I just snipped some fresh basil and Italian flat-leaf parsley from the pots on the deck as I prepared dinner. I always feel such joy as I breath in their fragrances and am reminded how fresh herbs speak of summer, adding so much flavor to the current harvest of fresh produce. Moreover, herbs are incredibly easy to grow on a window sill, on a deck or patio, or integrated into a garden bed. Many like oregano and thyme are deer resistant. Rosemary can be well established in the summer and then brought inside for the winter.
Still, I tend to freeze some of summer's harvest of fresh herbs to add to soups, sauces, and dishes of all sorts in the winter. In this way, I know I will have the herbs on hand when I need them. Moreover, they are already chopped and ready to add to the other ingredients in our favorite hearty winter recipes. Freezing fresh herbs allows me to add a touch of summer to even the darkest, coldest days of winter cooking, spreading their joy year round.
Freezing Fresh Herbs
Chop leftover fresh herbs, transfer by the tablespoon full
to ice cube trays, and top with water to cover.
The standard ice cube tray takes two tablespoons chopped herbs and 1
tablespoon water. Freeze the trays for
at least four hours. Transfer to a
zipper-lock plastic bag and seal. Store
until you want to add them to sauces, soups, stews, or any other cooked
recipe. Enjoy all winter long!
