How to Preserve Herbs

By: Lori Smart | August 05 2010
Posted in Eugene - Cook It - Eugene

Even if you use herbs in everything you cook, sometimes a great growing year will mean you have more than you need throughout the growing season. Preserving them for later use or to share with friends is a great, easy option. Even evergreens like rosemary, though usually better fresh, can be useful to have on hand in your freezer or pantry.

Photo: Devyn Smart

There are several methods for preserving your bumper crop of fresh herbs.

Drying Herbs

The benefits: easily make your own seasoning blends to quickly add to broths, meats or sauces.

How it works: When you dry herbs, it extracts the moisture and preserves the essential oils and vitamins in them. 

How to do it:

• One method for drying herbs is using an electric dehydrator. If you use an electric dehydrator, make sure you keep the heat no higher than 100 degrees. Higher temperatures may reduce the nutritional quality of the herbs.
• You can also put herbs on a cookie sheet in a warm oven (up to 180 degrees) for three to four hours, or until the herbs are dry.
• Air drying is an easy method and requires no electricity or special equipment. Hang your herbs in small bunches where they can get some light but not intense, direct sunlight. Keep the herbs whole to retain the oils until use. Breaking them up or processing will release the essential oils and you want to retain them until you use them. 

Freezing Herbs

How to do it:

• Rinse any dirt off leaves and pat dry gently or let sit until completely dry.
• Spread them carefully in a single layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in freezer.
• When they are fully frozen, store in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to one year.

Another idea: You can also make herb ice cubes. Place herbs into your empty ice trays, fill with water, and freeze. When solid, empty into freezer bags. These can be used to add directly to stocks, to add a beautiful touch to drinks, or to float in punch bowls.

Herbed Oils

One way: Chopped herbs can be mixed with just enough oil to make a paste, and frozen into ice trays for using in small portions later.

Fun uses: Use a combination of your favorite herbs for pre-planned meals. Your Italian herb paste cubes can be added directly to your pasta sauce, Indian herbs to your curries, and Mexican herbs to salsa.

Another way: For infused oils, add small portions of rosemary, basil, etc. to olive oil and leave for about a week to infuse the flavor. Use your herb-infused oils for salad dressing or drizzle on crostini.