There are two types of people when it comes to fresh herbs. You either use every bit of herbs as fast as you can, or they go bad before you can use half of them. Unfortunately, I am the latter.
Today I am sharing 2 easy ways to store fresh herbs so they won’t go bad and you can use later.
Fresh Herbs
There are very few things that are better than the smell of freshly cut herbs. Don’t get me started on the taste!
I love using and growing fresh herbs, but sometimes it feels impossible to use every single bit up before they go bad. Right now in the garden I have an abundance of oregano, soon there will be a plethora of basil and dill. I know for a fact I won’t be able to use all of it when it’s ready to harvest so here’s how I will store it for later.
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Drying Herbs
My favorite way to store herbs to use later is to hang dry them in the kitchen windows.
I start by harvesting the herbs in the garden and giving them a good wash to wash off any dirt or bugs.
Next, I will pat them dry with a paper towel.
Then, I bunch the herbs together trying to get the leaves to face away from each other as best I can so they don’t stick together and can dry evenly.
I then use twine that I found in the craft section, or this is a great option. I just loop the twine around the stems, make a knot, and then tie the twine to a curtain rod.
Try to use a window that does not have direct sunlight so that it doesn’t break the herb down and reduce it’s flavor.
You can also hang your herbs any location in your home that is dry and away from moisture.
You will want to hang your herbs for a few weeks until they can crumble in your hand.
Store in an airtight jars. These are a great option if you are looking for one.
Freezing Herbs in Olive Oil
I have heard forever that I need to freeze my herbs in olive oil, so I finally took the plunge and it worked so well!
This was a fairly simple process but a few more steps than the hang drying.
Start with creating a blend of herbs that you would use for any meal. I chose to use fresh basil, oregano, chives, and garlic scapes. I use these herbs pretty regularly for many meals since that’s what is readily available in the garden currently.
Once you chose your herb blend, you will add them to a blender along with olive oil. I used about 2 cups of fresh herbs and 3 cups of olive oil.
You will then blend them for about 30 seconds to an almost creamy like consistency. Add the mixture to ice cube trays and freeze for 24 hours.
Once the mixture is a solid state, you can pop them out of the trays and store them in a ziplock bag. Pull them out as you need to use them.
Looking for more ways to use up your fresh herbs? Check out this post here on how to make chive blossom infused oil!
Until next time,
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