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After many trials and errors, I’ve concluded that freezing fresh herbs in olive oil is the best way to preserve their freshness and flavor. I’ll show you how to freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays so they’re ready to use in your favorite recipes!
This method is perfect for storing fresh herbs long-term. Use your frozen herbs when pan-searing chicken, or add them right into roasted tomato soup, pastas, and more.
As someone who loves cooking with fresh herbs, I was always looking for a way to preserve them. At least around here, grocery stores charge an astronomical price for the convenience of fresh-cut herbs. Stocking up leaves me with bushels of basil, rosemary, parsley, and thyme. And if we’re paying Gucci prices for grass, I’m going to make those greens go the extra mile! Aside from turning them into pesto and zhoug, freezing fresh herbs in olive oil is BY FAR the best method I’ve found. And it’s so easy.
The Benefits of Freezing Fresh Herbs
- It cuts down on food waste. I won’t admit how many times I’ve had to throw away wilted herbs before I’ve had the chance to use them. Freezing means not a single herb leaf goes to waste.
- Preserve the herbs’ flavors. Fresh herbs bring flavor to recipes that dried herbs just can’t match. This easy freezing method locks all that freshness inside a neat little oil cube.
- It’s convenient. You can use these herb-infused oil cubes directly in your cooking, saving time and adding a burst of fresh flavor to your meals.
- A money-saving alternative to buying fresh every time. Freezing a big batch of my favorite herbs all at once is the way to go.
What You’ll Need
Freezing herbs in olive oil is one of my favorite kitchen hacks. It’s a simple and effective technique for keeping your herbs fresh and ready to use in any recipe, and you only need two ingredients: fresh herbs and olive oil.
Choose Your Herbs
This easy technique works with any fresh herbs, whether you buy them from the store or harvest them from the garden. Opt for fresh, firm herbs to ensure the best flavor. These are some common ones that I use in my recipes often:
- Basil
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Oregano
- Chives
Is It Better to Freeze Herbs in Oil or Water?
I always freeze my herbs in olive oil as it preserves the color better. Plus, if they’re already in oil, I can simply stir them into recipes like soups, stir-fries, etc., without the need to thaw them out first. Highly recommend.
Tips For Success
- Rinse and dry. Make sure to rinse and thoroughly dry your herbs before freezing to prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Chop the herbs or leave them whole. You can chop the herbs or leave them in larger sprigs or leaves. A combination works well, too.
- Label your bags. Don’t forget to label your freezer bags with the type of herb and the date it was frozen.
- Use within a few weeks. For the best flavor, use your frozen herbs within a few weeks.
How To Use Frozen Herbs
Apart from the preserving deal, the coolest thing is that you can remove a piece from the freezer, throw it in the pan, and bam! You didn’t have to pour out the oil, AND you didn’t waste any energy on chopping up that rosemary.
These are some of my favorite ways to use my frozen herbs, but I’m sure you’ll find even more! Drop 1-2 cubes into a pot or pan to make:
- A warm and comforting chicken noodle soup recipe.
- Your go-to spinach pasta dish.
- A delicious chicken and vegetables skillet meal bursting with flavor.
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How to Freeze Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, etc…
Instructions
- Choose firm, fresh herbs. You can chop up the herbs or leave them in larger sprigs and/or leaves. I always do a combination.
- Assemble in ice cube trays. Fill the ice cube compartments about 2/3 full of herbs. Pour in the olive oil, covering the herbs.
- Freeze. Top the tray with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight. Remove the frozen cubes from the ice trays and store them in freezer bags.
- When ready to use, remove a cube or two from the bag and transfer it to a frying pan.
Notes
- Rinse, clean, and thoroughly dry the fresh herbs.
- Keep in the freezer.
- Use within a couple of weeks.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How To Freeze Fresh Herbs for Long-Term Storage
I’ve been using this easy method from The Gardener’s Eden for the past several years, and it hasn’t let me down. Here’s the best way to freeze herbs in olive oil. This method also works with other cooking oils, like avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Fill the ice cube trays. Fill the ice cube compartments about 2/3 full with herbs.
- Add the olive oil. Next, pour extra virgin olive oil over the herbs so they’re fully submerged.
- Freeze. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight. Once frozen, remove the cubes from the trays and stash them in freezer bags.
- Use from frozen. When you’re ready to use the herbs, they can go from the freezer straight to the frying pan, no thawing needed.
How Long Do Herbs Last In the Freezer?
For best freshness, use these frozen fresh herbs within 3-4 weeks. They’ll store well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Great ideas. It seems like we are living in trying times. Time to start prepping things. Prices are rising. Thank God we have some skills. Thank you Lord. 🙏
I don’t mean to be a dork, but could you give me a couple (or several!) examples of how you use these? I will be freezing basil and oregano.
Thanks!
Hi!
It’s just like adding olive oil to a skillet to heat it up. Most dishes usually call for oil to start with, so you can take a cube of frozen oil with herbs out of the freezer and add it to the skillet and heat it up over medium to medium-low heat.
Super easy and the best for using In recipes! No more waste at harvest time!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
You initially said you can keep them for as long as you wanted them you end it by saying use them I 2 weeks. A bit contradictory
Why do they need to be used within a few weeks?
Hi!
According to the literature I read about herbs and oil, produce items like garlic and herbs can harbor C. botulinum, which thrives in an oxygen-free environment like (infused) oil. This is why flavored and infused oils must be made and stored correctly to prevent botulism poisoning. When infused oils are manufactured commercially, low-acid ingredients are acidified to prevent bacterial growth.
Thank you! My husband planted an herb garden for me this year and I’ve been worrying that I can’t use them all fast enough! This is brilliant! I’m wondering about a longer freezer shelf life if I dumped the “cubes” into a ziplock baggie with all the air removed??? to store longer?? I’m going to try, if they’re not great, I haven’t lost anything, right? Thank you again for this wonderful idea!
Very cool idea. I would suggest using a different oil rather than olive oil though. Olive Oil has a very low smoke point and the molecular bonds are easily disrupted. Its meant more for dressings and dipping. Heating it for frying basically is turning into trans fats and we all know enough about trans fats to know we need to stay away from them. I would suggest a coconut oil that’s slightly heated to liquid and then poured into the ice trays. Its a saturated fat (meaning “stable”) and will not be affected by the heat.
I realise this is a little bit of a promo for the olive oil, but I’m more entranced and envious of your ice cube tray. Where did you get it from? I must have one the same!
Hi David! I got those on Amazon 🙂 Here’s the (affiliate) link: http://amzn.to/29RG0Kn
Thanks Katerina! Can’t wait to buy them for both regular ice, and then most definitely to make herb-ice. The shape of these seems so much more suited to herb-ice, and as a single person, I’m happy to make the extravagant expense only *now* knowing that I’ll have “fresh” herbs on call. You’re awesome, thanks again! 🙂
PS if you don’t have ice cube trays, use a cupcake tin lined with plastic wrap but keep the filling small!
Like the ideas…but can’t get rid of that sidebar for pinterest,yum,FB, twitter, etc…makes it hard to read the recipes Can’t even seen to type name and email…doing it blindly and hope it works!