How do you store your fresh herbs?

[lindag]

Just this morning I saw an item on the ATK website suggesting they be wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a ziploc bag.  I'm heading to the kitchen now to prepare my thyme, cilantro and parsley just like that.  I'll report back on how long each of them last.

[Smithy]

I've had the best luck keeping parsley and cilantro in a large plastic container -- I have quart-sized Glad containers -- with an inch or so of water on the bottom, a plastic bag around the entire assembly, and stored in the refrigerator. The leaves still can get snotty unless I used it fairly quickly. I've never bought a special gizmo for them. Thyme, I dunno. Right now I have a few sprigs of rosemary that I bought in a clamshell yesterday. They're in the refrigerator. A woody herb like that I think wouldn't care to be stuck in water.

[Darienne]

My only answer to date is with Basil which I grow in the windowsill and cut off when I need some.  The rest is the same as above....

[KennethT]

I've had best luck putting cilantro in a small glass with about a half inch of water in the bottom - like flowers in a vase.  Make sure you pick off all the yucky leaves first or any that might dip in the water.  Cover the whole thing loosely with the grocery store plastic bag - like a loose tent and keep in the refrigerator.  I've had it keep that way for about 2 weeks or so.

[blue_dolphin]

21 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I've had best luck putting cilantro in a small glass with about a half inch of water in the bottom - like flowers in a vase.  Make sure you pick off all the yucky leaves first or any that might dip in the water.  Cover the whole thing loosely with the grocery store plastic bag - like a loose tent and keep in the refrigerator.  I've had it keep that way for about 2 weeks or so.

I do the same with cilantro and parsley. Parsley lasts a reliable 2 weeks or more. With cilantro, 10 days is more my average.  It’s amazing how a whole bunch of cilantro can go from perky to slime in a day!  Some produce comes in plastic bags with holes in them and if I have those, I use them. 
For basil, I do the same thing but keep it out on the counter. 
Tarragon and dill go in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, in the fridge

I have tons of rosemary outside so no need to preserve that one. Oregano, too. I need to replant sage and thyme. 


 

[KennethT]

8 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I do the same with cilantro and parsley. Parsley lasts a reliable 2 weeks or more. With cilantro, 10 days is more my average.  It’s amazing how a whole bunch of cilantro can go from perky to slime in a day!  Some produce comes in plastic bags with holes in them and if I have those, I use them. 
For basil, I do the same thing but keep it out on the counter. 
Tarragon and dill go in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, in the fridge

I have tons of rosemary outside so no need to preserve that one. Oregano, too. I need to replant sage and thyme. 


 

Yeah, for the cilantro, I make sure there's no moisture on the inside of the bag and drape the bag so it contacts the leaves as little as possible - that's where things get slimy.  I change the water every day or two and try to dry the inside of the bag at the same time (or turn it inside out).

[FrogPrincesse]

2 hours ago, lindag said:

Just this morning I saw an item on the ATK website suggesting they be wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a ziploc bag.  I'm heading to the kitchen now to prepare my thyme, cilantro and parsley just like that.  I'll report back on how long each of them last.

That’s what I do for leafy herbs, and it works quite well. Just make sure to keep the paper towel damp (not too wet), rewet or replace if needed every few days, discarding any past-their-prime leaves. I do this for heads of lettuce as well (little gems etc). More robust herbs such as rosemary or thyme don’t need the moisture; I just store them in a plastic bag in the fridge and they eventually dry out after a while but that’s fine.

[Rickbern]

7 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I do the same with cilantro and parsley. Parsley lasts a reliable 2 weeks or more. With cilantro, 10 days is more my average.  It’s amazing how a whole bunch of cilantro can go from perky to slime in a day!  Some produce comes in plastic bags with holes in them and if I have those, I use them. 
For basil, I do the same thing but keep it out on the counter. 
Tarragon and dill go in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, in the fridge

I have tons of rosemary outside so no need to preserve that one. Oregano, too. I need to replant sage and thyme. 


 

I put Dill in a plastic container with some water and plastic bag too, but the shelf life is more like cilantro 

 

I started storing used scallions over by the window in a glass with an inch of water to cover the roots, and dag gonnit, it started growing. Amazing!

Edited February 9 by Rickbern (log)