Preparation

Wash, shake dry, and chop. Both flat-leaf (Italian) and curly parsley freeze well, though flat-leaf has stronger flavor.

How to Freeze

Oil cube method: Pack chopped parsley into ice cube trays, fill with olive oil, freeze, and bag. Excellent for dropping into pastas, soups, and sautéed vegetables.

Dry freeze method: Parsley holds up better to dry freezing than most tender herbs. Chop finely, spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan, freeze for 1 hour, then scrape into a freezer bag. The frozen parsley can be sprinkled directly into dishes like dried herbs — but with much better flavor.

Stem bundles: Freeze whole parsley stems in a bag for use in stock-making. Drop frozen stems directly into simmering stock.

How Long It Lasts

3 to 6 months.

How to Thaw

Use from frozen in all cases. Dry-frozen parsley can be crumbled directly over dishes as a finishing herb (it thaws almost instantly on contact with hot food).

Tips

• Parsley is one of the most versatile frozen herbs — it works in virtually any savory dish.
• The dry-freeze method works particularly well for parsley because its leaves have less moisture than basil or cilantro.
• Freeze parsley stems separately for stock — they have even more flavor than the leaves.