How to Freeze Herbs

Stop throwing your hard-earned grocery budget in the garbage! Learn how to freeze mint and other fresh herbs with this easy tutorial so you can keep that fresh flavor at your fingertips – no dehydrator necessary!

I love cooking and baking with fresh herbs. Whether it’s fresh rosemary for Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread or sage and thyme for Instant Pot Whole Chicken or a blend of herbs for 15-minute Italian meatballs, fresh herbs add a huge flavor punch.

As much as I try to plan my meals around those fresh herbs – so that I don’t waste any of them – I inevitably end up forgetting some of them in the back of the refrigerator.

I’ve dehydrated dill in the past and I’ve learned how to freeze yogurt and tomato paste, but I wanted to know how to freeze mint and other herbs so I can still get the benefits and flavor of the fresh herb.

I’ve figured out how to freeze mint leaves (and other herbs too!), and it’s SO easy!

WHY FREEZE BASIL OR OTHER HERBS?

Before I show you how to freeze fresh basil and other herbs, let’s talk about three big reasons why.

First – the budget.

Unless you have herbs growing in your garden, or unless you have a rogue rosemary plant growing in the front yard (which we had when we lived in California!), fresh herbs aren’t cheap. One 4 oz package of fresh basil costs over $3 at my local grocery store.

Most recipes will call for just a tablespoon or two of fresh mint or herbs, so you’re really only using half of that 4 oz package, MAX.

Unless you are really good about planning other meals that use up the rest of the basil, it’s easy to put the rest of the basil back in the fridge and forget about it until it’s brown and soft and smelly and obviously no longer edible.

When that happens, you’ve pretty much wasted $2.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m working within a tight grocery budget, every dollar counts. I can’t afford to throw even just a few of them in the trash can!

Second – it’s a great alternative to using a dehydrator.

I was given this dehydrator as a gift many years ago and I absolutely love it. It’s a little bit on the noisy side, so I kept it on top of the dryer (which was in our garage) when we lived in California.

Our trash can was also in the garage, so I was in and out of the area throughout the day, making it easy to keep tabs when I was dehydrating cranberries I found during a post-Thanksgiving sale or strawberries or bananas or apples or whatever else happened to be in the dehydrator at the time.

In our current house, I haven’t found that sweet spot that’s the perfect blend of NOT out of sight out of mind, yet far enough away from our daily activities so the noise doesn’t bother us.

So, until I find that perfect spot, I’m freezing mint and herbs instead.

And if you don’t have a dehydrator, you don’t have this dilemma! Freezing is your best bet to not let those fresh herbs – and your hard-earned dollars – go to waste.

Third – freezing herbs means having amazing flavor at your fingertips whenever a recipe calls for it.

You don’t have to make a last-minute run to the store for that one particular item, because you’ll already have it in your freezer!

Plus, you and I both know that 98% of the time, when we go grocery shopping with just one thing on our list, we walk out with a whole lot more!

One last thing to share before I show you how to freeze mint (and other herbs) is you have to consider how you are going to use the fresh herbs later BEFORE you freeze them.

The technique for freezing herbs that I’m going to show you works really well if you’re going to be baking or cooking with the herbs later. It also works well if you’re going to be using the herb when it’s going to get wet, in perhaps an herbal-infused water or tea.

However, if you want to use mint sprigs or fresh herbs later as a garnish, then you don’t want to freeze them. Garnishes are always best when fresh, so I usually either don’t do them (unless I’m taking pictures for the blog), or DEFINITELY make sure I have other meals on my meal plan that will use up the herb fresh.

If you want to have a garnish though, buy fresh and freeze what’s left using this method!

HOW TO FREEZE MINT AND OTHER HERBS

HOW TO FREEZE DILL AND OTHER HERBS: SUPPLIES

• Only one ingredient: Fresh Herbs (cilantro, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme… any will work)
• Ice Cube Tray (I found a super cute silicone ice cube tray at ALDI similar to this one that makes it easier to jam the fresh herb into each cavity AND it’s easier to pop out each cube once it’s frozen.)
• Water OR Olive Oil*

*Both water and olive oil can be used interchangeably for the purpose of freezing herbs. The only difference would be how you plan to use the frozen herbs later on.

• If you would ordinarily use olive oil with fresh herbs in your cooking, then use the olive oil method. This makes adding herbs to stews, roasts, and soups super easy.
• If you would not normally use olive oil in your cooking with fresh herbs, then use water. Water will be the more versatile option, as well as the more affordable option.
• Oil, however, can prevent some of the browning and freezer burn that can happen during the freezing process. I like having a little bit of both available in the freezer.

HOW TO FREEZE CILANTRO AND OTHER HERBS: LIQUID METHOD

1. Use a sharp knife, your fingers, or an herb stripper to remove the edible portion of the herb from the non-edible portions (i.e. the leaves from the stems).
2. Roughly chop if desired, and then measure approximately 1 tablespoon into each of the compartments of an ice cube tray, pushing down slightly.
3. Fill each cavity with water OR olive oil, pushing down on the herb to keep it fully submerged.
4. Freeze the entire tray for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the cubes are frozen solid.
5. Remove the ice cubes to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag and make sure to label it! Mint ice cubes will look similar to basil or cilantro ice cubes. Frozen herbs are good for 3-6 months in the freezer.

HOW TO FREEZE MINT LEAVES ON A BAKING SHEET

If you prefer to freeze fresh mint leaves without any liquid, you can follow these steps for flash freezing instead.

1. Remove the edible portion of the herb from the non-edible portions (i.e. the mint leaves from the mint stems).
2. Pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture.
3. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
4. Move frozen mint leaves into a resealable freezer bag or small glass jar for storage and freeze for 3-6 months.

This option works best with fresh herbs that are a bit larger, like mint leaves or basil leaves, and it’s a great choice if you have a large quantity of an herb and don’t want to deal with stuffing all the compartments of an ice cube tray multiple times.

WHAT TO MAKE WITH YOUR FROZEN HERBS?

Now that you’ve learned how to freeze fresh basil and other herbs, what can you do with them?

• Use whatever fresh herbs you can find on sale for this Lemon and Herb Sheet Pan Chicken and freeze the rest.
• Add rosemary, lavender, or mint frozen in water to Homemade Lemonade.
• Add dill, parsley, or mint to this Greek Quinoa Salad. If you’re using fresh, add what you need and freeze the rest. If you’re using herbs frozen in olive oil, thaw them and add them to the dressing to mix them in thoroughly.
• Add parsley, mint, or basil to this yummy Marinated Lentils Recipe. Freeze them in oil and add them to the dressing as you mix it up.
• Throw a frozen cube of parsley or basil into Cheeseburger Soup for a bit of extra flavor.
• You can freeze fresh basil in olive oil or water and add it to Tomato Basil Soup or Roasted Red Pepper Soup or Red Lentil Vegetable Soup.
• Freeze basil in water, and thaw before using it in Italian Meatballs. Drain off the extra water and mix the basil into your meat mixture before rolling it into meatballs.
• Use frozen basil in my Easy Pizza Sauce Recipe.
• Freeze fresh basil in olive oil after making Caprese and use the frozen basil in Pasta Primavera or to make pesto in the food processor later on.
• Basil, thyme, and sage all make an appearance in Chicken Pot Pie. You can freeze them in oil or water and add them to this yummy comfort food dish.
• Thyme and sage add a depth of flavor to this Northern Beans and Ham Soup. Freeze them in water and add them to the soup!
• Use fresh cilantro in Cilantro Lime Coleslaw and freeze cilantro in water or olive oil to add to Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
• Add a cube of frozen cilantro to Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry or Enchilada Casserole for that extra cilantro flavor.
• Use rosemary frozen in olive oil for Rosemary Olive Oil Bread (thaw before using).
• Can you freeze coriander? Yes! Freeze it in water and then use it for Sheet Pan Chicken (along with parsley and basil) or Slow Cooker Chicken.
• Make chocolate mint smoothies with mint frozen in water.

FREEZE HERBS FAQS

OTHER TUTORIALS FOR FREEZING

• How to Freeze Yogurt
• Can You Freeze Ginger?
• Can You Freeze Tomato Paste?
• How to Freeze Blueberries
• How to Freeze Cooked Pasta
• Can You Freeze Eggs?