Freeze fresh, dried and ground herbs and spices

Herbs and spices give dishes the necessary pep and round off the taste. So it's no wonder that they are also becoming increasingly popular with hobby gardeners. The only problem is that you usually have a large harvest, but only a small amount in the kitchen. Consequently, they have to be stored and preserved. In addition to drying, freezing is an option.

Make durable

Herbs are characterized primarily by their intense aromas. It is well known that these flavors come into their own when they are fresh. Too bad that herbs only stay fresh for a very short time. When it comes to preservation, it must therefore be about preserving as many of the so important aromas as possible. However, preservation cannot be achieved without a loss of flavor. In principle, two methods can be distinguished - drying and freezing. The latter is clearly to be given preference with the vast majority of aromatic herbs. Freezing preserves the ingredients and thus also the flavors. In addition, the essential oils are largely retained.

Aromatic herbs

Basically, all herbs can be preserved by freezing. However, there are also some for which drying is the better choice, because it allows the intensity of the aromas to be increased through the loss of water. These include, above all, oregano and thyme. In the freezer or the freezer, they would lose their aroma very quickly. The following herbs are particularly suitable for freezing:

• Wild garlic
• basil
• dill
• coriander
• Lovage
• mint
• parsley
• chives

In addition, borage and pimpinelle are also very suitable for this type of preservation. Before most herbs and spices can be frozen, they first need to be chopped up. There are very few exceptions that can be left in the freezer as leaves or stems.
Tip: When it comes to basil, it is best to put whole leaves in the freezer. A hacking or Chopping up would inevitably lead to a great loss of flavor.

Freeze

As already indicated, aromatic herbs cannot simply be frozen. Rather, it requires certain preparation. However, this is not witchcraft and can be done relatively quickly with little effort. The processing should always take place immediately after the harvest, as there is a very quick loss of aroma as soon as the leaves and stems have been separated from the mother plant. The following steps must be observed:

1. Wash the herbs thoroughly with cold, running water and then pat dry with a kitchen towel. Proceed very carefully and remove all water if possible.

2. Then coarsely to finely chop the herbs. A chopping knife is best for this, but a conventional kitchen knife can also be used.

3. Then the chopped herbs are portioned in suitable containers. It is ideal if they are placed in the containers immediately after being chopped.

4. Then the containers are tightly closed and placed in the freezer or freezer.

Note: Even at normal room temperatures, herbs and spices lose a considerable part of their aromas incredibly quickly. It is therefore urgently advisable to hurry up while processing.

container

There are now very many containers for freezing on the market. The most important requirement of them is that they can really cope with the freezing temperatures and not suffer from them. With containers that are specially designed for freezing, you can be sure that this is the case. When it comes to freezing aromatic herbs, the size is the most important factor. As a rule, you don't need particularly large quantities for cooking. It therefore makes little sense to freeze herbs by the pound. As a result, they have to be portioned in relatively small quantities. And for that you need small containers or small freezer bags. It should also be possible to close the containers reasonably tightly. By the way: Freezing herbs and spices again after thawing is not a good idea, as this can lead to a permanent loss of flavor.
Tip: With ice cube trays, it is very easy to produce portion-sized herb pieces, which can then also be used frozen for cooking. However, the bowl should be placed in a freezer bag in the freezer or freezer. be locked.

durability

Even if you keep hearing something different: Freezing food does not protect it from spoiling forever. The freezing process only slows down decay and does not stop it completely. Of course, this also applies to frozen herbs. Because of their volatile aromas, their shelf life is even reduced. As a rule, one can assume that frozen herbs and spices can be kept for between six months and a year without any problems. Everything that goes beyond this does not necessarily mean that they can no longer be enjoyed. As a rule, however, your taste should be gone.

Spice mix

Fresh herbs and spices from your own garden are also suitable for preparing complete spice mixtures or spice mixtures before they are frozen. Making pestos. The addition of high-quality oils is always recommended. Oils such as olive oil also preserve the herbs and can easily be frozen with them.

What doesn’t work

As mentioned several times, almost all herbs can be frozen. However, it is not advisable to put marjoram, pepper or paprika in the freezer. In the process, they lose so much of their aroma that they can actually no longer be used. In addition, finely ground herbs do not belong in the freezer. Ground food clumps very easily when frozen and loses a lot of its taste. Vacuum sealing is clearly the better solution here.