The herbs should be cleaned and patted dry before freezing to remove any dirt as it will be difficult to do after they thaw. Most of the time I use direct from freezer to pot.
I have successfully -
* Frozen herbs whole and then cut from the frozen bunch directly into the dish (works especially well with dill and sage). For these I generally lay flat on a piece of freezer paper and then wrap the frozen bunch before placing in a plastic bag.
* Stripped the leaves from the stems, frozen loose then placed in a plastic bag (oregano, savory, thyme).
* chopped the herbs and made a paste with a little olive oil (parsley, cilantro, basil) which can either be put into ice-cube trays, or just frozen in a flat sheet that you break pieces off.
Basil is too fragile to freeze without being made into a paste with water or oil. It will turn black and slimy (like lettuce).
I just use freezer bags for the ease of reclosing, though the interior does build up ice crystals after about 6 months from the frequent opening and closing. Then again, I tend to have the herbs in the upstairs freezer which is an auto-defrost and frequently accessed rather than in the chest freezer in the basement.
Ari
--- In frozen-assets@yahoogroups.com, "Pamela" <Punknpoco@...> wrote:
>
> How do all of you freeze fresh herbs, i.e. what containers, if herbs are chopped, are they rinsed first or after chopping, what amounts, etc. I do like dried herbs but they are also good frozen. I want some technique that allows them to keep frozen for quite a while. Pam
>
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