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How to Freeze Fresh Herbs and Aromatics, thewoksoflife.com
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4.94 from 32 votes

How to Freeze Herbs & Aromatics

Learn how to freeze fresh herbs and aromatics like cilantro, ginger, etc. to reduce waste and make sure you always have what you need to make any recipe!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Author: Sarah

Ingredients

Instructions

To freeze cilantro:

  • Trim the bottom stems of the cilantro and soak in a bowl of cold water to rid the herbs of any dirt or sand. Wash in a bowl of fresh water a couple more times to ensure it's clean. 
  • Thoroughly dry the cilantro leaves and stems using a salad spinner and/or clean kitchen towel.
  • Put in a freezer bag (preferably reusable!) with any air pressed out of it and freeze.
  • Do not defrost; just add directly to cooked dishes.

To freeze ginger:

  • Use a vegetable peeler, paring knife, or spoon to peel the entire piece of ginger.
  • Slice the ginger into discs.
  • Place the ginger slices into a freezer bag, press out any air, seal, and freeze!
  • No need to defrost before chopping, mincing, and adding to cooked dishes. Can also be used in raw applications.

To freeze scallions:

  • Wash the scallions and dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.
  • Trim off the very ends of the scallions (where the roots are).
  • Dice, julienne, or slice the scallions however you like, put in freezer bags, press out any air, and seal before transferring to the freezer.
  • Do not defrost; just add directly to cooked dishes.

To freeze chilies or peppers:

  • Keeping the chilies whole, wash them under cool running water.
  • Dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.
  • Transfer to freezer bags and freeze.
  • Only Thai bird chilies are small enough to be defrosted and added to raw dishes. For larger chilies, thaw slightly (enough to cut through them), before chopping and adding to cooked dishes.

To freeze lemongrass:

  • Trim off the ends and woody tops, and pull away any tough or old outer leaves.
  • Cut the remaining stalk into 4-inch lengths.
  • Transfer to freezer bags and freeze.
  • If the lemongrass is to be added whole to a recipe, there is no need to thaw in advance. If, however, you need to chop the lemongrass or add it to a food processor to make a marinade, you can thaw it beforehand.