Ice Cube Tray Hacks for Flavor & Ease
A clever kitchen hack for preserving fresh flavors and leftover liquids by freezing them in ice cube trays. Ideal for herbs, citrus, berries, and various sauces to reduce waste and simplify future cooking.
Ingredients
- fresh berries as needed for smoothies and desserts
- citrus (lemon lime orange) as needed
- fresh herbs (parsley cilantro basil) as needed
- olive oil as needed for herb cubes
- leftover sauces (pesto tomato paste broth wine)
Instructions
- Gather your desired ingredients such as fresh berries, citrus, herbs, or leftover sauces.
- For berries, wash and pat dry, then place individual berries into ice cube tray compartments. For citrus, zest the peel and freeze zest directly, or juice the fruit and freeze the juice. For herbs, finely chop them and place into compartments, then cover with a small amount of olive oil or water.
- For leftover sauces, simply pour the sauce into the ice cube tray compartments.
- Place the filled ice cube trays into the freezer and freeze until completely solid, typically 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Once frozen, remove the solid cubes from the trays. Transfer them to airtight freezer bags or containers. Label with the contents and date, then return to the freezer for future use.
Notes
Use silicone ice cube trays for easy removal. Once frozen solid, transfer cubes to airtight freezer bags to save space and prevent freezer burn. Label bags with contents and date.