Herb
How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last & Last
Stash your herbs properly to preserve their leafy green glory for weeks.
Photo by Rocky Luten

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2 Comments
Cielkaye
January 6, 2021
The definitive answer to this problem. Store them in genuine Tupperware, the sort where you ‘burp’ the lid. They will last for ages. I have found that it only works with Tupperware, not the cheaper stuff.
AntoniaJames
January 6, 2021
I've been using Rubbermaid boxes with the tight red lids for years. They work great.
Some people have "vegetable drawers" in their fridges. I have an "herbs and aromatics" drawer in mine. Apart from the scallions, ginger root, and lemons/limes that reside there, it is full of boxes - larger flat boxes for parsley and cilantro and smaller ones for the various fresh herbs I grow in our community gardens (a quick bike ride away) or that I buy at the store in the winter. All of the boxes are labeled.
The key is to unbundle bunches immediately, pull out any crushed or otherwise less than perfect leaves, separate the stems to let them dry out a bit, and then put the herbs in the boxes, loosely, with a piece of paper towel on the bottom of the box and to separate layers.
Herbs last for at least a week with this system - typically much longer, I expect, though I generally use any cut herbs within a week. I NEVER wash before storing. I live in the high desert, so herbs that are wet coming in from the market dry quickly.
Seriously, though, the best way to keep herbs from going bad is to use them right away. Why on earth wouldn't you? Fresh herbs make just about anything you put them in so much better. If something comes up and I know I won't be using a fresh herb before it's past its peak, I pop it into the freezer to use in stock. ;o)
Some people have "vegetable drawers" in their fridges. I have an "herbs and aromatics" drawer in mine. Apart from the scallions, ginger root, and lemons/limes that reside there, it is full of boxes - larger flat boxes for parsley and cilantro and smaller ones for the various fresh herbs I grow in our community gardens (a quick bike ride away) or that I buy at the store in the winter. All of the boxes are labeled.
The key is to unbundle bunches immediately, pull out any crushed or otherwise less than perfect leaves, separate the stems to let them dry out a bit, and then put the herbs in the boxes, loosely, with a piece of paper towel on the bottom of the box and to separate layers.
Herbs last for at least a week with this system - typically much longer, I expect, though I generally use any cut herbs within a week. I NEVER wash before storing. I live in the high desert, so herbs that are wet coming in from the market dry quickly.
Seriously, though, the best way to keep herbs from going bad is to use them right away. Why on earth wouldn't you? Fresh herbs make just about anything you put them in so much better. If something comes up and I know I won't be using a fresh herb before it's past its peak, I pop it into the freezer to use in stock. ;o)






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