Tuesday 14 May 2013

Save money, stop waisting, save your herbs


All too often we buy fresh herbs for a recipe, use a minute amount and leave it to rot in the fridge.
At around £0.80 a pop it really is a shameful waste. In particular after cooking a curry or other exotic fare with 3 or 4 different kinds of herbs.





If you are to use the same herb again in the week; the easiest trick is to place a kitchen paper on your counter, wet your hands under running water and transfer onto the paper.
You then wrap the herb in the paper; pop it back in the bag and it will keep fresh for up to a week.















When you know the herb will only be used later. (This will not work for salads but great for sauce, stocks and soups)
Chop it as coarsely or thinly as you wish and fill an ice-cube tray to about half with the chopped herbs.
Cover with water. Freeze and transfer to marked freezer bag.
Don't forget to keep the stems to flavour soups !




You can keep the herbs for about 4 weeks this way. And you will find you use more of them to flavour soups and sauces as they are so readily available ;-)



26 comments:

  1. this is an excellent idea. I'm definitely going to try using ice cube trays. Herbs are so expensive and I tend to throw half of them away

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    1. Glad you liked the post Linda. There is another simple saving thip here: http://hussylondonhousewife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/save-money-on-meat-and-freeze.html

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  2. Nice idea. I've been guilty about not using mine up. Trying to home grow some to cut down on the problem and the expense (not cheap are they?).

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    1. Unless you have green fingers and grow your own, they really add up quickly.
      Thank you for sharing Erica. x

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  3. Love this idea, going to steal it! :)

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    1. Thank you Nicole. Glad you found the post useful. xx

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  4. Love your ice cube trays of herbs... what a great idea. I love hoarding stuff in my freezer too :-)

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    1. Katie, did you check the post mentioned above in the comments too ?
      x

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  5. I'm always wasting fresh herbs - I won't from now on as we are really on an economy drive so every penny saved and all that.

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    1. @ Homebird really love your blog ! http://www.happyhomebird.com

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  6. Fab idea, I'd never have thought of it! Especially after throwing herbs away in the past after only using them once!

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  7. I tidied out my cupboards the other day and found 4 ice cube trays - I am so pleased I did not put them in the charity bag!! Now I have excellent use for them - Thank You

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  8. great idea, i hate waste but never thought of doing this

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  9. Tabbaz, Samantha, really glad you found the tip useful. Thank you. x

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  10. Throwing out perfectly good grub is a pet hate of mine esp when it's it's quite pricey to buy fresh these days , thanks for the tip will need to try this out at home xoxox

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    1. Linda, there is another freezing tip mentioned underneath the first comment ;-)
      xx

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  11. what a fantastic idea and something id never of thought of. Will impress Mum later too ;)

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  12. i do this when the shop has reduced herbs they freeze perfectly, im currently growing a load my self lol

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    1. Are you growing them indoors or outdoors Laura ?
      I never manage to keep my indoor ones alive ...

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  13. Wow, this is such a fab idea. Definitely got to steal it :)

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  14. Thank you Moonix & Mary. xx

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  15. fab idea, never thought of doing that befor!

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