Because most grocery stores don’t allow you to purchase a single sprig of rosemary or just two tablespoons of cilantro, we often end up with more fresh herbs than necessary. It happens and it’s super common, but that 
doesn’t mean they have to go to waste. And they shouldn’t! Fresh herbs take any dish to the next level and I think we can all agree that the less food we waste, the better. THAT is why I am going to share five different ways to help make sure you use every last bit of the herbs you buy.
1. Freeze them: More specifically, freeze them into ice cubes. Well, olive oil cubes. You CAN freeze them in water but using olive oil prevents freezer burn and allows for an instant flavor boost in any dish. You can do this with any herbs but full disclosure, it works best with things like rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme.
2. Make your own spice blends: People have been drying herbs for THOUSANDS of years! If they could do it way back then, you can can handle it too. All you need to do is tie them into small bunches and hang upside down. Depending on the herb (I like to do this with things like tarragon, lavender, rosemary & thyme), it’s size, and on the humidity, the drying process is usually 8-10 days. If they crumble easily, they’re good to go. Then you can start to experiment with mixing some together to create blends. For example, you’ve probably heard of Herbs De Provence – a blend of dried savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon and lavender.
3. Make pesto: Pesto is traditionally made with basil but you can play around with other herbs as well. I personally LOVE using cilantro. As a side note – you can also freeze leftover pesto in an ice cube tray and have the perfect single serving portion ready to go at any time.
4. Blend them into smoothies: Herbs and veggies are an easy pairing. But herbs and fruit are a match made in Heaven as well. I love combining basil and blackberries (our bar at M&D is known to do this as well!), cilantro and mango and mint with virtually anything.
5. Infuse olive oil: Not only will this be delicious for personal cooking but if you grab some pretty glass bottles and add a ribbon, you’ve got yourself a tasty gourmet holiday gift! Just make sure to do a little research on best practices here so that everything comes out as intended.
So there you have it! Five ways to re-purpose your surplus of fresh herbs. As a bonus, you should know that you can also replant them (yay to homegrown ingredients!), make salad dressing, infuse butter (and then grab some Pawling Bread Co. sourdough and go to town), or make flavored water! Am I missing anything? What would YOU do?
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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