Freeze you fresh herbs for winter

I talk about my CSA all the time, I know. But it really is such a great way for me to get my vegetables; however I get so many, I need to find ways to keep them from going bad. Freezing them works, but you have to blanch them first or prep them in some way. Herbs, however you can’t blanch. I can’t tell you how much dill I must have wasted this year alone. 

In this weeks newsletter from the farm is my solution. Freeze Herbs in Ice Cube Trays. What? This is genius. Not just in paste form but freezing the herbs too. Way cool. I was so excited by this, and chives and basil are still growing strong because of the beautiful weather we're having. So here are two ways to freeze your favorite herbs for use in the winter.

Herbs that freeze well basil, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, garlic chives, mint, parsley, tarragon, and thyme.  Think about how often you use each of the herbs you’re going to freeze, because it will be months before you can cut fresh herbs from the garden again. Freezing the fresh herbs does take a little bit of preps, but you’ll be rewarded the taste of fresh herbs throughout the winter months.

Freezing Fresh Herbs

Gather your herbs, chop finely and pack into ice cube trays. Add a spot of water to cover and put the trays into the freezer. Let set until completely frozen. Remove the individual herb paste cubes, and store in a Ziploc bag labeled and dated. Labeling is supper important here because all the herbs will look the same when they’re frozen. Herb cubes will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Fresh Herb Paste- From Suite101.com

Place the herbs in a colander and gentle rinse under running water. Remove the herbs from their stems. Discard the stems. Using a dry measuring cup, measure the amount of leaves you have to process. Put the leaves in a blender. For each cup of herbs measured, add 1/4 cup of water to the blender. Place the lid on the blender and puree into a fine paste. Fill an ice cube tray with the herb paste. Place the trays in the freezer and let set until completely frozen. Remove the individual herb paste cubes, and store in a Ziploc bag labeled and dated. Herb cubes will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

How to use: Simply place the desired number of herb cubes into the pan as the meal is being cooked. For example, use 1-2 cubes of basil can be added to a pan of tomato sauce.

Herb Butter-From Yumsugar.com

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 cup fresh herbs, minced

Salt and pepper

Additional seasonings (optional) minced garlic, minced shallot, cayenne pepper, crumbled soft cheese, paprika, red pepper flakes finely grated hard cheese, minced anchovy, etc.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter with herbs. Stir well to fully incorporate. Season with salt, pepper and any additional herbs. Place the herb butter on a piece of wax paper and form a log shape about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log again in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month. This is awesome on steak, chicken, or to spice up steamed vegetables.