Storing Fresh Herbs

Having a fresh herb garden right outside the kitchen is a great way to keep creating vibrant and interesting dishes. This luxury is enjoyed by some, but definitely not the masses. Most of us need to purchase fresh herbs and then try to figure out the best way to keep them from going limp. There are different ways to achieve this goal but we think the best way is to enjoy them all day while still being able to quickly reach for them at dinnertime, or anytime.

Fresh flowers make the home fragrant and beautiful. Fresh herbs do a similar trick in the kitchen, with the added practicality of being ready to grab and put to use whenever desired. Another added bonus is that the shelf life of fresh herbs is extended due to the stems sitting in water.

how to store fresh herbs

How to Store Fresh Herbs

Storing Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs turn into limp herbs pretty quickly whether you leave them on the counter or in the refrigerator. Just like fresh flowers, they need water to keep them perky. So, leave them out on the counter only if you want dried herbs, place them in the fridge with a damp paper towel around the stems if you’ll be using them shortly and enjoy them in a vase if you want them to remain fresh for longer.

Day 1:

how to store fresh herbs

To make this useful display for storing fresh herbs simply gather up a bouquet of various fresh herbs, you can rinse them off with cold water and then gently shake off any excess water to save time later. Then fill a vase or other displayable container about 3/4 full of cold water before placing the herb stems into the vase. Arrange them nicely to enjoy while doing the dishes or just passing through. You can then grab fresh herbs whenever cooking or when a nice garnish is desired. Exchange the water in the vase for fresh water every few days or when it begins to look murky. They will last longer if placed near the sink and away from the stove.

Preparing a picnic? Place the bouquet of fresh herbs outside on a picnic table where they will not only be fragrant and earthy, but will also be helpful as a natural mosquito repellant [1].

Day 3:

Compare our bouquet on day three to the herbs we instead placed into the refrigerator and the ones we just left out on the counter. The counter ones are drying out and the fridge ones are beginning to show some signs of age but the herb bouquet is thriving. You can expect a herb bouquet to last a few weeks on the counter, depending on which herbs used.

how to store fresh herbs

Day 7:

Some of the herbs will actually continue to grow when placed into water. We used parsley, basil, rosemary, chives and peppermint in our bouquet. Check out the height of the parsley in the next picture (day 7) as compared to the one at the top of this post (day 1). The very top doesn’t even fit into the picture anymore on day 7 of the bouquet!!

how to store fresh herbs

How to Store Fresh Herbs

Additional Info

Another great way to save fresh herbs is to make herb butter.

To learn how to re-crisp vegetables, see our crisp lettuce post.

To explore the unique qualities of fresh and dried herbs, see our fresh vs dried page for more information.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.

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