Herb Butter from the Garden
Compound herb butter — softened butter mixed with fresh herbs, garlic, citrus, or spices — is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to use your herb harvest. It takes five minutes to make, elevates simple dishes into something special, and freezes beautifully for months. If you grow herbs, you should always have a log of herb butter in the freezer.
Basic Method
- Start with a stick (4 oz / 113g) of good unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Finely chop 2–4 tablespoons of fresh herbs.
- Mix the herbs into the butter along with a pinch of salt (and any other additions you like).
- Spoon the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, roll into a log, twist the ends, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour).
- Slice into rounds as needed.
Flavor Combinations
- Classic fines herbes: chives, parsley, tarragon, and a little dill
- Italian: basil, oregano, garlic, sun-dried tomato
- Roast dinner: rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest
- Spice-forward: cilantro, lime zest, minced Thai chili
- Brown butter sage: Brown the butter first in a pan until it smells nutty, let it cool to room temperature, then fold in minced sage leaves
Uses
Melt a round on top of grilled steak, fish, or chicken. Toss with hot pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables. Spread on bread before grilling or broiling. Stir into mashed potatoes. Melt into scrambled eggs. Place a round under the skin of a chicken before roasting.
Freezing
Herb butter logs freeze for up to 3 months with no loss of quality. You can also freeze in ice cube trays for individually portioned pieces. This is an excellent way to preserve a bumper herb crop — see Preserving Herbs for Winter for more ideas.