Preserving Fresh Herbs - Tip of the Day

by Alexa Weibel, Posted Nov 19th 2009 @ 9:00AM

Do you buy fresh herbs to enhance your dishes but too often find them having gone bad in your refrigerator? Boost their shelf life with this preservation secret.

Photo: Marco Veringa, Flickr.

So we've already suggested one way to freeze herbs -- but how many people actually have the space in their freezer to lay out individual herbs on cookie sheets with the holidays approaching?

Rather than spreading them out in a dizzying expanse, if you are planning to use the herbs simply to plop into soups, stews, sauces and various other dishes, it's much easier to chop them finely and stuff them (gingerly!) into the cubicles of an ice cube tray. Cover them with water and freeze; that way you can simply pop one out and throw it into your cooking for some added last-minute flavor.

If you're not even looking that far -- say you simply want your herbs to last a week in the refrigerator -- we've got some suggestions. If you're trying to extend the lifespan of a woody-stemmed herb (like thyme or rosemary), clean it in lukewarm water then snip off an inch at the bottom of the stem before placing the herb in a container with an inch of water at the bottom. Cover loosely with a plastic bag and change the water every day for best results.

If you're storing soft-stemmed herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, etc.), wash them gently and shake off the excess water. Once fairly dry, place them in between paper towels and roll the paper towels up. Place them inside an unsealed plastic Ziploc bag and they'll keep fresh refrigerated this way for up to one week. In both cases, keeping the leaves on the stems will increase the lifespan and freshness of the herb.

Although dried herbs work well in a pinch, with these simple tips you won't have an excuse to pass up storing fresh herbs in your refrigerator year-round for an extra burst of flavor.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Filed Under: Tip of the Day
Tags: herbs, Herbs in a bag, HerbsInABag, perserving

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-20-2009 @10:43AM Angela Pitt said... I do this with my fresh herbs and it really works. It's important to get them out of the plastic bags
they are purchased in quickly to extend the shelf
life on them.
Reply