Thyme is a very common herb used in cooking many dishes like meats and soups. It seems to add a hint of a minty flavour to food that is more subtle than mint itself. However, anyone who has cooked with herbs can tell you that it can get expensive if you’re buying thyme. If you’re growing your own thyme then you don’t want to waste it. Today I’ll answer the question “Can I freeze fresh thyme?”. I’ll cover all the options for freezing thyme as well as exact instructions for how to freeze thyme, how long it lasts and how to best thaw thyme to use it.
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4 Options for Freezing Thyme
Freezing is a great way to keep your thyme herbs preserved for longer than their best-before date, but there are a variety of different ways that you can freeze them. So let’s take a look at what they are.
1. Freeze Fresh Thyme As-Is
If you don’t want to spend much time prepping, you can always just place the thyme into a freezer bag and the freezer. Some people will freeze entire thyme sprigs, while others will freeze just the leaves.
Freezing without any preparation usually isn’t the best idea. Without any prepping, thyme will only stay good in the freezer for about 1-2 months, if that. You can better prepare your thyme to last longer by using one of the other freezing thyme options. Keep reading.
2. Blanching Fresh Thyme before Freezing
Blanching is a great thyme preparation option because it helps keep the colour and the texture too, not just the flavour. When you blanch thyme, you’re getting rid of some of the woodiness of the plant. Getting rid of the woodiness will minimize the texture and flavour of the herb, but only subtly.
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It’s not going to work for every use though, and blanching thyme before freezing is best for when you’re cooking soups, stir-frying, or making stews.
3. Flash Freeze Fresh Thyme
Have you ever frozen your herbs and then become annoyed when you tried to use some later? The herbs just stick together and won’t come apart easily. I highly recommend flash-freezing fresh thyme as the best way to prevent this.
4. Using Ice Cube Trays to Freeze Fresh Thyme
Another option to preserve your fresh thyme is to freeze it inside ice cube trays. This method is one of my favourites because you’ll place a set amount of thyme into each ice cube “hole”, for me I have entire recipes made up that includes “1 ice cube of thyme”.
This makes cooking easy because you’ll know exactly how many “ice cubes” you need for your dish and can just thaw that amount. The water and oil in the ice cube tray will also help keep the herb fresher for longer.
I like this method because it can be added directly to food while it’s cooking. It’s one of the most popular methods for putting together stews and chowders.
How to Freeze Thyme
How do you freeze fresh thyme? Freezing thyme is quick and easy, even with the prep work involved. If you prep your thyme then it will last longer and it really is best to figure out what you might want to use it for to pick the best prep method. Blanching, flash freezing, and creating ice cubes are all good options for preserving thyme.
How to Freeze Fresh Thyme Sprigs & Leaves
As I said above, whichever method you choose above will determine how you’ll freeze your thyme. Let’s get into the instructions here.
Freeze Fresh Thyme Sprigs & Leaves As-Is
This method of freezing thyme is the easiest:
- Make sure that there is no obvious rot, mildew or dirt on the thyme
- Place your sprig or leaves of thyme into a freezer bag
- Squeeze out all the air in the freezer bag and close it
- Place the bag into the freezer
Blanching Fresh Thyme Sprigs & Leaves
Blanching thyme before freezing it will take a few more steps, but your herb will last longer as a result of it.
