herbs frozen?

[Pepper]

will herbs keep better if you vaccum pack them then freeze them ????
(WHEN CUT FRESH)

[Longtail]

At one time we dried our herbs but at the market where I sell the "herb ladies" also sell and they told me, and every one to freeze rather than dry them as they will better retain their flavors. thats what we have been doing and it works great. we still dry some like sage. We have never vacuum sealed and that may be even better? The cilantro we used tonite was last seasons and tasted very good.

[Apple-Pi]

I favor the freezer but thing get a little mixed up after a while and things get hard to find. I like to look at my bottles of herbs.

[pepperhead212]

I vac pack my lemongrass and mint every year, and it lasts until the following season - mint I only use until the next spring, when it is productive, but the lemongrass for a year, when I harvest again. And it is nearly as good as new! I just trim them and pack them in amounts I often use in recipes, then pack all of the little packs into large ziploc bags, so they are easy to find. For the little packs I take Foodsaver rolls, cut them long enough to seal with the lemongrass stalks (about 6") in them, seal on one end, and seal it lengthwise into 3 or 4 sections, and cut them apart. For mint I cut them in half lengthwise.

Sage and epazote are others that I have vac packed, but these are dryer leaves, so I have found salt layering (putting into jars, with salt sprinkled between the leaves) to be better, and I can take out just a leaf or two as needed. And this preserves the flavor as well as freezing, IMO. So it depends on whether you need the space in the fridge or the freezer more!

[mjc]

I've done herb ice cubes for things like basil...a little water added to a bunch of basil in a blender, quick whirl, pour into ice cube trays and freeze...once frozen I pop them out and bag them. One or two cubes added to sauce is just about right. I've also done that with thyme and oregano.

[w8in4dave]

I've done herb ice cubes for things like basil...a little water added to a bunch of basil in a blender, quick whirl, pour into ice cube trays and freeze...once frozen I pop them out and bag them. One or two cubes added to sauce is just about right. I've also done that with thyme and oregano.

I think I have seen you post this before.. Seems like a great idea!!:D I may try it..

[pepperhead212]

Before I started growing basils in hydroponics in the offseason, I used to grow a large excess of it, and grind it up with just enough oil to wet it, then freeze it in popsicle containers (http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c18/pepperhead212/?action=view&current=DSCF0162.jpg). This kept well, w/o freezer burning, and I just popped out one when I needed it, and swished it through a sauce I needed some in, or melted the entire thing for a Thai curry (3-4 tb paste =1 c leaves). Those containers I got at dollar stores.