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How To Store Fresh Herbs

Fresh Herbs Belong Anywhere You Put Them!

How to store fresh herbs.

Spring is synonomous with fresh herbs, especially if you’re growing your own.

I have a small spot of dirt outside my kitchen door where I grow herbs.  My garden includes rosemary, oregano, mint, and Mexican Mint Marigold which has a wonderful tarragon taste.

So fresh herbs are only a short walk and a quick snip from garden to stove to  add delight to whatever I’m cooking.

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a regular judge on the television show “Chopped” says about herbs, “Fresh herbs really belong anywhere you put them.”

Perhaps you hesitate to buy fresh herbs thinking that they’ll go bad before you can use them.

One listener to “A Savory Moment” has posed this question.  “I love cilantro, but struggle to keep it fresh long enough to use it up.  Do you have any tips?”

Thanks for the great question, Susan!

How To Store Fresh Herbs

Store cleaned herbs like cilantro, parsley, and rosemary in a container filled with water, like a bouquet of flowers, in the refrigerator and change the water frequently.  I’ve had parsley last more than two weeks using this approach.

You can also store other herbs like sage, thyme, and mint in the same way, you’ll just have to use a shorter container so that the herb doesn’t drown in the water.

But remember, the best way to keep herbs fresh is in the dirt just before you snip it. This could be a pot on your windowsill, a balcony, or sown in between the shrubs and flowers around your yard.

They are beautiful adornments to your living space and your food.