Cut herbs to store for winter

Cut herbs to store for winter right now and keep that just-snipped, fresh-from-the-garden flavour in your cooking all winter long.

Storing Herbs

It might seem early to be thinking about winter storage, but herbs are at their absolute peak this month. Pick as large a bunch as you can from leafy herbs like basil, marjoram, mint, coriander, parsley, dill and chervil, preferably in the morning when they're full of essential oils and at their most fragrant.

Freezing keeps your herbs almost as fresh as when they were picked. Lay your herbs on waxed paper, freeze overnight, then decant the frozen stems into a plastic bag to store in the freezer until needed. Or chop them finely, then pack into the compartments of an ice cube tray. Top up with water, stock or olive oil and freeze.

It’s not too late to plant an instant herb garden to supply you for the rest of summer and beyond. Pop into the garden centre here in Pickering today and choose your favourites from our huge selection of potted culinary herbs. Mix and match in a roomy container or create a herb patch, as near to the back door as possible so all you have to do is reach out and pick what you need.