I love cooking with fresh herbs. Adding cilantro, parsley, mint and chives to almost any dish makes my palate sing a song and herbs elevates any meal by adding loads of essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, sodium and zinc in your diet. Using herbs to infuse nutrients in your convenient and processed foods is a great step in the right direction too. But like you, after a long day, I want to do less in the kitchen, not more, so if my herbs are chopped and ready-to-go, it is more likely that I will use them but that means you gotta know the proper way to store them…
MY FAVORITE HERB STORAGE TIP:
Store chopped (parsley, cilantro) or whole herbs (like mint and basil) in a clean glass jar and cover it loosely with a dry paper towel. They will stay bright green for up to ten days but most likely, you wont even have them that long.
HOW TO:
Parsley & Cilantro: Rinse bunches in cold water and thoroughly dry by shaking them outside or by wrapping in a clean kitchen towel and pressing gently to remove moisture. Once dry, chop herbs and store in clean glass jars leaving an inch free at the top. Place a loosely bunched dry paper towel (preferably unbleached) to cover. Refrigerate.
Basil: Do not rinse your basil before placing whole bunches loosely in a clean and dry glass jar. Do not stuff. You want a good amount of air flowing through. Loosely cover with dry paper towel as described above.
Dill, Mint, Chives & Tarragon: Wet a few paper towels and ring out. Unbunch and lay two sheets on top of one another. Place your dill closes to one edge and begin to firmly roll the paper towel to cover the herb completely from top to bottom. Make sure your roll is not loose. Once rolled, wrap the rolled herbs in the last few sheets of damp towels and place in a plastic bag. Roll the bag just as tightly over the damp towels. Place in a drawer in the fridge and make sure that every time you use them to rewrap with wet hands to dampen those towels again. You can also check your herbs every few days by sprinkling a little water on towels and rewrapping in plastic.
Add herbs to any dish. Omelets, pasta, potato, tuna and chicken salads, sandwiches, grilled meat and veggies, soups, salads, stir fry… The list goes on…
Have fun and definitely share your story with photos on my facebook page. xo