Here is the problem with fresh herbs: you buy a big bunch of basil, use three leaves, and a week later the rest is a slimy brown puddle in the crisper drawer. I got tired of throwing money away, so I started freezing them.

The fix takes about ten minutes and a $2 ice cube tray.

Chop, pack, and pour

Rinse your herbs, pat them dry, and chop them fine. Pack each cube about two thirds full, then top it off with olive oil. Press the herbs down so they stay under the oil. Freeze overnight, then pop the cubes out and store them in a freezer bag.

That is the whole trick.

Why oil instead of water

Water works, but oil does two extra things. It locks out air so the herbs do not brown, and it means the cube can go straight into a hot pan. Drop one into soup, sauce, or scrambled eggs and it melts right in.

A few pairings I use all the time:

• Basil and olive oil for pasta sauce.
• Cilantro and lime for taco night.
• Rosemary and garlic for roasted potatoes.

One thing I learned the hard way: label the bag. Frozen cubes of basil and frozen cubes of pesto look identical at 6 a.m.