- Rinse the thyme to remove any debris
- Boil a pot of water
- Place the sprigs of thyme into the water for 45 seconds
- Immediately remove the thyme and place it into a bowl of cold water
- Allow the leaves to soak in the cold water for about 10 minutes
- Remove the thyme and place it on a clean tea towel
- Pat the thyme dry with the clean tea towel > my eco-friendly tea towel guide is here
- Place the thyme into a freezer bag. You can freeze entire sprigs or just the leaves
- Squeeze excess air from the bag and close it
- Place the bag in the freezer after labelling it with the date
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Flash Freezing Fresh Thyme Sprigs & Leaves
This method stops herbs from sticking together when they’re frozen:
- Rinse the thyme to remove any debris
- Place on a colander or on a drying rack for 10 minutes to dry
- Place the thyme on a dry towel and pat dry
- Remove the leaves from the stems and place them in a bowl
- Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of wax paper
- Lay the leaves evenly across the wax paper without any overlapping. You should form a single layer with no leaves touching
- Place the tray of leaves directly into the freezer for 1-2 hours
- Remove the tray and move the leaves into a freezer bag
- Squeeze any excess air from the bag and seal it
- Label the bag with the date and place it in the freezer
Freezing Fresh Thyme Sprigs & Leaves in Ice-Cube Trays
- Rinse the thyme to remove any debris
- Take the leaves off the stems
- Using a knife and cutting board, dice up the thyme leaves
- Spray a thin layer of oil into the ice cube tray. You could also soak a paper towel in oil and rub the ice cube tray with the paper towel
- Sufficiently fill each ice cube cell with the diced thyme
- Top up each ice cube cell with water, but leave a bit of space at the top
- Finish filling the ice cube cells to the top with a bit of olive oil. At this point, all the leaves should be submerged
- Wrap the tray with plastic wrap to prevent spilling (optional)
- Place the ice cube trays into the freezer
- After the ice cubes are completely frozen, you can remove the cubes from the tray and place them into a freezer bag
- Squeeze extra air out of the bag and seal it
- Label the bag with the date and place it in the freezer
How to Thaw Thyme (and use it)
In most cases, you won’t need to thaw frozen Thyme before using it. You can simply toss the frozen thyme into whatever dish you’re working on, and it’ll thaw on its own. Of course, if you’ve frozen the entire sprig, you’ll need to remove the leaves from the stem first.
If you do choose to thaw your thyme, it can go bad if you leave it out for too long. Thyme is very thin, so it thaws very quickly. If you don’t use it within an hour of removing it from the freezer, it will become soggy.
If you feel the need to thaw your thyme, make sure you place it in the refrigerator. This will allow the thyme to safely defrost without going bad.
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FAQs on Freezing Thyme
Got questions about freezing thyme? Or want to know more about how to freeze thyme and we haven’t answered your questions? Check out our frequently asked questions about freezing thyme below, or ask us yours in the comments.
Can Fresh Thyme be Frozen?
Yes, and like many herbs, it is recommended to freeze fresh thyme. Sure, fresh thyme is always the best option when cooking, but this isn’t always possible. Usually, when you harvest or buy fresh thyme, you’re not going to be able to use it all before it goes bad. This is where freezing comes in.
Should you Freeze Dried Thyme?
Fresh thyme doesn’t last very long after you’ve harvested it, or if you’ve bought fresh thyme. Usually, when you use fresh thyme, you’ll have a lot left over. If you can’t use all of it within a week, it’s going to go to waste.
A good way to solve this is to freeze it. Freezing will keep your thyme usable for months. When you freeze your herbs, you’re ensuring that you’re not wasting anything, and it allows you to be prepared for the future.
If you don’t want to freeze your thyme, but still need a way to preserve it, try drying it instead. Drying is another great method for preparing your fresh thyme. Like freezing, drying thyme will make it last for months, saving you plenty of money.
Can you Freeze Thyme Sprigs?
Technically, yes, you can store entire sprigs of thyme in the freezer. Thyme will always last longer in the freezer than it will in your fridge. However, I don’t recommend this.
If you want your thyme to last for several months, you need to prepare it properly before freezing it. Preparing thyme is simply easier when the stems aren’t involved and you just use the leaves.
Still, if you only need to save your thyme for a few weeks, feel free to go ahead and freeze the whole sprig. The leaves will fall off the sprig after they’re cooked, so many people find it easier to just leave them attached.
How Long Does Frozen Thyme Last?
If you freeze whole sprigs without preparation, they’ll probably only last a few weeks before they become freezer burnt.
But, if you prepare your thyme before freezing, you can save it for up to 6 months. Think how much money you can save by prepping and freezing your extra thyme!
All My Herb Freezing Guides
Final Words on How to Freeze Fresh Thyme
Thyme is a very common herb used all over the world. It’s great to cook with fresh thyme if you can, but that’s not always an option. Fresh thyme doesn’t last for very long, so you usually end up throwing away whatever you don’t use in your meal. Freezing solves this problem by allowing you to save that leftover fresh thyme for later use. Blanch it, flash freeze it, or make it into ice cubes. The choice is yours.
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