Storing Fresh Herbs
Storing Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are among the most wonderful ingredients you can have in your kitchen. They're versatile, and flavorful, and they bring a wealth of nutrients to your plate. They’re flavorful little powerhouses — like nature’s medicine. The aromas alone are enticing! Plus, cooking with fresh herbs is incredibly easy, and they’re so low in calories.
To make the most of your herbs, here’s a simple tip for storing them so you can make the most of your aromas.
Ingredients
The fresher your herbs are to start, the longer they’ll last. When possible, try to buy a fresh bunch from a farmers' market or grocery store rather than herbs stored in a container.
Rosemary and thyme I buy from a farmers market will last up to three weeks. The type of herb also matters. Hearty herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley, mint, and sage will last longer than less hearty herbs like dill, tarragon, chervil, and chives or fragile herbs like basil. If you just have some rosemary, thyme, and parsley stored, you can do so much!
Instructions
To store your herbs, take a paper towel or two large enough to wrap around the herbs twice. Wet the towel in cold water and wring it out well. The towel should be damp, not soaking wet.
Lay the fresh herbs on the damp paper towel and gently roll them up.
Place the herbs in a vegetable storage bag or on a kitchen towel and roll them up, closing the ends. Store them in the vegetable drawer in your refrigerator.
Herbs at the farmers' market in vegetable storage bags
To make the most of your herbs, you may also enjoy making some pesto and herbed butter to keep them on hand — and you can even freeze some. Imagine having an ice cube tray with these fabulous condiments prepared — the possibilities of what you can whip up are endless.
Shrimp and cucumber on toast with herbed butter
Parsley butter ready to freeze in a souper cube tray
If you'd like more ideas for cooking with herbs, just type in the name of the herb in the search bar, and recipe ideas will pop up. Dill, sage, basil, rosemary, parsley, or chives — pick the ideas you want to try and save them to your recipe app under the category "To Try," and you'll have a list of fresh ideas when you need them.
