Simple Ways to Preserve Everyday Herbs (Without Fancy Equipment)

There’s something incredibly satisfying about snipping fresh herbs straight from the garden instead of paying supermarket prices for tiny packets that go mushy faster than you can use them. A handful of homegrown sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, or parsley can flavour meals, make simple herbal teas, and quietly save you money week after week. The challenge, of course, is that herbs often grow faster than we can use them fresh, and that’s where a few simple preserving methods come in. In this guide, we’ll look at easy, accessible ways to dry, freeze, and store common everyday herbs so you can make the most of what you grow without needing expensive equipment or specialist knowledge.

Preserving your own herbs also helps stretch the usefulness of each plant far beyond the growing season. Instead of watching handfuls of fresh herbs bolt or go woody before you can use them, you can turn them into something practical for later in the year – jars of dried thyme for winter stews, frozen parsley ready for sauces, or rosemary-infused oil for roasting potatoes. It’s a simple way to reduce waste, make the most of what you grow, and build a small store cupboard of flavours you’ve produced yourself. Better still, most herb preserving is wonderfully low-tech. You don’t need expensive dehydrators or specialist equipment; a warm room, a low oven, a freezer, and a few clean jars are more than enough to get started.

If you’re looking for advice on growing herbs, I have a couple of past blogs that you might find helpful How to grow your own Rosemary, Ultimate Guide to Growing Sage at Home

The Basics: When and How to Harvest

Before preserving, it helps to harvest your herbs at their best. Aim to pick them on a dry day, ideally in the morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day. This is when their oils, and therefore flavour, are strongest. Use clean scissors or secateurs and avoid taking more than a third of the plant at once to keep it healthy and productive.

When it comes to the jars and containers you will use, make sure everything is clean. Although hot, soapy water will suffice, to be sure, I always put any jar I’m going to use through the dishwasher first and dry thoroughly.

Air Drying Herbs (The Simplest Method)

Drying is one of the easiest and most effective ways to preserve herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme, which all have lower moisture content.

How to do it:

The ventilation is the key here. You should also ensure that the space you choose is not prone to condensation, otherwise your herbs won’t dry properly.

Low Oven Drying Herbs (The Simplest Method)

How to do it:

• Gather your herbs and roughly chop them into similar-sized pieces. This helps them dry more evenly and usually speeds up the drying process while reducing the risk of mould or damp centres, particularly with thicker sage leaves.
• Spread the herbs out on a baking tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Try to arrange the herbs in a fairly even layer without overcrowding the tray. Don’t worry about making it perfect, just give the pieces enough space for airflow.
• Set your oven to a very low temperature, around 30–40°C (85–105°F), and leave the door slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
• Dry until the herbs feel crisp and fully dry, but not browned or baked. Once cooled, crumble the herbs and store them in a clean jar. If you want to add an oxygen absorber for longer storage, you can, but it’s entirely optional

This method is best for:

• Sage, rosemary, and thyme
• Less suited for: chives and parsley (they lose flavour when dried). Having said that, I do this all the time but in quite small batches, and it works well enough.

I tend to dry most herbs in the oven, crush them into small pieces and then store them in an airtight container. There really is nothing like using your own homegrown herbs in the kitchen. I haven’t bought sage, rosemary, or thyme for at least 5 years. Which I have to say, fills my heart with joy on so many levels 😊

Freezing Herbs (Best for Soft Leaves)

Freezing helps retain the fresh flavour of softer herbs like chives and parsley.

Simple freezing method:

• Chop herbs finely
• Make sure your herbs are dry. Even though you will be adding water, you don’t want to be freezing soggy herbs
• Place into ice cube trays
• Cover with water or oil
• Freeze, then transfer cubes to a container or bag

You can also freeze herbs loose in bags, but I find cubes are more practical for cooking. These should last from around 6 to 12 months without significantly losing their flavour.

