Freezing fresh wild fennel is a common necessity in my land, where this aromatic herb is widely used in cooking.
In particular, its main use in Sicily is in pasta with sardines.
The leaves are then an essential element of this dish, and for this, and for other tasty preparations that include them, by freezing them we can ensure a nice supply, to draw from when the production period of fennel, typical of spring, passes.
The procedure for freezer preservation is simple to follow and will allow you to flavor dishes with the characteristic aroma of fennel.
With this method, its fragrance will be excellently preserved, and it will be as if used fresh.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 12.83 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 0.00 (g) of which sugars 1.50 (g)
- Proteins 1.80 (g)
- Fat 0.00 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 3.33 (g)
- Sodium 211.50 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 89 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 21 oz wild fennel (fresh)
Tools
- Large Pot
- Vegetable Knife
- Chopping Board
- Freezer Bags
- Freezer-Safe Bowls
Preparation
To preserve fresh wild fennel, clean it by removing only the most tender parts, which are its leaves, and wash it.
Blanch for about 8 minutes in enough water to cover the fennel, therefore plentiful but not excessive.
If you want to keep the liquid, the fennel can be put on the stove along with the water, and it will release even more of its aroma into it.
Remove it then with a slotted spoon without discarding the cooking liquid.
Place the fennel in a colander to lose any other liquid.
Then transfer it onto kitchen towels and let it cool spread out for at least a couple of hours, changing the towels if they become wet.
Indeed, if the leaves are well dried when preserved, they will not clump together, but when frozen, they will be easily crumbled.
Keeping the cooking liquid will be useful for cooking pasta in it, or eventually to dilute sauces during cooking, thus obtaining dishes with a more intense flavor.
When the fennel is cold and dry, cut into pieces the right size to use directly by pouring the desired amount into our preparation.
The cooking liquid, when cold, can be frozen in freezer-safe containers, or if not available, also kept in freezing bags, as I did.
The fennel will be used by adding it directly frozen to various dishes during cooking.
Conversely, its cooking water should partially thaw so it can be easily removed from the jar or bag and poured into the pot.
Here’s the procedure completed for freezing and, therefore, preserving fresh wild fennel longer.
Preservation
In the freezer, the leaves and liquid will retain their aroma for about three months. To clearly identify the optimal preservation period, indicate the freezing start date on each bag.
In the freezer, the leaves and liquid will retain their aroma for about three months. To clearly identify the optimal preservation period, indicate the freezing start date on each bag.
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