Parsley, my most frequently used herb, is rarely on my shopping list these days. It’s been about 20 years since I last bought canned tomatoes. The reason for this is my reliance on the freezer as a means of food preservation. I freeze homegrown ingredients, ensuring a year-round supply and minimizing food waste.
Perhaps you can relate. You find yourself craving cilantro for your black beans or parsley and chives for a frittata or omelet, but you don’t have any, especially outside of garden season. This is where my freezing experiments began. I wanted to have green herbs on hand to enhance dishes or elevate tonight’s salad dressing.
Now, in the dark, zero-degree space above my refrigerator, you’ll find various freezer bags and jars containing herbal packets and potions. I always have a gallon bag of vegetable trimmings, including onion ends, peels, and carrot tops, ready to be transformed into vegetable stock. Additionally, I keep my secret ingredient— the mostly scooped-out skin of the latest roasted Butternut squash. This adds sweetness, richness, and a golden hue to the broth.
My motto is “waste not, want not.” I have three ways to freeze green herbs. While defrosted herbs may not be an ideal substitute for fresh ones in every situation, they work well as ingredients in many recipes. I freeze chives, dill, parsley, basil, oregano, cilantro, sage, and mint.
To freeze herbs, rinse them first and then dry them either in a salad spinner or on dish towels. Remove the desired portions from the stems. For many herbs, I simply tuck them into double-layered freezer bags with the air removed. Chopped chives, on the other hand, go into four-ounce canning jars.
Another method is to purée any herb in a food processor with a little olive oil and freeze the mixture in ice cube trays. These herb cubes can be stored in double bags. Defrosted cilantro, for example, makes a delicious garnish for a bowl of winter squash garam masala soup.
You can also make pesto with herbs, garlic, and grated cheese. Some cooks worry that herbs frozen with extra ingredients won’t taste as fresh after a month or two, but in my experience, the flavors remain vibrant. I’ve used defrosted pesto cubes on toast or as a pizza crust topping when fresh basil wasn’t available.
Water-based cubes are another option. Simply add a little liquid when puréeing the herbs or press the chopped leaves into ice cube trays and cover them with water. Topping each compartment up with more water after freezing ensures that the inevitable green bits are covered.
Choosing the freezing method and ingredients depends on the herb and its intended use. Basil, for example, holds up better in an olive oil base, while mints, like lemon balm, don’t pair well with olive oil.
For certain herbs, I freeze them in multiple forms. Parsley, for instance, can be frozen as pesto cubes and in log shapes. To make parsley logs, stuff whole leaflets into a bag until you form a dense, log-shaped mass. Freeze the log, and when needed, slice a disk or two from the end.
Freezing garlic (and occasionally onions) involves a few considerations. Softneck garlic varieties generally last longer than hardneck garlic, so use the hardneck first or plan to preserve some. To freeze whole, peeled garlic cloves, coat them lightly in olive oil and pack them in glass canning jars. I’ve also had success mincing garlic or making a paste with olive oil and freezing it in cubes or dollops on a baking sheet.
Garlic cloves can go straight from the freezer into an oiled pan and roast beautifully, adding sweetness and flavor. To store garlic, keep it at a cool temperature. Net bags of harvested garlic should be stored in a dark, dry, and cold environment—around 40 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at 60 percent or lower.
Any onions that show signs of sprouting should be immediately chopped and frozen. As for tomatoes, I’ve stopped canning and started freezing a year’s worth of applesauce and tomato sauce. I gather tomatoes, herbs, and other vegetables to create what I call “Tomato Junk.” This frozen concoction can be used to start soups, stews, chili, or any recipe that calls for canned fruits.
Freezing has made a significant impact on my cooking and food preservation practices. It allows me to have access to herbs and ingredients year-round and reduces food waste. So, if you find yourself in need of herbs off-season or want to extend the lifespan of your ingredients, consider giving freezing a try.
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