Fresh Herb Bundles (Bouquet Garni)
Bouquet Garni
Preserve summer’s herb bounty for up to six months in the freezer. Toss these herb bundles into soups, stews, teas or even the bath.
Herbs are magic. They are the stuff of flavorful foods, calming teas, cleansing incense, and healing balms. You can use them straight off the plant, chop them into chimichurri, blend them into pesto, or dry them for any number of hot beverages, tinctures, oils, and baths.
Herbs are plentiful and cheap and elevate everything they touch.
Truly herbs are a wonder of the world.
As summer tosses these riches at us in abundance, we like to preserve as much as possible to use all year long. You can dry them, of course (and we show you how here). But you can also preserve fresh herbs for longer than you think.
Meet the bouquet garni—a classic seasoning bundle used in French cuisine to infuse flavor into soups, stews, sauces, and other dishes. It typically consists of fresh herbs, aromatics, and sometimes spices, all tied together in a sachet.
You can follow our basic recipe for a classic bouquet garni, but feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand. Toss these babies in the freezer to use for months.
Gather Your Ingredients
This recipe makes a single bouquet. Have a bunch of herbs? Make lots and store extras in the freezer for up to six months.
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
4-6 sprigs of fresh parsley
1-2 bay leaves
4-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4-6 sprigs of fresh tarragon (optional)
1 small leek or 1 onion (optional)
1 garlic clove (optional)
CoffeeSock bouquet garni infusion bag or 6x6 square of cheesecloth or muslin (you’ll need twine to close the cloth)
Make Your Bouquet Garni
Prepare the herbs: Wash and thoroughly dry all the fresh herbs, but no need to chop them up! The stems add flavor, too! If you’re adding a leek or onion, peel and cut it into quarters. If using garlic, peel and crush it.
Prep your infusion bag: Open your infusion bag or lay out your square of cheesecloth.
Arrange the herbs: Add the thyme, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary, and any optional herbs you're using to the filter bag.
Add aromatics (optional): If you’re using the leek or onion and garlic, add them on top of the herbs in the center of the bag.
Tie it off: Wrap the tie tightly around your infusion bag and slide the metal ring over the top. If you’re using cheesecloth or muslin, gather the edges, creating a bundle around the herbs. Use kitchen twine or butcher's twine to tie the bundle securely.
How to Use the Bouquet Garni
You can toss your bouquet garni directly into any soup, stew, tea, or bath your heart desires. Just throw it right in! You don’t even need to thaw it if it’s frozen.
When you’re done cooking or steeping, pull the bouquet out, let it cool down, open it up and compost the used herbs. You can simply rinse your infusion filter in hot water, then hang it to dry and reuse. Or, if you used it in a particularly flavorful dish, you can boil the filter in water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda.