Earthly Eating

The key to locking in those vibrant flavors is to freeze your harvest properly. Stashing herbs in plastic bags and tossing the bags into the freezer might work in a pinch, but you’ll be disappointed over the long term. Your herbs will discolor quickly and lose much of their texture and flavor. Blanching (briefly heating) them before freezing might help retain their color, but the flavorful oils will be lost in the blanching water.

For short-term storage of three weeks or less, use this easy method:

• Lay whole herb leaves (i.e. sage or basil) or whole sprigs (i.e. thyme, tarragon or dill_ onto cookie sheets lined with parchment or wax paper.

• Place the sheets in the freezer for at least one hour, or until herbs are frozen solid.

• Then, place the frozen herbs into freezer bags, pressing out any excess air. Label the bags with the contents and date.

• To use the herbs, remove the leaves or sprigs your need and chop them into your recipes. No need to defrost before use.

Freezing whole herbs in bags might be adequate for a short time, but to capture the true essence of any herb flavor through the winter months, use one of the two freezing methods below. Both will preserve the texture and flavor of fresh herbs for up to four months.

Winter-Long Method #1: Frozen Puree

Pureeing herbs with oil and then freezing the puree is the most reliable freezing method for herbs. The technique involves chopping the leaves in a blender or food processor while slowly drizzling in a stream of olive, canola, safflower or other cooking oil. The oil coats the individual herb particles, preserving their color, flavor and texture. You can make purees of any culinary6 herb-not just the soft-leafed ones. You also can puree a combination of tow or three herbs, and you can include garlic if you would like.

Stock up in purees of all your favorite herbs. Dill is handy for fish, seafood, dip or salad dressings. Basil and garlic are practically mandatory for Italian recipes. And a mixture of thyme, sage, and rosemary is nice to have on hand for breads, soups, sauces and stews.

Freeze your herb puree in small containers so that you can use what you defrost within a week. Be sure to label them with the contents (herbs and oil used) and mark the date.

Basic Frozen Puree Recipe:

Herbal purees provide concentrated flavor that can be pulled out of the freezer at a moment’s notice. They’re ideal for any winter dish, including roasted meats, vegetables, sauces, butters, marinades, salad dressings. Use them as an equal substitute for the freshly chopped herb.

For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tbs. freshly chopped basil, simply substitute 1 tbs. basil puree.

1 to 2 cups fresh herb leaves or sprigs
1/4 to 1/2 cup oil (olive, canola, safflower or other)

Gently rinse herbs and pat them dry. Put herbs in a blender or food processor and pulse-chop until finely minced. Slowly drizzle the oil into the chopped herbs while still blending, until they are coated well and begin to clump. Stop chopping and stir the mix with a spatula. You want the herbs to be coated completely but without excess oil pooling at the bottom. If the herbs look dry, add a bit more oil and mix well. Scoop puree into small, 1/4-cup or 1/2-cup containers. Label, date and place in the freezer to use within 4 months.

Winter-Long Method #2: Herbal Ice Cubes

Another excellent way to preserve herb flavor: Freeze chopped herbs in water or broth. Although not as concentrated as oil purees, the individual cubes are easy to add to winter recipes.

Basic Herbal Ice Recipe:

Freeze recipe-size portions of herbs in the liquid base you most often use for winter soups, stews, sauces, and marinades. Later, pull out individual cubes and drop them, as needed, in the cook pot

1 to 2 cups fresh herbs
1 to 2 cups water, vegetable broth or meat broth

Use a blender, food processor or chef’s knife to finely chop herbs. Place 1 tsp. to 1 tbs. of the chopped herb into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill tray with the water or broth, then freeze.

When the cubes have frozen solid, remove them from the tray and place them in plastic freezer bags; label them with the contents, the amount of herb per cube and the date. Store cubes for up to 4 months. (Source: HC 2007)
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Crab Cakes De Provence
Makes 6 cakes

Mix all together. and serve with Crabs Cakes De Provence.

Happy Eating!