Years ago I discovered that one can preserve fresh herbs in olive oil in the freezer and started immediately doing so with my favorite herb, basil.
Each year, at the height of the season, when the rich aroma of basil fills my gardens and the Farmers’ Markets, I bring as much into my kitchen as I possibly can and put it up to round out our cooking throughout the cooler months.
It’s such an easy way to not only preserve the fresh bounty, but to also help ease your cooking process throughout the year.
I mean, really, I don’t know about you, but I’m scrambling all.the.time and if making dinner can be made easier, I’m all about it 😉
Maybe it’s the simple act of throwing a couple of herb cubes into the pan before I brown up some ground beef to make some pasta & meat sauce (comfort food) at the end of a long day. . .
Or maybe, just maybe, I want to treat myself to a simple caprese salad to top some home baked bread for a pop of sunshine in the dead of winter and all I have to do is allow the herbed oil to begin melting in my bowl while I chop up the mozzarella and tomatoes.
The simple act of taking a few minutes to preserve fresh herbs in oil now will save you time later and truly adds a layer of flavor you simply can’t get from dried herbs.
How to Preserve Fresh Herbs in Oil
Using one herb at a time or a combo of your favorites:
- Roughly chop up your herb(s) of choice
- Fill your ice cube trays with chopped herbs, pressing them in gently to fill the space without packed it tightly
- Pour olive oil over the top, ensuring all the herbs are fully covered/saturated
- Place tray(s) in the freezer for ~24 hours
- Remove frozen cubes from tray(s)*
- Place cubes in freezer bags or mason jars
- Label with herbs used and date
*To ease the removal of the cubes from your trays, flip the tray over and run warm water along the bottom of the tray for a couple of seconds carefully ensuring water does not get on the cubes themselves. Once warmed just a tad, they’ll slide right out.
Italian Herb Blends
If you’d like to take it all a step further and create blends, simply chop up your individual herbs in equal parts (for example, 1 TBSP each), mixed thoroughly in a bowl, then follow the above steps.
Basic Italian Herb Blend
- oregano
- basil
- rosemary
- thyme
- sage
Spicy Italian Herb Blend
- basil
- oregano
- rosemary
- marjoram
- cilantro
- thyme
- savory
- red pepper flakes
Of course, this is all about taste and convenience. So, have fun with it! Add in your favorite herbs, subtract those you’re not fond of (cilantro aversion?) or get creative with your own blends.
Whatever you do, don’t let the bounty of the season pass you by without putting up some fresh herbs for later.
xoxo,
M
