If you are like me you are snipping the last of your summer herbs before the frosts come again. It was a rough summer for almost everything…even the herbs I micromanaged in pots. The perennial herbs did okay, not great, but at least the early spring flush of Oregano, Marjoram, and mints was enough to hold me or the year.

So how do you process your herbs so you can enjoy them all year? Sure you can make Pesto, but what about everything else?

It’s actually VERY easy! But first we need to keep our tender herbs separated from our sturdy herbs. Your tender herbs are your basils, oregano, marjoram, mints and other fleshy leaved, soft stemmed herbs you usually chop and add at the last minute. These can be easily be stored by washing well and drying completely, then adding the leaves to the food processor and giving them a whirl with a enough oil to hold them together. At this point you can add the herb mixture to ice cube trays you have sprayed with cooking spray or oiled lightly and pop them in the freezer until solid. Then you just remove them and place them in ziploc bags in the freezer. Super easy.

But I cheat…

I take cookie sheets and spray them with cooking spray or line with waxed paper. Then I pour the herb mixture into the sheet pan and freeze until solid. Then you can just break it apart and put it into freezer bags. I am processing gallons of the stuff, I don’t have room for a million ice cube trays!

For your sturdy herbs like Rosemary, Thyme and Sage and Bay, just wash and dry well and pop bunches into freezer bags and stash in the freezer until you need a sprig or two. After a while in the freezer the leaves will fall off the stalks too, so laziness pays off.