Herbs always ready to hand? Find out how to prepare herb ice cubes!

There are several useful methods to make fresh aromatic herbs last for a long time. Often it is difficult to have the right herbs to hand - some can only be picked in the coldest periods of the year, and others are only available during in the hottest periods of summer. One of the most convenient ways of having herbs available all year round is the method which involves freezing them in order to have ice cubes ready to put in a pan or pot, already portioned out and maybe even full of a mix of different aromas.

Below, we explain the very simple method to prepare these herb cubes, and some other alternatives to preserve your favorite aromatic herbs for a long time.

Harvest all the leaves and sprigs of aromatic herbs you want from the plants: sometimes this is something you will do anyway before winter arrives, but it is also possible when you have to prune a plant. For example, if your rosemary or thyme grows too vigorously, don't throw away the parts that you prune off. In any case, when you prune parts of the plants, do it with scissors (or knife) that is very sharp and has a sterilized blade. Of course, if you are not sure when a plant should be pruned, get some expert advice from your local garden center (or look online for help). There are plants that need to be trimmed only - and then there are others that can tolerate a more thorough pruning without the risk of being damage. In short, plucking the leaves of a herb plant can also be an opportunity to promote a more luxuriant growth of the foliage!

In any event, don't go overboard in pruning the plant. It is necessary to leave enough foliage to ensure the survival of the plant, and also to avoid eliminating all the flowers: aromatic plants are amongst the favorites for bees and other pollinating insects in our ecosystem.

Clean the leaves and twigs you harvest: these should be washed as you do with fruit and vegetables to eliminate bacteria and other contaminants. To dry them, press them gently between two sheets of absorbent paper and allow them to air dry.

Dice them into small pieces, chopping them just as if you were going to use them for cooking some dish.

At this point, all you need to do is fill up, to about halfway, the various cubes of one or more trays that are normally used to make ice cubes, with the chopped herbs: you can decide whether to or not to mix various blends of herbs in each cube.

Fill each cube with olive oil so that it completely covers the herbs.

Cover the trays with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer.

An alternative method

If you prefer to cook with butter and herbs, you can also create salami-shaped pats of butter, which you will then slice to use the portion required.

The procedure is very simple: use butter at room temperature, which will be soft enough to be malleable, and put it in a metal or ceramic bowl. Then add the chopped aromatic herbs of your choice (thyme, chives, etc.) and mix well with a spatula to distribute everything evenly. Be careful not to touch the mix with your hands, as the heat will make the butter melt. When you have distributed the herbs throughout the butter, wrap it in cling film (or even parchment paper) to form a roll, just like a salami.

You can keep it wrapped in cling film or even aluminum foil, and it should be kept in the fridge. It will have the same shelf life as normal butter.

Alternatively, there are options for drying herbs and storing them in jars. This can be done as follows:

• Hang the bunches upside down in a dry, cool and dark place, covered with muslin or gauze to prevent them from becoming dusty or dirty;
• With a proper food dryer;
• In an oven, heat them at the lowest temperature for about an hour, turning them after 30 minutes to make sure they dry evenly.

Which method do you prefer?