Since our yard in the new house is mostly made or bricks and astroturf we have been growing most of our garden goods indoors. Items like tomatoes, olives, ginger, and more. The items we have been growing the most both in doors and out are herbs. Our herb garden has gotten so large that we have all the dry herbs we need but we still have more that needs to be stored. Freezing herbs became a good way for us to have fresh herbs all year round and a way to store some away from winter. There are many ways to store and freeze fresh herbs.

Method 1. Butter Freezing

Butter freezing is when you freeze your herbs in butter to use for cookie or as a spread. Chop the herbs into fine pieces and heat up some butter. Make sure not to heat the butter to much, it should easy to mix with a spoon but not liquid to avoid cooking the herbs. Once butter is softened mix in chop herbs. You can then place the butter into a plastic sandwich and place it into a butter dish lid and let it set until hard. You can also use parchment paper to line the lid if you want to save plastic it just might be a little messier. Once the butter gets hard you can remove it from lid and cut it into large cubes and place it in the freezer. An easier way to freeze it is to scope the softened butter into an cube tray place it in the freezer.

Method 2. Freeze Dry

This method is good when aren’t sure how you will use the herbs and need to save them to use in any way you see fit at the. How is works is you cut your herbs as if you were getting ready to dehydrated them (making sure not to get them wet and to keep them as dry as possible) and place them into a freezer bag or container with a lid. Once the herbs are dry you can hit them in the bag on the counter to break them up and make sure they don’t clump together permanently. You can them remove however much you need when ever you want to. (Note: This method normally is done by laying the dried cut herbs flat on a sheet of parchment paper and freeze them to prevent them from sticking. It works great but there isn’t always room in our freezer to do it this way so the freezer bag method is easier.) You can also lay certain herbs uncut and whole on a sheet of parchment and freeze them that way herbs like basil and bay leaves work will this way.

Method 3. Water Freezing

Freezing your herbs in water is a vey versatile way to freeze fresh herbs. Yo can thaw them right in the dish or drink of your choice.

To freeze your herbs you will want to fine chop or blind them in a blinder making sure to mix in just enough water to make it easy to pour them into ice cube trays. Once frozen you can remove them from the ice cube tray and place them in a freezer bag until you are ready to use them.

Method 4. Oil Freezing

Oil Freezing in the same as water freezing only with oil. This method is best for cooking or making dressings. You just need to blind your herbs in oil or fine chop them and place them in oil. Then you pour them into ice cube trays, wait for them to freeze and then place them into a freezer bag.