Now is the time to think about preserving any superfluous herbs in the garden for use in the winter, when the fresh herbs are no longer available. Dried herbs keep for years but are better if used within a year.

Frozen herbs do loose their colour, but some flavour is retained.

• Woody herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme can be dry-frozen. Place the leaves in a plastic freezer bag, squeeze the air out of the bag, tie and freeze. Parsley can be frozen in this way. When frozen, the bag can be rolled and squashed to ‘chop’ the parsley.
• Soft herbs like tarragon, chives, dill, fennel, lovage, parsley & basil can be frozen in ice. Chop the leaves finely and pack into ice-cube trays. Cover with water and freeze. When frozen, tip the cubes into a plastic bag and store in the freezer, using a cube as needed.
• Basil can be frozen as a puree. Wizz the basil in a blender with a little olive oil. Freeze in ice-cube trays, then store the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer.