While dried herbs can spice up a dish, fresh herbs bring a little extra something that's hard to replace. Unlike their dried and shelf-stable form, however, they tend to go bad quickly. You could dry your extra herbs if you're into that, but one TikToker has a tip for keeping that fresh flavor alive way longer.
The scoop
Chantel Q (@chantelsfoodventures) shared this technique in a video on her plant-based cooking TikTok. "Do you have some extra fresh herbs that you don't know what to do with?" she asked in the description. "This kitchen hack is for you!"
In the video, she takes apart a large bundle of fresh dill. "I'm going to start by removing the leaves of my dill from its stems, and then we are going to give it a rough chop until it comes into smaller pieces," she says.
That's all the prep work the herbs need before the next phase. "I'm going to pull out an ice cube tray and fill each segment with about a tablespoon of the dill pieces," she continues. That's a rough estimate; in the video, she simply picks up the herbs a pinch at a time and drops them into place — no measurements necessary.
"Then we're going to cover it with some plain water," she says, filling each cube of the ice tray. "We're going to take this ice cube tray and put it into the freezer until it freezes solid." Once frozen, the cubes can be removed from the tray and stored in a bag or glass container with a label.
@chantelsfoodventures Do you have some extra fresh herbs that you don't know what to do with? This kitchen hack is for you! #chantelsfoodventures #kitchenhacks #preserveherbs #mealprep #plantbaseddiet #plantbasedlifestyle #herbs #fyp ♬ Calm background music with acoustic guitar and saxophone(1288148) - ame
Chantel Q used fresh dill as an example, but the method will work with a wide range of herbs that can be chopped up for use in cooked dishes. "I love doing this with my cilantro and also my sofrito so that I have small, individual pieces that are great for cooking," she said.
Why it's great
It's always challenging to use fresh produce efficiently. It tastes better and is often more nutritious than preserved alternatives, but it goes bad quickly, leading to a lot of unnecessary kitchen waste and expense. By freezing herbs you're not able to use right away, you can avoid that waste, save money, and reduce your impact on the planet since you're buying less.
This hack also opens up shopping possibilities. Some stores and apps offer discounts on produce that's starting to get old. Normally you'd need to use it right away if you bought it, but freezing it or finding other ways to preserve it will keep it from going bad. That means you can use more of these low-cost alternatives.
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