I have always wanted to grow my own garden of fresh herbs both indoors and outdoors and 3 years ago I did just that.
I started my first indoor garden after purchasing an Aerogarden online from Amazon. The system was amazingly simple consisting of ready-to-use veggie pods and filling the unit with water, and that’s it.
The herbs were growing out fantastically. However, things begin to change after a few short months when my beautiful garden and home appeared to have become a bug nightmare of gnats. fruit flies and other winged insects. As a result, the aerogarden was immediately shelved.
So back to the grocery store to buy my fresh herbs. The only problem I seemed to have with that though was in preserving most of them. Which was quite daunting to spend the money and have the herbs wilting or drying out in only a few short days—however, not anymore and here’s why.
Having received my usual quarterly magazine subscription by Cooking Light, I ran across this handy guide in this particular edition on “how to choose and store fresh herbs,” and I’m here to share this valuable information with you—my readers and fellow foodies for free.
VIDEO POST
Print
FOR BASIL
- To choose basil, being it is a delicate herb, look for stems that are not wilted and that don’t have dark spots. Avoid those with long flower-like stalks.
- To store basil. If in an outdoor garden, cut off only what is needed. While indoors, store in a jar of water for up to a week. Change the water every few days. Also, do not cut or pinch off the basil until you are ready to use. If the basil starts to wilt, loosely place a produce bag over it until it revives.
FOR CILANTRO
- For Cilantro, look for thinner, brighter green leaves. Avoid bunches that are wilted and try not to mistake it for parsley, as it is sold in bunches and resembles flat-leaf parsley.
- For storing, place fresh bunches in a produce bag in the veggie bin in fridge drawer. It will typically keep for a week. However, if cutting from outdoor garden, just give it a snip for what is needed.
FOR PARSLEY
- Select a bunch that is bright green and free of wilting, bruising, decay and/or blemishes.
- To keep parsley perky and hydrated, cut half and inch off of stems using kitchen shears. Place in a jar of water for an hour, then remove and place in a produce bag to prevent wilting. Place parsley in the coolest section of the fridge for it to thrive and last longer. Usually will keep for about a week.
FOR CHIVES
- Look for healthy green leaves with no signs of yellow or brown.
- When using from the garden, use fresh and store in a produce bag in the vegetable bin of fridge. Will typically last for a week. For longer storage, cut them into short sections with kitchen shears. Place in a heavy duty ziplock bag and freeze. When cooking, always place chives in at the end to help keep their flavor.
FOR OREGANO
- Look for fresh green oregano, free of bruising and wilting.
- To store, keep in a produce bag in veggie bin in fridge or store in freezer.
FOR MINT
- Look for bright green leaves free of wilting or browning.
- Store freshly cut stems in a vase of water on kitchen counter for several days. Mint from grocers, store in a plastic produce bag in vegetable bin in refrigerator, as it has already been pre-cut.
FOR ROSEMARY
- Look for Rosemary that shows no signs of curled, browned or molded leaves. The leaves should be firmly attached to the stem, not shedding.
- Rosemary stores better if well hydrated and stored cold. From garden, cut off the woody ends with kitchen shears or garden clippers while holding under water and in a bowl. Place in a vase of water for an hour. Then place in a produce bag if not using right away, in the refrigerator but not in veggie drawer. Rosemary will generally last up to two weeks.
FOR THYME
- Thyme is sold in bundles of stems with small leaves. When choosing, make sure the leaves look fresh, not wilted. It is normal for some types to be gray, but yellowing and shedding leaves indicate lack of freshness and that it’s past its prime.
- To store thyme, place in a produce bag in the refrigerator but preferably not in the vegetable bin.
