Preserving Herbs 3 Ways and Fresh Herb Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are different ways to preserve fresh herbs? ›

Fresh herbs can finish a dish, be used in a rub, make sauces or even add a different level of flavor to a recipe. You can infuse the herb flavor into any liquid, including olive oil or water, or you can make simple syrups and add them to your favorite co*cktails.

Thyme is used to flavour soups and stews, sauces, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes and is often used in combination with other herbs like rosemary, parsley and oregano. It's often used in French cooking. Because of its intense flavour, use in small amounts. Try it with this Minestrone Soup.

The better method is to freeze your soft herbs in oil! Wash and dry the herbs, then chop them up. Add the chopped up herbs to a clean ice cube tray, cover with extra virgin olive oil, and freeze. Once frozen, you can pop the cubes out of the tray and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.

Some herbs maintain their flavor better when frozen instead of dried. Freezing works well for herbs like parsley, dill, basil, chives lemon balm, mint or tarragon. Experiment with various herbs to determine which ones you prefer frozen. Frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs.

Remove stems and loosely fill a freezer bag with the leaves. Tightly compress the leaves into the bottom of the bag, seal and roll the bag around the bundled herbs. Secure with rubber bands or twine and place in the freezer. Rolled herbs can then be sliced as needed for use in recipes.

Store hardy herbs by arranging them lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel, rolling them up like a jelly roll, then transferring the bundle to a plastic zipper-lock bag or wrapping it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator.

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.

It is a good idea to wash herbs that you want to eat before drying them; this will ensure that there are no aphids, dust, or fertilizer residue, among other impurities, on the plants that will feed your family. Simply run them under cool water, or swish them in a bowl of the same, to let dirt and dust fall away.

What herbs do not go well together? ›

Examples of herbs that do not grow well together include chamomile and dill, dill and fennel, and basil and rue. It's best to research the specific herbs if you plan to grow and their compatibilities before planting them together.

The infographic above shows that, surprisingly, cumin is the most popular spice in the world, and coriander (or cilantro) is the most commonly used herb.

Arrange the herbs lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel. Loosely roll up the herbs and transfer to a resealable plastic bag or in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. This technique also works well with sage, savory, and chives.

Both freezing and drying rosemary are excellent options for preserving it for longer. This way you can still use the herbs from your harvest in winter and early spring.

Preserving herbs in olive oil is one of my favorite kitchen tricks—it takes almost no effort but still infuses a LOT of flavor into a dish.

How do you keep fresh herbs like thyme and basil from spoiling before use? The best way to keep fresh herbs, well fresh, is to wrap the stem ends in a damp paper towel and place inside a ziplock bag. Then place that bag in your crisper drawer. This works for all but Basil.