Herb Storage

I am just beginning to dip my toe into the water of food storage. Historically, I have found it too intimidating to face, but I experimented with a few different crops and methods this summer and am slowly gaining my confidence. In fact, I am planning a trip to the library this week to find a few books on the subject.

I wanted to share a tip that doesn’t require any fancy equipment or know-how. A simple way of keeping your herbs fresh that anyone can try. I can’t remember where I got this suggestion and I am sure it’s nothing new to the experienced preserver, but I have found it to be incredibly easy and useful. Start with fresh herbs, just picked from our garden. Only wash them off if you need to, then chop at whatever coarseness works best for you. Divide the chopped herbs into an empty ice-cube tray, shooting for about one teaspoon in each spot. Top off with a little filtered water and freeze overnight or until the ice is solid. When it’s hard as a rock, carefully pop each little herby ice-cube out of the tray and put them into a freezer bag. Label the bag, and voila!

Now you have an individual serving of fresh herbs, no matter what’s in season. They are perfect to use when making soups and stews in the winter months, and a delicious addition to iced-tea, lemonade, or cocktails. And, they’re quite beautiful!