The Ice Cube Tray Hack For Easy Homemade Herb Butter

Butter is a somewhat unique ingredient with the uncanny ability to enhance the flavor of anything it touches. Baked goods, pasta dishes, grilled meats — some people even put butter in their coffee. Still, as good as it is on its own, butter can be enhanced by transforming it into compound butter. Adding garlic, herbs, and various other ingredients (cranberries make a festive compound butter) takes the fat to another level. Having tabs of herby butter available on a whim is a simple process, but if you have a spare ice cube tray on hand, it's even easier — marking yet another unconventional use for the handy-dandy ice cube tray.

Most restaurants form their compound butter into a log and portion it out as needed because they go through it fast. But if you just want a few tabs ready for when the mood strikes, you should use an ice cube tray to set them. Once the mix has frozen solid, you can effortlessly remove the cubes from the tray and place them inside a freezer-safe bag for easy access. They can sit in the freezer for up to three months before the quality starts to deteriorate, giving you plenty of time to enjoy them with bread, steaks, or whatever catches your fancy on any given day.

You can put anything you think is tasty into compound butter. However, no matter what you're elevating it with, the fat needs to be soft (but not melted) when you start. For a simple garlic herb butter, incorporate one clove of minced garlic and two to four tablespoons of minced herbs into a mixing bowl with one stick of butter. (A glass mixing bowl allows you to verify everything is getting mixed in evenly.)

If the stick is unsalted, add one teaspoon of salt. Now, fill each section of your ice cube tray with the blend and freeze until solid before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag. Bear in mind that flavors will linger in plastic ice cube trays, so dedicating a specific tray to making butter cubes would be wise — otherwise you'll end up with funky-tasting ice.

If you want a more herbaceous butter, add in a larger portion of fresh minced herbs. You can use parsley, oregano, basil, or whatever else you think would complement the dishes you plan on using it with. You can make it as herby as you like, from butter with little flecks of green to tabs that look like they were made for a St. Patrick's Day party. Not only does this get you a flavorful accompaniment to a delicious dish, it's also a great way to use up any fresh herbs that might be on their way out.