Fresh Herb Spread with Parsley and Basil: Daregal Gourmet Fresh Frozen Herbs

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Last Updated on June 27, 2021 by Alaina

“I received a sampler of Darégal Gourmet fresh frozen herbs to review as a part of a Blog Friendly PR campaign. All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.”

Now that Summer is over, the herb garden is dying off and finding fresh herbs is getting to be a bit harder and a lot more expensive. Sure, you could go to the grocery and purchase a bunch a herbs, half of which will wind up going to waste since there are so many on one clump, or you could pay for those over-priced tiny plastic containers, the majority of which will also wither away before being used up. Or, you could try these wonderful fresh frozen herbs that I recently had the opportunity to try for myself by Darégal!

Darégal Gourmet herbs are a gluten-free, allergen-free product from France that are also sold here in the US. These delicious fresh frozen herbs are already washed and chopped, and will last for up to 36 months in the freezer.

Darégal Gourmet Herbs are 100% natural and high-quality. They owe their incredibly fresh taste due to the fact that are processed within 3 hours of being harvested. Once the herbs are harvested, chopped, and washed they are then coated with a light mist of natural vegetable oils which helps to prevent the herb particles from sticking to one another. This unique process also preserves the flavor, aroma, color and nutrients of the freshly picked herbs.

Fresh frozen herbs are more convenient and cost-effective than fresh herbs and so much better tasting than dried. Since only the choice part of the herbs are used – no stems – there is no waste, and since they are already chopped and washed, all you have to do is open the container and shake out what you need. The chart below can help you see the comparisons between Darégal Gourmet fresh frozen herbs and others such as dried or refrigerated herbs.

Darégal Gourmet herbs come in easy-to-use shaker packaging that reminds me of milk cartons and fits perfectly in your freezer door. To open you simply pull of the lid, pop open the seal and pour out what you need. They are available in several different varieties and blends, four of which I was sent: Ginger, Parsley, Cilantro and Basil.

At first, I didn’t know what to expect from Darégal’s fresh frozen herbs, but now I am real impressed with their flavor and ease of use. There is no need to defrost them before adding them to your favorite recipe. Simply pull them out of the freezer and measure out what you need. If they’re in a frozen clump in the box then you can bang the box on the counter a bit and it will break them up. They will then easily pour into your hand.

You can literally see and smell the superior quality compared to other frozen herbs, and of course dried herbs, as soon as you open the package. In fact, once you try Darégal Gourmet herbs you will see that there is absolutely no comparison other than price to dried herbs with their coarse, unnatural texture and flat flavor. I was very I pleased with the color of the herbs, which is so much more bright and appetizing than dried herbs in a jar. Even herbs I have tried to freeze myself don’t have this incredibly fresh look like the Darégal herbs have. The aroma was quite amazing, especially when cooking, and the taste was outstanding. Even the price is reasonable, but best of all, these fresh frozen herbs are available all year round!

Here’s a recipe for a tasty spread I decided to make using a combination of a recipe I found on Cooks.com and a few twists of my own.  It tastes great on crackers and chips!

Fresh Herb Spread with Parsley and Basil

Ingredients

1  8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese

3 tbsp butter, at room temp.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp onions

2 tbsp fresh parsley

1/2 tsp fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

Pinch of oregano

Dash of salt and pepper

Directions

Leave cream cheese and butter at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, mince herbs, onion and garlic with olive oil until coarsely chopped, but not pureed.

Add the butter, then cream cheese, and process/blend for a few seconds.

Add a dash of salt and a dash of pepper.

At this point, you may want to finish mixing in a bowl so as not to over-process.

Cover and refrigerate.

Serve with crackers, biscuits or veggie sticks. Enjoy!

Darégal Gourmet Herbs can be purchased in the Northeast region at Stop-n-Shop, Giant Landover, and Shaws stores.