Can You Freeze Parsley? How?

With this comprehensive guide, we aim to provide you with all the information necessary to freeze parsley at ease in your home.

Let’s move right along to the first method for you to freeze parsley at home!

Freezing Parsley Rolled into Balls in Freezer Bags

This method is fairly simple; does not take up too much time or effort and also makes the parsley easy to use later on, whenever you need.

All you need is airtight resealable Ziplock freezer bags.

Prep the Parsley for Freezing

This is the essential first step, no matter which method you decide to go with to freeze your parsley.

It is essential that your parsley is thoroughly washed, clean, and dried.

You can either let them air-dry, or use paper towels to pat them dry.

Remember to be very gentle so the leaves don’t break or crush.

Remove the Stems

Once your parsley is completely dry, use a knife, or even your hands, to carefully separate the parsley leaves from the stems.

If you would rather keep the stems, that is fine too, simply skip this step.

Roll the Parsley Leaves into a Ball

The key here is to pack them nicely and tightly. Use your hands to gently and carefully roll the leaves into one ball.

This makes them freeze quite well.

Pack the Parsley Ball Inside an Airtight Freezer Bag

Try to use a bag that fills up completely and can be packed tightly with your ball of parsley leaves. Make sure to stuff the bag entirely, tightly.

Seal and Freeze

Transfer the parsley into airtight resealable freezer bags and label them. Make sure they are sealed tightly and securely.

They are ready to freeze!

Freezing Parsley in Oil

This method makes the frozen parsley perfect to be used in sauces, stews and soups. It is an efficient method that can be used to freeze other herbs like oregano too.

Prepare the Parsley for Freezing

For every method, this is an essential step that cannot be missed. Just follow this simple mantra: Trim-Wash-Clean-Dry.

Blend with Olive Oil

Once prepped, put the parsley in a food processor or blender, with one-fourth cup of olive oil, and then blend until a little chunky.

Pour Blended Mix into Ice Cube Trays

Pour the blended parsley-oil mixture into ice cube trays; be sure to not fill the cubes to the brim. Leave a little overhead space for the cube to expand.

Flash-freeze Cubes

Flash-freeze the parsley-oil cubes by placing the trays in the freezer for at least 5 to 6 hours. To be safe, you can also flash-freeze overnight.

Transfer into Resealable Airtight Freezer Bags

Once frozen hard enough, pop the parsley-oil cubes and place them inside airtight freezer bags. Do this very quickly and carefully so that the cubes do not start thawing.

Seal and Freeze

Seal the bags very tightly securely after squeezing out all the air from them. Label them. They are ready to freeze!

This is a fail-safe method that should allow you to freeze your herbs for up to 5 to 6 months!

How to Freeze Parsley Pesto

Freezing parsley pesto is also a really great way to freeze parsley and use it in different recipes.

Parsley freezes really well in the form of pesto, which is essentially a blend of oil, nuts and herbs.

Freezing parsley pesto preserves the fresh flavor of parsley and in the form of a delicious condiment that can be used in topping salads, pastas, fish or meat.

Here is a guide detailing how to make parsley pesto:

Once you have that covered, let’s move on to freezing the pesto!

Spoon the Pesto, Serving Portions Wise, into Individual Small Airtight Freezer Bags

Dividing into serving portions allows you to use only as much of the pesto as you need at a time, without touching the rest, avoiding having to re-freeze or any hassles.

Use a sturdy spoon to fill up small airtight freezer bags with the pesto.

Do not fill the freezer bag to the brim; leave at least half to one inch of headspace for the pesto to expand when freezing.

Seal and Freeze

Squeeze out all the air possible from the airtight freezer bags, before you seal securely.

Remember that your parsley pesto may not freeze well if the bags are not sealed carefully.

Once sealed, label with the storage date, and stick the bags flat in the freezer. Your parsley pesto can be kept in freezer storage for up to 6 months!

How Long Can You Freeze Parsley?

Like most other herbs, parsley can actually be kept in freezer storage for quite a long time.

However, when it comes to optimum flavor, it is obviously not recommended that you freeze it indefinitely.

Parsley should be consumed within 5 to at the most 6 months of freezing for best quality and flavor.

In some cases, it can be kept in freezer storage for up to a year, but like with all other frozen foods, always check for signs of spoilage before consuming.

For parsley, the best indications of the herbs being in good condition are the smell and color.

When frozen over a period of around a year, parley’s strong odor and green color are maintained, however, some of its texture and flavor may be lost.

How to Store Frozen Parsley?

As described in detail in the methods, parsley can either be frozen when rolled into a ball, or in water when frozen into ice cubes, or also in oil when frozen into mint-oil cubes.

For all the processes and methods prescribed here, using heavy-duty, airtight, resealable, freezer friendly bags and pouches to freeze your parsley is a must.

And they need to be sealed really well.

A vacuum sealer is actually a great investment for this purpose, especially if you freeze food often. It would help get all the air out.

How to Defrost Frozen Parsley?

Frozen parsley as well as any kind of cubes do not need to be defrosted as such, you can simply add them to your recipe, or in some cases to your beverage directly.

If you need to defrost frozen parsley, simply transfer the freezer bags holding them from the freezer into the refrigerator and let the parsley thaw overnight.

However, we would advise against using frozen parsley as a garnish, as once frozen and thawed, they lose a bit of their texture, becoming soggy and therefore not a great addition as a garnish.

Can You Re-freeze Frozen Parsley?

We advise against re-freezing parsley, as repeating the entire process of freezing thawing again would only completely deteriorate the flavor of the herbs, ultimately rendering it unusable and inedible, leaving you with a bland, mushy, soggy green sludge.

Try your best to use it up the first time it is thawed.

This is why freezing in portions also helps: you can only take, thaw and use the amount you need at that time.

Does Parsley Freeze Well?

Parsley does indeed freeze well! In fact, freezing it actually helps maintain its nutritional values and even distinct flavor.

However, make sure it is not left in the freezer indefinitely, in which case chances are that it will get bad and inedible.

Also ensure the freezer temperature stays steady and consistent and that the bags or containers you are freezing the parsley in are sealed really tightly and securely.

FAQs

Bottom Line

We earnestly hope this detailed, comprehensive guide covering all the best methods to freeze parsley successfully, along with parsley pesto, at the safety and ease of your home, has helped you in your freezing experiences!

For any further questions you may have, please reach out and let us know, we would love to help you out.

If you have any other tips and tricks you would like to add here, definitely let us know, we will add them to the guide so they can reach and help more people!

If this has helped you, please do share with your friends and family so that they can also use this guide!