Two most common solutions to keeping herbs fresh.
- Make an herb bouquet. Cut the stems and put them in a cool cup of
water, and cover them lightly with a plastic bag keeping the bottom open to
allow in fresh air. Then depending on what the herb is, place it in the door
compartment of your fridge. The door strikes a good balance of being cooler
then room temperature, but not too cold for most herbs. Mint and Basil are
happier on a windowsill at room temperature. Cilantro and Parsley will do great
in the fridge as they prefer cooler temperatures.
- Wrap the herbs. This option is great if you are worried about water dumping all over the place. You can wrap the herbs in a wet paper towel and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Be sure to check the paper towel every few days to make sure it hasn't dried out. You can also wrap the herbs in a clean damp kitchen towel for a greener solution. Place the wrapped herbs in the fridge. Not all herbs need to be as moist as others. Rosemary, Thyme and other more woody herbs will mold if too moist. A damp cloth or paper towel will work better than a wet one for them.
The idea is to keep them just moist enough that they stay
vibrant and green instead of wilted and black. Once your herbs turn black, or
the stems start to mold, it is time to throw them out. The above techniques
extend the life of the herb from a few days to a bit over a week depending on
how diligent you are in changing the water or monitoring the towel moisture.
If that still sounds pretty involved, we have a few
different herb keepers that will streamline the process for you.
You can buy
these at cheftools.com.