For freezing loose herbs, I find it best to ‘open freeze’ them first before putting them into a bag. To do this, just wash, dry and chop your herbs – here you do want to make sure they are completely dry to prevent ice crystals from forming. Lay them on a baking tray and spread them out so they are not on top of each other. Pop the tray in the freezer until the herbs are fully frozen. Once you are happy, they are frozen – you can then quickly transfer them into a bag. In theory, this will result in herbs that don’t end up as an unidentifiable clump 😊

This method is best for:

• Chives, parsley, and even thyme, if you prefer a fresher taste

Preserving in Oil

My caveat to preserving herbs in oil is to always store them in the fridge or freezer – never at room temperature! I know many people who do this, and it’s been fine, but I need to make clear that there can be a risk of breeding the bacteria that can cause botulism. This is due to the mixtures anarobic low acid environment.

Botulism is rare and sounds scary, but don’t forget people have been preserving foods since time began (well, almost). I only mention it because I wouldn’t want anyone new to preserving to be lax with their safety standards. So, to reiterate – when preserving herbs in oil, don’t store at room temp!! The fridge or freezer is best.

Having said all that, herbs preserved in oil are incredibly useful in the kitchen and feel like a bit of a luxury without much effort. My advice with this method is to use the best quality oil you can afford. The oil makes an excellent carrier for the herby flavour and has so many uses in the kitchen: Marinades, soups, stews and Mediterranean-style dishes.

How to do it:

• Pack clean, dry herbs into a jar
• Cover fully with oil (olive oil works well)
• Store in the fridge and use within 7 days – the best advice is to use within 1 to 2 weeks, but to be honest, mine never lasts that long anyway, and I wouldn’t want to push it to the 2 weeks – just in case.
• For longer storage, freeze herb oil in cubes instead.

This method is best for:

• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage
• High water content herbs, such as chives, are less stable and will spoil more quickly
• High woody herbs such as sage, rosemary, and thyme are more stable in oil

Preserving Herbs in Butter

Herb butter is one of the easiest and most useful ways to preserve fresh herbs, and it feels far more luxurious to use than the effort involved. It’s perfect for using up small handfuls of herbs and works beautifully melted over vegetables, stirred into potatoes, or spread onto fresh bread.

How to do it:

Best herbs for herb butter:

• Sage
• Chives
• Parsley
• Thyme

Frozen herb butter will usually keep well for several months in the freezer. It can be sliced straight from frozen whenever you need it. It’s also an excellent way to preserve herbs that may not dry particularly well, such as chives (and parsley), while still keeping plenty of their fresh flavour.

Note: If keeping in the fridge, make sure your fridge temp is between 3 and 6 °C (39 and 45 °F) and don’t keep longer than 4 to 7 days. Most UK-based fridge temps are set between 3 & 5 °C, so you should be fine – but always worth checking.

Preserving herbs doesn’t need to be complicated, expensive, or perfectly organised to be worthwhile. A few jars on a shelf, a handful of frozen herb cubes, or a roll of herb butter tucked into the freezer can quietly save money, reduce waste, and bring a little bit of summer flavour into your kitchen long after the growing season ends. Start small, use what you have, and see what works for you. You may be surprised how quickly these simple habits become part of everyday life. Let me know in the comments what your favourite simple preserving method is.

If you enjoyed this post or found it useful, please consider subscribing to the Solitaire Gardener community. Subscribing is free and will keep you up to date with posts & exclusive content directly to your inbox. Just type your email address in the box below and hit the subscribe button. Once subscribed, I’ll send a free ‘DIY Organic Pest Control’ download.

You can also follow me on BlueSky, Pinterest or Instagram.

See below for recent past blogs

• Master Your Garden: The Art of Observation
• Preventing Overgrown Courgettes: Essential Tips
• Top Vegetables to Sow in June for a Bountiful Harvest
• Simple Ways to Preserve Everyday Herbs (Without Fancy Equipment)
• Find Peace: Calm the Chaos and Remember, It’s Not Too Late
• Unlock Healthy Growth with Deep Watering Techniques
• Five Vegetables to Sow in May for New Gardeners
• How to Grow Courgettes: A Simple Step-by-Step

If you are interested in coaching or mentoring focused on gardening and greater self-sufficiency, please visit my coaching pages here Garden Coaching – Mindset and Motivation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your garden projects or are struggling with motivation, then coaching may be for you. I can help you reach your gardening goals, keeping you motivated and helping you plan your self-sufficiency dream your way!