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    Home » Recipes » Vegetable Prep Hacks

    How to Make Frozen Herb Cubes

    Modified: Sep 14, 2020 · Published: May 15, 2019 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    626 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print

    This post teaches you everything you need to know about freezing herbs in olive oil and how to make ready-to-use, frozen herb cubes. It’s the ultimate cooking hack!

    frozen herb cubes

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    Do you struggle with using up herbs? If so, I bet you’re familiar with the scenario of opening your fridge to see that the fresh parsley or basil you got last week is now wilted and rotten. Sound about right?

    Using fresh herbs before they go bad is a common culinary struggle, especially if you’re only cooking for one or two people. But herbs are also an amazing addition to meals…so what’s a home chef to do?!

    I’ve got the perfect solution for you: frozen herb cubes!

    Freezing herbs for later use is one of my favorite tips to give my readers and clients. It’s a great way to prevent food waste while still having the option to add flavor and variety to meals.

    fresh herbs

    How to Make Frozen Herb Cubes

    The process for making these is so easy!

    1. Chop up any fresh herbs you have on hand.
    2. Fill each section of an ice cube tray ¾ of the way with chopped herbs.
    3. Add olive oil until the herbs are just barely covered.
    4. Freeze overnight, then pop the cubes out of the trays, and store them in labeled bags for later use!

    You can also freeze herbs in water, but I find that the oil-based cubes melt faster and offer more flavor to dishes.

    • herbs in olive oil in an ice cube tray

    I highly recommend using a silicone ice cube tray to makes these, but you can technically make them in any ol’ ice cube tray. Since we got rid of our old trays during our recent move, I picked up a silicone one at Target before creating this post.

    It was SO easy to pop the frozen cubes out of the tray when they were ready. I also made a batch in a plastic tray, but it was harder to get the cubes out of that one, and I had to use a butter knife to help me pop them out.

    What herbs freeze well?

    Pretty much all of them! You can make frozen herb cubes with parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, mint, sage, rosemary, and more.

    How long do frozen herbs last?

    Herbs that are frozen in oil can last for a long time in the freezer – up to 12 months. Just be sure to keep them in tightly sealed freezer bags to prevent freezer burn/loss of flavor.

    plastic bags with frozen herb cubes

    Are frozen herbs as good as fresh?

    You may be wondering how frozen herb cubes compare to fresh herbs. Their taste is less robust than fresh herbs, but I personally think they’re better than dried herbs in most instances.

    Plus, I love that frozen herbs are already chopped and ready to go, so you don’t have to spend time picking herbs off their stems and cutting them up when you’re in a rush to start cooking.

    Ways to Use Frozen Herb Cubes

    The most intuitive way to use these is to pop one in a skillet over the stove, and then sauté veggies in the melted oil and herbs. But you can also use frozen herb cubes in the following ways:

    • Let them melt in a bowl at room temperature and use the oil and herbs as a base for salad dressings.
    • Add them to cooked quinoa or rice that’s still warm, and stir it all up to coat the grains with the flavorful oil.
    • Melt a cube in a skillet before you cook eggs in it.
    • Let a couple cubes melt at room temperature, or heat them up in the microwave, and then pour over freshly popped popcorn.
    frozen herb cubes

    I can’t wait to hear if you make these cubes, so be sure to report back and let me know! If you like this post, check out my Roasted Garlic Dipping Oil or browse my recipe library for something different.

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    frozen herb cubes

    Frozen Herb Cubes

    Fresh herbs frozen in olive oil for later use.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 0 minutes mins
    Freeze time: 4 hours hrs
    Total Time: 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Servings: 14 cubes
    Calories: 17kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Ingredients 

    • 2 cups fresh herbs - chopped
    • Olive oil - enough to just barely cover the herbs in the ice cube tray

    Instructions

    • Chop fresh herbs of choice (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc). Fill each section of an ice cube tray about ¾ of the way with chopped herbs.
    • Pour olive oil into each section until the herbs are just barely covered. Lay the ice cube tray flat in the freezer.
    • Freeze for at least 4 hours or until the cubes are frozen solid (it may take longer). Remove the ice cube tray and gently pop out each cube. If you use a silicone tray, they should pop out easily. With a plastic tray, you may have to carefully use a butter knife to help you get them out. Transfer the cubes to labeled freezer bags and store for later use.
    • When you want to use one, pop it into a skillet over medium heat and use the melted oil and herbs to cook veggies, eggs, or other foods.

    Notes

    Other ways to use frozen herb cubes:
    • In salad dressings
    • Mixed into warm quinoa or rice
    • Drizzled over popcorn

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cube | Calories: 17kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @vegworld_recipes and follow me today!

    Pin this ultimate cooking hack now to remember for later!

    Enjoy!

    Lizzie

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    626 shares

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    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    1. Shannon

      August 28, 2023 at 6:48 am

      5 stars
      Great page and recipes exactly what I was looking for and helpful tips

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        August 28, 2023 at 2:47 pm

        Hi Shannon, I’m glad to hear it! Thanks for your comment.

        Reply
    2. Frannie

      June 15, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      I love this site. Will consult often

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        June 17, 2022 at 1:19 pm

        Hi Frannie, that’s great! I’m so glad you are enjoying the site!

        Reply
    3. Yvonne Young

      August 27, 2020 at 11:04 am

      I love growing herbs and have quite a selection, I see your containers above and am thinking about using wax melt molds and freezing. I am going to try this and will let you know how it comes out!! Thank you for having this post for people like me!!

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        September 01, 2020 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Yvonne, I’m so glad this post was helpful! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Thanks for commenting.

        Reply
        • Kay s

          September 02, 2023 at 7:01 am

          Most of the above mentioned herbs are usually used in recipes in TBLS./tps. quantities. Are there smaller ice trays to use for these so I don’t have to use a lot of olive oil?

        • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

          September 02, 2023 at 12:27 pm

          Hi Kay, there are smaller ice cube trays out there. I like to use the Haakaa silicone ice cube try linked here that is intended for babies and toddlers, so the portions are smaller than standard ice cube trays. I believe the Haakaa tray has 0.3 oz (or a little over 1/2 tablespoon) portions. Hope that helps!

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