Jessica Rose How to blanch fresh herbs at home—a process so simple yet efficient. In just a few minutes you will freezing your own herbs! For more simple recipes, click here.
At the start of the summer I was worried that I wasn’t going to grow enough herbs —a worry that I can now look back on and laugh at! Pretty quickly I found myself with more herbs than I could possibly use. Does that sound like a familiar situation to you? If you’re reading this article than I can safely assume that you set out on a similar quest as me— researching how to preserve fresh herbs for later use; what a shame it would be for all that beautiful flavor to perish! Read on to find out how to blanch fresh herbs at home.
Blanching fresh herbs also helps them to retain their vibrant color after chopping them—it is perfect for dishes that you want to garnish.
Preserving Herbs
After much time was spent researching, two ways of preserving fresh herbs stood out to me: blanching and freezing, or oven-drying. Admittedly, oven-drying herbs is the best way to ensure longevity, and is the most convenient to use while cooking. However, blanching is a great, and also quicker, option for preserving your herbs if you are not concerned about losing some shelf life. I, myself, have opted to blanch most of my herbs over the summer due to the sheer ease of it. Some herbs even retain stronger flavor when blanched and frozen instead of oven-dried. So, you might be wondering… How the heck do you blanch fresh herbs at home?! Well, read on!
Check out: How to Oven-Dry Fresh Herbs at Home
What you Need:
• Clean, washed herbs
• Pot of boiling water
• Bowl of iced water
• Big spoon
• Paper towel
• Bag for storage
• Freezer
Quick tip here, keep different herb varieties separate, as it will be difficult to separate them after they are blanched.
Getting Started
Bring your Pot to a Boil: A medium sized pot is best.
Washing the Herbs: Make sure you have washed your herbs well before you blanch them. You want to ensure there is no bacteria or dirt on them as they will not be in the boiling water for long; there would be nothing worse than having dirt on your beautiful herbs when you defrost them for use!
Blanching the Herbs
Blanch herbs is very easy.
Step 1: Once your pot of water has reached the boiling point, drop your fresh herbs in and flash boil them. For softer herbs boil them for 15-30 seconds, and for heartier herbs boil them for 30-45 seconds.
Step 2: Once they have boiled for their required time, spoon them out with your big spoon, and immediately plunge them into an ice bath for a minute or so. Then, drain them and dry them well. That’s it.
Step 3: At this point the blanching is done; now it is time to prepare them for freezing. I recommend wrapping them in paper towel, then putting them in a freezer bag. Or, if you are not blanching for later use, you can now use them as a garnish with no fear of them turning black!
For more simple recipes, click here.
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