Freezing Herbs

Everything in my herb garden is at it's peak right now. In Minnesota, that means winter's
coming. There are few things that I miss more, once the snow flies, than going into my yard and clipping fresh herbs. I do have a little hydroponic garden which has a very small yield. It does cover me for most of my fresh herb needs, like garnishing with basil or adding chives to eggs, but much of what I use herbs for is flavoring soups, stocks, baked dishes, etc. That requires some volume and gets expensive in the winter months if you're buying herbs in those little plastic containers for everything.

So, for years I gathered up the my herbs in the fall, made pesto out of the basil and froze it. That's a ritual. The thyme, tarragon, lavender, sage, and such-I'd hang in my pantry to dry. The problem was, they really weren't much different than what I had in jars from Penzy's already. Plus, I'd always forget about them and end up throwing them away because after a month or two, everything gets dusty.
Now, I freeze them.

Here's how I do it:

1. Gather the herbs.
2. Rinse and dry them in a salad spinner. Dry further with paper towels.
3. Remove leaves from stems, if desired. I don't do this for thyme.
4. Lay them in a single layer, individually, on a cookie sheet. Cover with a paper towel and place in the freezer. (You need to do this or they will freeze into a clump.)
5. Once frozen, place in a plastic container, label and return to the freezer.