Freezing Fresh Herbs

Every year I freeze some chives for winter use. It is so easy to do and they taste so wonderful during the cold winter evenings. Here is how I do it:

Cut a big handful of chives

Pick through them to remove any old brownish hard stems.

Rinse and dry before freezing. (I have also picked some basil and some sage, neither of which I have ever frozen before so I can't vouch for those two -- it's my initial test freeze)

Take a smaller handful of chives and cut off both ends with scissors so they are all the same size. You will have a nice sturdy bundle.

Roll very tightly in plastic wrap.

I like them about this size which works well when I unwrap and use scissors to cut off small pieces from th end, then rewrap for further storage.

I have put lables on my sage and basil so I don't confuse them this winter.

Put all the herbs into one container so they will be easy to find when you want them. I like to use a tin. It seems to protect nicely against freezer burn.



I put a nice label on the tin itself because I have 3 or 4 of the same color. Stick it in your freezer and forget about it until the big blizzard of '06-'07 when you will want some nice homemade tomato basil spaghetti sauce with cheddar biscuits and fresh chives to remind you of the warm summer weather that is still 6 months away.