Freezing curry leaves is by far the best way of preserving them. Using the leaves dry tends to lose some of that delicate, aromatic fragrance that fresh curry leaves have. My preference is to freeze some whenever I have a supply of fresh curry leaves.
How to Freeze Fresh Curry Leaves
- Remove the leaves form the stalks
- Discard any spoilt leaves
- Wash thoroughly under cold water
- Spread the leaves out on some kitchen roll to dry
- Once dry simply place in a zip lock bag in the freezer
It is important to use a zip lock freezer bag to store the leaves in. Without a bag the leaves are prone to drying out and losing long term flavour.
To use frozen curry leaves simply remove as many as you need from the freezer and add to the pan. There is no need to defrost the leaves first.
Why not grow your own?
I’ve had mixed success in the past when it comes to taking cuttings from fresh curry leaves that have been bought from the local Indian supermarket. A few cuttings that I have made in the past have taken however the plants have never really prospered.
Much more successful was buying a small plant from a UK supplier (link here). The small plant arrived in the post in the depths of last winter and now spring is here it as started to put on some good growth!