Bumper Herb Crop

In the middle of winter the smell of fresh basil or oregano can evoke memories of hot summer days, okay this year if you live in Vancouver it can stir up hot hazy day flashbacks, but here in Toronto my personal memory bank will kick in with torrential downpours that flattened my hydrangeas but did wonders for my herb garden.

I have a bumper crop of basil and oregano this year. I'm talking buckets of these amazing aromatic herbs that not only transform a simple tomato sauce into Mediterranean nirvana but give you a great dose of healthy antioxidants to boot.

These healthy herbs can reduce your risk of cancer, up your immunity, and fight against those nasty free radicals before they cause damage to your cells.

So what do you do with an herb garden gone berserk? You freeze them for a taste of summer all year long. Toss frozen herbs into any cooked dish that you would use fresh herbs. The only exception is rosemary. I dry my rosemary or buy it fresh at my grocery store come December.


To freeze herbs:

• Don't decimate your plants. Pick about 1/4 of your pot or bunch. Picking too much will stress the plant and you may end up killing it.
• Wash the herbs.
• Spin or pat dry.
• Pick off the leaves. Discard any yellow or brown leaves and the stems.
• If there is any moisture left on the leaves, pat dry again or let sit on a clean paper towel or a clean tea towel until moisture free.
• Place herbs into a food processor or blender.
• Add either extra virgin olive oil or canola oil. The ratio is approximately 2 cups (500 mL) of fresh herbs to 1/4 cup (60 mL) of oil.
• Pulse till well blended. Scrap down any big bits.
• Pulse once more till almost smooth.
• Place into clean plastic baggies and gently flatten out to remove any air pockets. When you are finished it should look like a sheet.
• Seal the bag and place in your freezer on a flat surface. Freeze till hard and store in your freezer for up to 6 months.
• To use - break off as little or as big a piece as you want and add to your favourite recipe. Return the rest to your freezer. Remember fresh or frozen herbs aren't as intense as dried herbs.

Some cooks use ice cube trays for freezing bulk quantities of fresh herbs and that's a great method as well. I find that a frozen ice cube size of basil or oregano may be too much for what I'm cooking so I prefer this baggie method.

Whichever method you use come January when you're making a big pot of tomato sauce you'll be reminiscing about summer as soon as you smell those fresh herbs hitting the tomato sauce.