Someone once asked me what was my favorite food of summer. After some thought, I replied that fresh herbs, plentiful and only a few steps away in my own garden, were my favorite "food" of summer.
I love fresh herbs and once the fall comes, I find myself trying all sorts of tricks and manners to save the freshness of my herbs. As I type, I still have mint and wee bit of parsley growing in a pot, right near my sunniest window. But basil and other herbs have long gone by the wayside.
Want a way to preserve the fresh herb taste well into the winter? Use this tip:
Fresh herbs that have been rinsed and dried can be simply layered on a dry paper towel:
Then layered in a stack, placed in an airtight container, and frozen just like this:
Once ready to use the herb, simple pull out a layer or two and use just like fresh herbs. This is the closest you will ever come to fresh herbs if you don't have a plant growing in your yard.
Here's a bonus second tip: if you buy fresh herbs from the grocery, and have leftover herbs, freeze them too, before they get old or mushy.
Because fresh herbs do taste better than dried!
SPC