Freeze Drying Herbs

Holiday recipes inevitably require 1 tablespoon of an herb, but you have to buy a whole stem (or plant!) from the store. That leaves us wondering what to do with all that expensive sage and basil before it turns brown and mushy. If you have a home freeze dryer, it's no problem! You can freeze dry all herbs, and you can even freeze dry different herbs in one batch or with other foods. Freeze dried herbs retain all of their flavor and will keep for years, just like they were fresh, if packaged properly. If you're using herbs from the market this year, freeze dry the extras with your feast leftovers. If you don't already have an herb garden planned for next year, take note of what you're using throughout the Fall and Winter and be sure to plant plenty for freeze-drying next Summer!