H and I are for Herbal Ice Cubes

So I’m catching up by squishing two letters together, so sue me 🙂

Preserving herbs in ice cube trays is a great way to keep that fresh taste of summer long into the winter.  Fresh basil, mint, tarragon, oregano, dill and many other herbs will freeze well. You can use regular water, which is what I did with these mint cubes.  These are great added to summertime drinks like a Mojito on the Rocks, or of course a Mint Julep.  I generally just like them added to a glass of cold water.

You can also use olive oil, butter, or ghee in the ice cube trays in place of the water.  I would try olive oil with some fresh oregano, and then use those the next time you are making a quick pasta dish or finishing off a marinara sauce.

 

Recently I’ve been enjoying some slushie ice cubes.  I made a frozen basil lemonade with my Vitamix, and when there was some left over, I poured it into my ice cube trays.  Those cubes are absolutely delightful in a glass of cold water, or as a compliment to a bubbly glass of tonic water.  (Try it out with a Gin and Tonic and see what happens!)  I’ve even got some cubes of peach puree that I froze last summer that make great additions to a quick smoothie.

Once the cubes have frozen, pop them out of the trays and store them in a ziploc bag or other container.  That way they won’t sublimate (shrink) from the dry air in the freezer, and you can use your trays to make more cubes.

The next time you see a great deal on a big bunch of herbs and think that there is no way you could use it all up before it went bad, remember that your ice cube trays do more than freeze plain water!