How to Freeze Fresh Herbs

Learn how to freeze fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, and sage. Freezing herbs is a practical way to preserve their freshness and flavor for later use. Here’s a simple guide.

I’ve got three methods for you today:

1. Herbs flash frozen individually. (great for pulling out just herbs later in amounts you need.)
2. Herbs frozen in measured amounts in water. (great if you already know you always use a certain amount for many recipes)
3. Herbs frozen in oil. (my favorite method)

In the pictures on this page I am freezing oregano and basil. Other herbs may be frozen using the same methods.

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How to Freeze Fresh Herbs

Start by selecting fresh, healthy herbs. Wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or insects, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Once dry, you can choose from several methods to freeze them.

Harvesting

Your first step will be to harvest fresh healthy herbs. The best time to harvest your herbs will depend somewhat on the type of herb you are working with. Here are a few tips.

• Most herbs are best harvested just before they flower. Buds may be forming and that is fine, the oils will be most concentrated just before it actually produces a flower. But that does not mean it is a failure if the flowers have formed. Harvest away! It is fine.
• Harvest in the morning before the heat of day but after the dew dries. For my personal experience, that was easy peasy in Colorado where it is dry and we rarely experienced dew. In TN… the dew is heavy some days and doesn’t dry until mid morning.
• Harvest about half of the plant. This way the herb has enough plant left to continue growing and you’ll get another harvest later. :).

Cleaning

Simply rinse your herbs in clear water. Usually a quick rinse is fine. But if there has been heavy rain and there is dirt splattered on the plants, you might rinse several times. Then be sure to pat them dry or spin them dry in a salad spinner.

You can also roll up the herbs in a tea towel to blot them dry. See pictures on my freezing peas page on how I do it if needed.

How to Freeze Herb Leaves Individually

This is probably the easiest way to start freezing fresh herbs. Simply strip the leaves off the stems and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Place in the freezer.

As soon as they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. Label and date. Since the leaves froze separately, you will be able to remove the amount you need.

How to Freeze Herbs in Oil (My favorite)

This is my favorite way to freeze herbs. It is easy and it is very useable in the end. I use these herbs in all sorts of things. Spaghetti, casseroles, fried potatoes, sauces. Most recipes can take a bit of olive oil and it just makes the process super easy. I use olive oil but you can use your choice of oil.

You will use an ice cube tray to freeze in cubes. There are 2 ways to do this.

• Chop and add your herbs to the ice cube tray and pour oil over the top.
• OR add a bit of olive oil as you chop and simply add the coated herbs to your ice cube trays. This second method uses less oil.

First, pick the leaves off the stems. Small stems are fine, but you probably don’t want any bigger stems. Just think about what you will want in your end recipe.

Then, chop your herbs.

My favorite method if I’ve got a lot is to use a food processor to chop. Then I’ll drizzle oil into the food processor as it chops. This coats the leaves nicely and uses a smaller amount of oil.

You can also simply pile the leaves up and use a large knife to chop, chop, chop. Using a rolling motion with your knife is best. Then, scoop them together and chop, chop, chop again.

You can then either mix some oil into the herbs now, or simply pack chopped herbs in trays and pour olive oil over the top. The herbs don’t float like they will in water. (I like to use a spatula to scrape across the top of the tray to make sure all the spots are filled.)

Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer. When they are frozen, pop them out of the trays and place in freezer bags or some airtight container and label. Put back in the freezer and pull them out as you need them.

The cubes can be used in soups, stews, or other meals. And this method works really well when freezing spinach or other greens as well. They can all then be added to smoothies.

How to Freeze Herbs in Ice Cube Trays with Water

In this method, you will also strip the leaves off the stems. I like to then chop them as I would if using them fresh. This is optional.

Now take an ice cube tray and fill it halfway full of water. Place your herbs in the water in each section of the tray. I placed about a tablespoon in each. This way, I know when I use them how much each cube holds.

The herbs may float! Don’t worry about it too much. Just get them under the water as much as possible with no fuss. Place your tray in the freezer. Yes, even half covered, you’ll finish covering it in a bit.

The next day, take them out and top off each cube. The herbs won’t float, and this way, the herbs will be fully covered and frozen. Place again in your freezer.

After the trays are fully frozen, pop out the herb cubes and store in a plastic freezer bag. Be sure to label and date.

Freezing Herbs Tips & FAQs

How to Use Frozen Herbs

To use the individually frozen herbs, you’d just measure as you would fresh and add it to your recipe.

If you estimate what you have in an ice cube tray, you know what each cube is.

Use the oil cubes as you would the water-based herb cubes. The nice thing about these is the oil. It is all ready for a recipe. The oil melts into the dish and the herbs are ready to go.

I use this when I’m roasting veggies. Chop potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, cauliflower, broccoli, or whatever veggie you are roasting. Melt your oil and drizzle over the top.

Or toss a cube or two in a frying pan to melt, and then cook your chicken or casserole in it.

Don’t Leave the Cubes in the Trays

You don’t want to just leave the cubes of frozen herbs in the trays in the freezer. Moving them to freezer bags protects the cubes from freezer burn and makes it easier to pull out what you want later.

If you are like me and tend to forget to get the cubes out of the freezer to place them in freezer bags (’cause yeah, sometimes we are busy!), put a sticky note on your range hood or somewhere you’ll see it. This will remind you.

What Herbs Can You Freeze?

Freezing works well for basil, chives, oregano, lemon balm, mint, or tarragon.

How Do You Use Frozen Herbs?

Frozen herbs can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs. Remember though they will be limp when defrosted. That means they are great used in recipes, but they don’t work well for garnishes.

Recipe Card

Freezing Herbs

Freezing herbs: How to freeze fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, and sage, using three different freezing methods!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:30 minutes mins

Equipment

• Freezer Bags or containers
• Cookie Sheet optional
• Salad Spinner optional
• Ice Cube Trays optional

Ingredients

• Fresh herbs like basil, chives, oregano, lemon balm, mint, and tarragon
• Water optional
• Oil optional

Instructions

• Harvest, rinse, and dry your herbs without crushing them, then proceed below.

Frozen Plain Herbs

• Strip off leaves and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
• Place in freezer.
• Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags/containers.
• Remove air, seal, and label.
• Freeze.

Frozen in Water

• Strip off leaves, chopped if desired.
• Fill ice cube tray halfway with water, then place your herbs in each cube.
• Place in freezer.
• Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags/containers.
• Remove air, seal, and label.
• Freeze.

Frozen in Oil

• Strip off leaves and chop herbs.
• Mix ⅓ cup oil with 2 cups herbs.
• Freeze in ice cube tray.
• Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags/containers.
• Remove air, seal, and label.
• Freeze.

Author: Sharon Peterson