My basil used to die a slow, brown death in the fridge every single week. I would buy a big bunch, use three leaves, and then watch the rest turn to slime by Friday. It felt like I was tossing cash straight into the compost bin.

The ice cube trick I wish I knew sooner

Now I freeze my herbs in olive oil instead. It takes about ten minutes and the flavor holds up for months. Here is what I do.

1. Chop the herbs fine and pack them into an ice cube tray, about two thirds full.
2. Pour olive oil over the top so the leaves are just covered.
3. Freeze until solid, then pop the cubes into a zip bag and label it.

Each cube is roughly one tablespoon, which is perfect when a recipe calls for a little fresh herb flavor. I toss a cube straight into a hot pan and it melts right in.

What actually works best

Parsley, cilantro, rosemary, and thyme all freeze beautifully this way. Basil works too, though it softens a bit. The one thing I would skip is anything you want to garnish with raw, because freezing changes the texture.

I also learned the hard way not to overstuff the tray. My first batch overflowed and froze into one giant herb brick I had to chisel apart with a butter knife. Not my proudest kitchen moment.

That is the whole thing. Ten minutes on a Sunday and I have not bought a sad bunch of dying basil in months.