Storing Your Fresh Soft Herbs

I don't know about you, but I hate when I have to buy a whole bunch of parsley for a recipe that calls for 1 TBS.  I mean, I know it's not expensive, but still, it's such a waste.  I try growing some of my own herbs, but my parsley didn't make it (I'll try again this year).  So, I researched the best ways to store fresh herbs to use for later and got a simple easy way to save money and food.
Now, there is a difference between Soft and Hard herbs.  Soft include basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and mint.  Hard herbs would include rosemary, thyme, savory, and sage.  I'll make another post on how to preserve those herbs.  For now, this is for our little softies.


Here's what you need:
ice cube tray(s)
your herbs
water
ziploc bag
permanent marker


Start off by rinsing your herbs and finely chopping them.

I used a TBS to get an idea of how much to put in each slot.  This way I know that each "cube" will be 1 TBS worth.

Once all the slots were full, I filled each with bit of water.  The best part about this is that you can just through the whole cube into whatever you're cooking and the water will be absorbed into the dish.

Filled and ready for the freezer...

After it's all nice and frozen, remove the cubes and put in ziploc bags...making sure to mark which herb is in which bag.  I don't know about you, but labels are a necessity!

Frozen solid.

Pretty little things aren't they?

All snug in their little baggie...back to the freezer you go!

Toss the bag back in the freezer and let them chill until you need them.  Keep in mind, this is a great way to store herbs that you are going to actually use in the cooking portion of a dish.  If you are going to need herbs to use as a topper or in salads, etc.  you'll of course want to use fresh from...well wherever you buy them (or pick them from your yard).

Happy cooking!  :)