It's frustrating to buy a bundle of thyme for a recipe, use three sprigs, and watch the rest molder away in the crisper drawer. Avoid trips to the store and less-than-stellar substitutes by keeping fresh ingredients in your freezer. Here's how:
Ginger: Slice the ginger root (skin on) into 1 inch pieces. Place the sections onto a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the slices are frozen, put them into a labeled freezer bag. When you need fresh ginger, simply thaw the desired amount, and mince or slice according to your recipe's directions.
Lemon juice
Squeeze the lemons, and pour the juice into an ice cube tray. Place the tray into the freezer until cubes are solid, and transfer to a labeled container. Return to freezer. If a recipe calls for fresh lemon juice and you don't have a lemon on hand, pull out a cube and voila (each one equals two tablespoons).
Fresh Herbs
Chop or mince any leftover fresh herbs--parsley, cilantro, and basil work very well. Cut a square of tin foil, and place a couple of tablespoons of one type of minced herb into the center. Fold one side of the foil square over the herbs at a time, so you create a small packet. Label and freeze the packets (house them in a small container in the freezer door for easy access). When thawed, the frozen herbs will be a bit soggy, but they're very flavorful and are perfect for soups and sauces.
Good ingredients make the best dishes. So when you can't have garden-picked, settle for fresh-frozen. Bon Appétit.
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