How to Freeze Fresh Herbs as Leaves and Ice Cubes

Freezing Fresh Herbs as Individual Leaves

Freezing herbs as individual leaves requires a little more time up front to separate each leaf. However, when it comes time to cook with them, the herbs are easy to measure and can be used almost identically to freshly cut herbs. Additionally, herbs stored flat in zippered bags take up less space in your freezer.

1. Trim the Top Section of Leaves

   When your herb plant is at the peak of its growing season (and just before flowering), trim the top section of leaves off of each stalk. Leave at least 2/3 of the plant intact.

2. Spread the Leaves Onto a Cookie Sheet or Freezer-Safe Tray

   Make sure the leaves are situated as flat as possible with space between each one. Overlapping leaves will form a hard-to-manage brick when frozen.

3. Freeze the Herbs

   Cover the tray with wax paper (preferred) or plastic wrap and freeze for at least two hours or overnight. The covering keeps the leaves clean and prevents them from falling off the tray.

4. Put the Leaves in Storage Bags

   When the leaves are frozen solid, remove them from the tray, place them into zippered food storage bags, and return them to the freezer. Because they're already frozen, the leaves won't stick together in the bags. Label each bag, so you can easily identify the herbs.

Freezing Fresh Herbs as Ice Cubes

Freezing herbs in cubes takes up more space in the freezer than freezing individual leaves. But the result yields portioned servings ready to toss into a recipe, such as a sauce. However, if a recipe calls for less than what you froze in each cube, you will need to thaw and cut a cube.

1. Cut the Top Section of Leaves

   Harvest herbs using the same method as you would for freezing individual leaves. Cut roughly 1/3 of the herb plant at the height of its growing season, leaving the rest intact.

2. Run the Stalks of the Herbs Under Cool Water

   Place them between two paper towels and pat dry. Alternatively, place the herbs in a salad spinner and spin until dry. Take care to remove almost all of the water before freezing. Then, pluck the leaves off of each stalk.

3. Fill the Ice Cube Trays

   You can freeze the leaves whole, but chopping and measuring them allows you to easily incorporate them into recipes. One option is to add 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs to each space in an ice cube tray. Just make sure you note whatever measurement you choose.

4. Freeze the Trays

   Once the herbs are measured and portioned out in the ice cube tray, fill each cube halfway up with water. Make sure all of the leaves are submerged in the water and freeze the tray for at least one hour. Once the ice cubes are frozen, top off each tray with water. Place the tray back into the freezer to freeze solid.

5. Use Ice Cubes in Recipes

   When you are ready to use your herbs in a recipe, simply toss in the number of proportioned ice cubes your dish calls for. The excess water won't make a difference in most recipes.

Fresh Herb Freezing Tips

Regardless of whether you're freezing leaves individually or as ice cubes, make sure to harvest the healthiest leaves. Avoid using the older leaves at the bottom of the plant, along with brown or insect-chewed leaves. The marginal flavor of older or damaged leaves is not worth the effort of freezing them.

If you're freezing individual leaves and have minimal room in your freezer, process them in smaller batches. Or use paper plates stacked on one another for the freezing process instead of a large cookie sheet.

Herbs with woody stems, such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme, contain low water content. Consequently, they are better off dried than frozen.