge to buy them because I knew I could do it myself, but of course, like many things, I haven't gotten around to it yet. :)
Thanks, Andrea! That's actually kinda neat that they sell frozen herb cubes at your grocery store. I'm thinking too that in addition to freezing herbs that are on sale or from your garden, freezing is a good way to stock up on local herbs from the Farmer's Market. I've been thinking a lot about the 100 Mile Diet lately...
Awesome tip. I don't like buying fresh herbs because I can never use up all of them for whatever recipe I'm using, so I often resort to (sigh) dry, or whatever's growing on my windowsill (pretty sad these days). I have a wonderful lemon mint Israeli couscous recipe -- I know, sounds odd -- that can only be made with fresh mint, so I don't make it often. I'll pick up some mint soon and try freezing it.
Hi Jennifer. Lemon mint couscous sounds awesome actually. Tabbouleh has fresh mint in it also; maybe I can acquire a bunch of mint next summer, freeze it, and use it in tabbouleh or try that couscous.
That's great that you grow herbs indoors! I just have one small pot with scallions growing. Blog on reusing scallion stubs/roots sometime soon.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your determination with all the garden growing, and veg preservation!! It really helps motivate me. I've found myself getting lazy and short cutting when I feel too tired to do or think about how to make my dreams of living and supporting local!! When I can have someone else practicing a similar life style it really encourages and excites me, so THANKS!!
-jennie
Hi Jennie! I'm glad that the comments are finally working. Its definitely been great to have someone to share similar lifestyle views with. I think historically, the key to making local food, local products, and survival in general work was community. If you were lacking in one product or skill, your neighbor could help you out or share information with you. The problem these days is too much outsourcing and well as too much selfishness. We need more investment in our local communities and more friendly neighborliness in order to make simple, sustainable living happen.
Friendly neighbors! YEAH! I can't tell you how the simple craig's list ad I posted changed my relationship with community. I don't have a whole lot of other people in the community that I dream about. But, one person at a time is a start. Who knows where our plans for the garden this summer could go.
I've been thinking about your desires for a 100 mile diet. I just came home from the Co-Op and looked in the cart at check out and saw not a whole lot of "local" food. I struggle a lot with having to eat in a household of two, when the other person has different tastes than me. I am grateful for certain "health" foods that are eaten, and don't know if I can go all local. Summer time is much easier, but things like quinoa, nuts, and peanut butter. I just don't know if we could do it.
I'm starting a list of all the things we DO eat that are or could be local, and try to grow them myself, and preserve for the rest of the year. It'll be a fun summer!
-jennie
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