Fresh supermarket herbs

[KitchenQueen]

As a single person, I've always wished I could buy fresh herbs in smaller portions.

I don't need a big hunk of fresh dill when I'm only cooking one salmon steak for dinner.

And unless I add dill to everything I cook for the next few days, it rots.

I always thought there wasn't a darned thing I could do about it. Use dried herbs, get over it.

I just met my angel. A huge new wonderful HEB has opened in my area.

I corresponded with the operations manager.

He seems to think my request for 1/4 size bunches of herbs is not at all unreasonable and is looking into selling them.

YIPPEE! Maybe I can buy fresh without the waste.

Anyone else feel this way?

[Dante]

Anyone else feel this way?

For most fresh herbs that the food co-op I shop at sells, they have them in bulk, so I just grab as much as I want.

But not so with parsley and cilantro, which they seem insistant on bundling up by the metric crapload.

Luckily, a few kind words can usually get me a partial bunch, as most of the staff there are quite accomodating.

But, yeah, in those cases, I know exactly what you mean. I usually end up contributing at least some rotting cilantro to the compost pile.

Sincerely,

Dante

[sammifloater]

anyone have any luck growing them inside?

my problem....we have no windowsills!

s

[KitchenQueen]

I don't have a co-op near me. And I live in Houston, where cilantro is not too expensive. I still waste most of it. Parsley is just silly price-wise.

Who needs a bunch that big?

But sage, thyme, rosemary,dill, lemongrass, you get my drift.

It's ridiculous.

And I only have the supermarkets to purchase from.

[nibor]

I freeze leftover fresh herbs in ice cubes. For many uses the thawed herbs work just fine.

[halogenic]

I rely on the restaurant where I work for my herb needs. The stuff at the grocery store is absurd (not to mention a little flat in my opinion), I need a few leaves or stems and they try to sell me the farm!

That's why a quick talk to the chef at work usually sorts things out.

"Hey chef, if I don't eat anything tonight would it be okay to take a few sprigs of thyme?"

He's usually willing to go for it, provided we have enough in stock, and the quality is much better.

Chris

Line slave

[Marlene]

I agree! I've heard that some supermarkets are selling bundled herbs in small packets, for different applications that go together, like a bit of parsley, thyme and bay for stews for example, but I haven't seen them here. I also find that I end up throw a lot of fresh herbs out because try as I might, I just can't use all that parsley before it goes bad!

[eskay]

I agree, fresh herbs are a huge pain in the neck in every way. It's better in the summer, because I have a windowsill with at least a couple things growing (not to mention all the farmer's markets... ). But I don't mind buying a huge bunch of parsley since I love the stuff. I make salad out of it And tabbouli.

[paulraphael]

Most herbs freeze pretty well in a ziplock bag, so I don't mind buying a little extra. My gripe is that the price per ounce they end up charging for the individual packages. I'd be afraid they'd go even farther if the packages got smaller.

Parsely is a real exception. It's always sold in bunches that are bigger than my head. I'd need a restaurant to find a use for all that. I wonder what would happen if I snapped off a few stems of it and brought it in a bag to the register.

[nibor]

That new expensive AeroGarden hydroponic gadget seems built to solve this problem. Have any of you tried it? It looks suspiciously like a mold factory - which is what my terrariums and ant farms always morphed into when I was a kid.

[Toliver]

I suggest looking through more grocery stores. The SaveMart grocery stores (which have since closed here in my town) used to sell small, clear plastic containers (tall and flat) with a small amount of herbs in them. It often turned out to be just the right amount that I would need for my cooking. Another nice thing about the containers is since they were clear plastic you could see if the herb looked healthy or not before you bought it. I wish I could recall the brand name of the herb supplier. The plastic containers would be lined up in a row in the produce section, usually with a wide range of mainstream herbs.

Of course, you tend to respond a little bit differently when you see the containers.

"You're charging me $1.79 for a chiffonade of basil?!"

[MattJohnson]

On thing I've started doing with parsley is washing it, cut a bit off the stalks and then putting it in some water (ala cut flowers). Seems to last better than in the plastic baggy in the fridge. Actually, I think I read the trick in some thread here.

[KLwood]

Probablly the 'Tip Of The Year' for me was the one passed on by Maggiethecat : wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep it from going limp.. after seeing firsthand how well it worked, I extended the technique to ALL of my fresh herbs , even the notoriously perishable Cilantro keeps FAR longer than any other method even keeping it in a glass of water either in or out of the fridge or wraping it in a damp paper towel inside an open plastic bag

My guess is that the wrinkled texture of the foil doesnt hold moisture next to the herbs like plastic wrap does and promote Slime Production, and the whole package can 'Breathe' a bit better.. in any event Ive held Cilantro for as ling as 3 weeks from purchase with little or no wilting and NO slime

Same with scallions, Leeks, Chives and any number of Herbs . And ofcourse its reusable so that offsets the cost along with the reduced spoilage.

[MelissaH]

We used to be able to find packaged herbs labeled as "herbs for fish" and "herbs for poultry" and the like. The packs would include a couple of sprigs of several different herbs, the specifics depending on what the herbs were meant to be used for. I liked them because I'd get just a little bit of a bunch of things, so I could get many different flavors. I haven't seen them around here for a while, though.

Guess it's time to get the Aerogarden going again for the winter.

MelissaH

[Perri]

Hi There,

My names Lisa and i am new to this forum and i love it.

Talking about fresh herbs:

Isn't there some sort of market or farmers market you can go to to buy fresh herbs? I know here in Australia you can go to just about any market and you can buy nice fresh herbs. Of course its usually in bunches but im sure if you ask nicely then there shouldnt be a problem.

Cheers,

Lisa

[Batard]

Hi There,

My names Lisa and i am new to this forum and i love it.

Talking about fresh herbs:

Isn't there some sort of market or farmers market you can go to to buy fresh herbs? I know here in Australia you can go to just about any market and you can buy nice fresh herbs. Of course its usually in bunches but im sure if you ask nicely    then there shouldnt be a problem.

Cheers,

Lisa

←

Welcome to EGullet, Lisa, from another relative newbie.

My problem is that no one at my local fresh veggie market speaks English. My choices come down to a huge bunch of herbs that I will never finish for 99 cents, or getting a tiny amount for about for $2.99 in those supermarket plastic containers. So end up throwing a lot away.

Glad to hear about Maggiethecat's advice with the aluminum foil, that's one I will have to try. Sounds so simple, but I never though to try it.

[Carlovski]

Problem I find is that supermarket herbs tend to come in the same size packets for everything - a pack of thyme or rosemary goes a lot further than a pack of parsley. I actually find the big bunches of parsley and coriander useful, I use it by the handful in a lot of recipes, but I never use more than a quarter of a pack of the woodier herbs.

[Peter the eater]

I would buy a quarter bunch of fresh herbs, especially if it is also a quarter of the price.

In my freezer one would find the frozen cubes of basil and the little baggies of various herbs stashed away. Generally, though, winter cooking is fundamentally different from summer cooking in my neck of the woods (growing season = 100+ days) and I say viva la difference! From late fall to late spring its mostly dried or frozen herbs and I like it that way. The fresh stuff is enjoyed more after it's scarce for a few months.