Freeze and Preserve Herbs in Olive Oil

This is one of my FAVORITE kitchen hacks.

Freezing and preserving herbs in olive oil is a simple way to keep your favorite herbs fresh and ready to use all year long. It's a functional kitchen technique that's simple and fun - a great project to get the whole family involved in!

I'm not sure about you, but when I purchase herbs at the grocery store, I always end up with more than I need. This technique lets me save my left overs and keep them fresh and ready to go - when I need them. If you grow your own herbs at home, this is a great way to preserve them through the cold winter months. 

You can choose to keep the herbs whole or chop them before stuffing them into the individual molds. You can also choose to keep them separate or combine them to make a tasty herb blend - it's completely up to you!  To use, simply add your 'herb cube' to soups, sauces, marinades, potato dishes and more! It's a great base to start with -since most dishes call for olive oil to begin.It's best to stick to firm herbs like rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano. We recommend staying away from soft herbs like mint, basil and dill - these don't respond well to freezing.

Why in olive oil, you ask? Well, freezing and preserving herbs in a good quality EVOO reduces browning and freezer burn that can happen when you just freeze fresh herbs as is. The herb also imparts its natural flavor into the oil giving you a delicious herb-infused oil to work with.

 Here's how you freeze and preserve herbs in olive oil:

 Choose your firm, fresh herbs and your EVOO - we recommend our Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

Choose to chop your herbs, or keep them whole - it's up to you!

Combine different herbs in ice mold creating your own blend. Pack each mold with your herbs - about 3/4 full.

Place tray into freezer overnight.

Follow these 7 steps to preserve your herbs:

1. Choose your herbs – remember firm are best
2. Wash and chop or leave whole, it's up to you
3. Combine different herbs in ice mold creating your own blend 
4. Pack the ice cube molds about 3/4 full with the fresh herbs
5. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the top of the herbs, filling the molds
6. Place the trays into the freezer and freeze overnight
7. Once frozen, remove the cubes from the trays and place in a plastic bags and place back in the freezer until you are ready to use

Do you have an olive oil kitchen hack of your own? Let us know how you use olive oil in the comments below!