Freezing Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil (Step-by-Step)

You can keep fresh basil, cilantro, and rosemary alive for up to six months by freezing them in olive oil inside a standard ice cube tray. A $3 bunch of grocery store herbs should not die in your fridge drawer after three days. This two-step method changes how you stock your kitchen forever.

Here is the exact process professional cooks use to avoid throwing away expensive fresh herbs.

Why Olive Oil is the Perfect Freezing Agent

Water-based freezing destroys herb cell walls, turning them into a black, mushy slime when thawed. Olive oil encapsulates the cell structure entirely, preserving both the color and the potent flavor oils inside the leaves.

When you drop a frozen herb cube directly into a hot pan, the oil melts immediately and releases a burst of perfectly preserved fresh herb flavor. It is identical to using fresh herbs, but at a fraction of the cost.

Pro-Tip from the Chef: My catering company went through enormous amounts of fresh rosemary every weekend. We started batching our Monday prep by blending all leftover herbs with olive oil and freezing massive sheet pans of the mixture. Each Sunday we would have instant, perfectly portioned herb bombs ready to drop into any pan.

The Step-by-Step Freezing Process

Step 1: Wash and Completely Dry Your Herbs

Any surface moisture will cause ice crystals to form inside the oil, which degrades quality over time. After washing, spread your herbs on a clean kitchen towel and press them until they are fully dry.

Step 2: Strip Leaves from Woody Stems

Tough, fibrous stems from rosemary or thyme add no flavor and take up space. Strip them off by running your fingers backward down the stem, which pulls every leaf off cleanly in one motion.

Step 3: Roughly Chop and Fill Each Tray Cell

You do not need uniform, fine mincing. Roughly chop the herbs and pack each cell of a standard ice cube tray about two-thirds full. The oil will fill the remaining gaps.

Step 4: Cover Completely with Olive Oil

Pour olive oil over the herbs until each cell is totally submerged. Press the herbs down with a spoon to force out any trapped air pockets. Cover the tray in plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of four hours.

Step 5: Transfer to a Zip-Lock Bag

Once frozen solid, pop the cubes out and store them in a labeled, dated freezer bag. They keep perfectly for up to six months without any loss of flavor.

Which Herbs Work Best

• Excellent: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, and chives all freeze perfectly in oil.
• Good: Parsley, cilantro, and basil work well but turn slightly darker in color (flavor stays perfect).
• Avoid: Dill and mint release too much water and should instead be frozen flat on a baking sheet without oil.

Put Your Herb Cubes to Immediate Use

Drop a rosemary cube directly into a hot pan before searing chicken or lamb. Use a cilantro-olive oil cube as the base for your next batch of black beans or rice.

If you want to discover exactly which recipes call for your specific herbs, plug your inventory into our free Fridge-to-Feast Recipe Generator tool for instant meal ideas tailored to what you have on hand.