Hello everyone - I have been living alone for more then 25 years. Because it
takes me a while to use up a bottle of herbs, here's how I store them.
I store herbs in the freezer and they last indefinitely. I do the same thing
with fresh herbs - from the grocery or garden to the freezer, without any
prior preparation, except to examine them for cleanliness.
For cooking purposes -
Garlic I freeze the whole head in a zip lock bag. A toe will break off the
frozen head real easily, and the peel slips right off - and it slices easier
then before it was frozen.
I freeze ginger and grate it frozen right into the recipe.
Green peppers, green onions, celery, and parsley, I chop by hand, then right
in the zip lock - in the freezer it goes. I guarantee there is never any
waste, and it's always there for cooking.
I have kept them in the freezer for as long as a year and a half, and still
used it for cooking, and they were delicious. I don't blanche anything I
mentioned before I freeze it.
You can even chop everything chunky, because the freezing process breaks
down the fibers, and the veggies soften as soon as they're dropped into the
hot pot.
Food kept in the freezer for a long time, usually doesn't spoil, it just
loses it's quality, and sometimes freeze dries if it's not wrapped
correctly. I have never had any problems.
Cajun Joe from New Orleans
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