Preserving Herbs in Oil or Butter

By lindaauman

I discovered that the best way to preserve herbs is to freeze them in oil or butter. And there’s a good reason for this: Each herb’s distinctive taste and aroma come from aromatic oils in the leaves, so preserving them in fat protects their authentic flavors. Packed in flat, thin layers in heavy-duty zip-top bags, frozen herb butters and oils are easy to store. I put a half-cup or so in a bag, freeze it flat, and end up with a thin layer of frozen goodness, which can be broken off into pieces as needed.

Ingredients

• Fresh herbs
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Zip top bags

Preparation

Step 1

Wash herbs, discarding stems and damaged leaves. Spin leaves dry in a salad spinner or dry well with paper towels.

Place herbs in food processor with 1/3 cup olive oil for every 2 cups leaves, or 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) per 2 to 4 tablespoons leaves.

For butters, add grated citrus rind, ginger, or garlic for extra flavor.

To make sure herb oils are adaptable to a wide variety of uses, don’t add cheese or nuts.

Pulse processor, scraping down sides of bowl from time to time, until you get a chunky paste and all leaves are chopped.

To package for freezing, put 1 cup herb oil or 1/2 cup herb butter in a 1-quart zip-top bag, then flatten and spread mixture to make a thin layer. Freeze flat.

Best used within 6 months.