Freeze Your {Herbs}

Well, It's finally beginning to feel like summer here in NC! The hot weather and humidity are definitely keeping this girl indoors more than she would like. Having said that, I'm also getting a host projects done around the house because I've have been cooped up so much. There's a bright side to everything.

You know those moments when you say to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?!"  I experienced just such a moment when I saw a Pin about freezing herbs.  This gardener has an amazing and informative blog that will leave you with more ambition for gardening than you'll know what to do with.  Well, at least it had that effect on me. I often find myself wasting a lot of my herbs because I don't have the time or recipes in which to use them.  Here's my solution!

I'm no expert here, but I can show you what I did through this process by following The Gardener's Eden tutorial (click on link above for more info).

Materials Needed:

• Ice cube trays or molds
• Fresh herbs
• Olive Oil or room temp water
• Zip-lock bags 

Step #1:
Gather fresh herbs from your garden. Here I am using pineapple sage (yum!).  Rinse, pick through herbs, and pat dry.

                           Freshly picked pineapple sage.

Step #2:

Tear herbs into desired sized pieces and place in ice cube trays. Here you will want to decide how you will be using your herbs in the coming months. Herbs used for soup can be frozen in room temp water, vegetable broth or chicken/beef bouillon. Herbs to be fried or roasted can be frozen in vegetable oil or olive oil. Freeze herbs in water to use in herbal teas. Fill trays with desired liquid.

                                 Place herbs in trays.

                         I used roughly 2 tbsp olive oil for pan-frying.

Step #3:

Place trays in freezer for 24 hours. Be sure to note the contents and liquid measurements of your trays, especially if you are freezing multiple varieties of herbs and liquids. 

Step #4:

Once removed from the freezer, pop the cubes out of the trays and place in labeled zip-lock bags.

Now all year round you will have access to those delicious herbs you've grown.  No more buying from the grocery store! And no more wasting the herbs that have been sitting in your garden too long.