I came REALLY late to this party but I will share this find anyways just in case anyone out there goes “what?!”

Keeping delicate herbs fresh… and by fresh herbs I mean the ones you get at the store.. you know, those parsley or cilantro bunches held together by a plastic band or some wire? yeah, those. The ones that get automatically sprayed with water and are kept at a relative cooler temperature right next to lettuces and kales.

FOR SO MANY YEARS I’ve been buying them. Picking a few steams, chopping what I need and then throwing the rest back in the fridge in the bag they came in. As you all know, this is a pretty standard scenario and the typical outcome is the same. The herbs spoil in a few days and they end up in the trashcan before the end of the week. 95% of the invested totally wasted.  

Of course I’ve tried to find a workaround. I tried the ice cube method which works but it’s time consuming to setup. If you haven’t heard of this one. Just chop the entire bunch very finely and then place that in an ice cube tray. Cover with water and freeze. Use a cube or two in your recipes…. etc… I mean.. it’s pretty self-explanatory. And it works but I love fresh herbs not frozen herbs. Specially for garnishing dishes… nothing like fresh herbs. 

Then how do you keep delicate herbs fresh? I figured this out by trial and error. I wish I had just gone to Kenji’s site and searched for his beautiful article on the subject.  Long story short. If you have a fresh bunch of your favourite delicate herb, like parsley or cilantro. Rinse them in cool water. Place them in a jar with some fresh water and cover the bunch with a plastic bag. I use the plastic bag that comes with the herbs from the store. Yeah, that one, the one you take from that bag roll that is so hard to find sometimes. Store in the fridge and replace the water every few 3-4 days. 

I’ve tried the same with green onions and it works, but there’s a catch. Green onions will go very pale in the fridge and that’s not what I want. I want that bright green color. I take them out of the fridge during the day and leave them by a window. A little sunlight everyday and the chlorophyll will continue to generate. I leave the plastic bag on. Otherwise the onion green leaves will become dry. I live in a very dry area so this is even more important. 

And that’s it. 

cheers! 

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