Freezing Fresh Herbs

     It seems like the growing season has hardly started, yet my herbs are going crazy...I can hardly keep up with them!  I just love having fresh herbs on hand and find that freezing them is the best way to enjoy their vibrant taste and color in recipes all year round, that is if they last that long!  

     Freezing herbs is really simple and takes just minutes of time.  I start out by picking the fresh herbs and washing the leaves well, leaving them on a paper towel to dry while I get everything else ready.  I use a mini food processor and ice cube trays.  Also, in order to chop and freeze the herbs some form of liquid is necessary.

     This is where it gets fun!  The herbs can be frozen just on their own with some water or broth OR all kinds of exciting combinations can be made using oils and other ingredients. I like to use olive oil for herbs that I know will not be used for cooking, but heat-stable oils like grape seed or safflower oil work great if the herbs will be used to saute veggies or proteins. 

Some of my favorite combinations are:

• Basil with garlic and olive oil to dress salads or as a dip for bread.  I have even added a bit of parmesan and made a quick faux-pesto (yummy!). 

• Cilantro with the juice and zest of a fresh lime for making pico de galo or adding to rice (awesome in burritos!).

• Mint with honey and lemon juice adds a refreshing twist to iced teas and cocktails.

      So once I have my combinations picked out I pack the herbs into my food processor along with any other ingredients.  I start out with just a tiny bit of liquid and drizzle in more as needed.  In order to not pulverize the herbs completely, just pulse them and check their consistency often.  I prefer mine to be slightly chopped.

    
     Then finally, just scoop the herb mixture into ice cube trays and place in the freezer.  I suggest labeling them cause they really all look the same at this point! Once the cubes are frozen solid I pop mine out and transfer them to labeled freezer bags for storage until I need them.

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