Freezing oregano reminds me that True hope has an object? I find so many metaphors for hope as I prepare my herbs for storage. It is hard to trim away at a beautiful growing herb but one must do it in order to allow the herb to grow better and in order to preserve it for use in the kitchen during the cold winter months. Popping the icy cubes out of the freezer and dropping the herb in a simmering pot reminds me that spring will come again.

To store several of my herbs I use the ice cube method. Some herbs do best being frozen in a cube, using water. This includes oregano, sage, mint and others. Other herbs do best frozen in a cube using olive oil (basil for example).

This post demonstrates the storage of oregano. Can you smell the spaghetti simmering on your winter stove?

First,  cut and gather your oregano. I gather the leaf stalks BEFORE it starts to flower, typically in mid June. Then, wash the stalks.

Remove the leaves by holding each stalk in one hand and pinching/sliding down the stem with the other.
Do this until you have a bowl full.

Chop it up, not fine, but in “rough” form by pulsing in your Cuisinart

or by chopping on a block.

Place leaves in ice cube trays (packing each cube fairly tight). Fill with water and freeze.
Pop out the frozen cubes and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer for later use.

How do you use oregano in your cooking? Tell us about it in the comment below. We want to learn from each other.