7 easy ways to make your herbs last so much longer

At markets in the spring abundant well-priced bunches of herbs can be just as tempting as strawberries and asparagus But bringing them home often means that one s best intentions collide with the harsh realities Herbs can go from sprightly to swampy before you have time to use them up The simple tips that follow can help you make sure they never go to waste Choose your herbs wisely Herbs at a grocery store in New York April Avoid herb bunches with wilted limp or waterlogged leaves and look for well-hydrated stems James Estrin The New York Times Look for the freshest herbs you can find which can last longer in the fridge and freezer suggests Nasim Alikhani the chef of Sofreh in Brooklyn New York and author of the cookbook Sofreh Herbs should be perky and vibrant with plump well-hydrated leaves and stems Avoid bunches with wilted limp or waterlogged leaves or discolored areas If feasible skip herbs in small plastic packages Their condition can be hard to gauge Prep your herbs for storage right away Like flowers herbs can t wait to be published from their packaging Once you re home spread out the loose herbs and pluck away any wilted or browned leaves that may have been hiding the adage about rotten apples applies here too If you have one bit of cilantro leaf that s been chewed up or damaged in specific way that s going to be a focal point for bacteria mentioned Donald W Schaffner a food microbiologist at Rutgers University Alikhani also likes to rinse her herbs before storing them which has another advantage You ll be more likely to cook with herbs if you know they re washed and ready to go But make sure they re well dried Alikhani uses her salad spinner but you can also blot them with paper towels as residual moisture will excursion with the herbs contributing to bacterial expansion Schaffner noted Keep soon-to-be-used herbs hydrated Herbs in glasses of water Keeping herbs in a glass of water is a solid strategy if using them on the sooner side Food styled by Yossy Arefi Yossy Arefi The New York Times If you re planning to use all your herbs in the next day or two pesto perhaps go for a simple approach Alikhani just washes them without drying and adds them to a quart container of ice-cold water at the back of her fridge To ensure the herbs absorb the water well give the stem ends a trim before immersing them For longer storage pack strategically Well-dried herbs are wrapped in paper towels before being tucked into a resealable food storage bag and placed in the fridge Herbs can keep in the fridge for one to two weeks Food styled by Yossy Arefi Yossy Arefi The New York Times Herbs can keep in the fridge for one to two weeks They ll last longest when they have enough moisture to keep them fresh but not so much moisture that they turn into a soupy swampy mess Schaffner mentioned To maintain that balance Alikhani recommends wrapping well-dried herbs in a paper towel before tucking them into a resealable food storage bag in the fridge But Schaffner cautions that may retain too much moisture My recommendation is just to make sure that everything is as dry as achievable before placing into the bag he commented Whatever you choose be sure to use a generously sized bag or container to ensure air circulation and seal it well Handle living herbs with care FILE - Herbs are harvested in Nashville Tenn July If you have an herb garden or windowsill aim to harvest them early in the day William DeShazer The New York Times You might assume a plant will stay fresh longer than cut herbs but without proper care it can fade fast If you have herbs growing in your garden or on your windowsill aim to harvest them early in the day and use sharp kitchen shears to avoid damaging them If bringing home a hydroponic plant remove it from its wrapping then trim any wilted leaves or mushy-looking roots Place the plant in a jar with water coming up just past its roots and set it on a windowsill that gets indirect sunlight Change the water every day or two to keep the roots healthy Use herbs as vegetables not just garnishes No matter how deftly you handle herbs their freshness is fleeting so use them with abandon while you have them Persian cooks like Alikhani already tend to follow this approach We buy herbs by pounds in Iran she mentioned They are not garnishes they are our food These strategies will help you use up your haul long before they wilt Stir handfuls of chopped herbs through everything Pots of warm rice soup stew pasta or risotto turn instantly vibrant when finished with herbs Let them star in salads Take a cue from Greek maroulosalata and add a generous helping of chopped dill cilantro or parsley including the tender stems to your next salad Or just make herb salad aka tabbouleh Add herbs to ground-meat recipes Stirring plenty of finely chopped herbs into ground-meat mixtures for meatballs burgers and meatloaf doesn t just add flavor it also helps keep them tender when cooked Blend up an all-purpose green sauce Creamy silky tangy or spicy green sauces tend to work with any combination of herbs Use them as a marinade a topping for grilled or roasted meat or seafood or a dip for bread or vegetables When in doubt turn to eggs Frittata quiche and savory egg pie would never say no to a handful of herbs Egg recipes can go as green as you like If herbs are past their prime cook them down Even tired-looking herbs can still infuse longer-cooking dishes with flavor and their texture isn t as critical since they ll soften up as they cook anyway Take a cue from Andy Baraghani s ash reshteh a Persian greens and noodle soup and add a pile of chopped herbs to a braise stew or soup as it cooks When all else fails freeze them Having fresh herbs is good Alikhani reported But is it essential No it is not When you re caught without fresh herbs freezing them saves the cook s life Start by packing finely chopped herbs tightly into an ice cube tray then fill the tray almost to the top with olive oil or water freeze until solid and transfer to resealable bags to keep in the freezer for up to two months The oil-based cubes are handy for enriching soups stews and pastas while the water-based ones can fleetly infuse a smoothie lemonade or frozen cocktail with flavor If you d rather not put anything but water in your ice cube trays use a freezer bag instead Mix chopped herbs with a inadequate spoonfuls of oil and transfer to a freezer bag pressing to flatten into a thin even layer The flat layer of herbs freezes especially fast which can be an advantage If you re going to freeze something you want to try to freeze it as swiftly as viable Schaffner reported to preserve quality When ready to cook solely break off a piece For a more straightforward option bundle up an herb cigar of parsley dill or cilantro wrap in plastic and freeze When you need chopped herbs for a recipe use kitchen shears to expeditiously snip off what you need It may not be the same as fresh but the flavor still lasts Maroulosalata Green Salad With Feta and Dill Although the iconic Greek salad colorful with tomatoes feta and olives might spring to mind when contemplating Greek salads monochromatic maroulosalata which translates to lettuce salad is arguably the more popular option in Greece The salad is simple and effortless Toss sliced romaine hearts fresh dill crumbled feta and sliced scallions with olive oil and fresh lemon juice then season with salt and pepper no separate dressing required The key to this refreshing chopped salad is slicing the lettuce into delicate shreds then soaking them in ice water to get them extra-crisp before draining drying and tossing with the rest of the ingredients Serve with grilled seafood such as shrimp or fish or as a sunny side salad with souvlaki or roast chicken But this salad can also stand alone as a light summery supper on the hottest of days By Farideh Sadeghin Yield to servings Total time minutes INGREDIENTS romaine hearts trimmed and thinly sliced about cups Ice cup crumbled feta cheese cup lightly packed fresh dill fronds scallions trimmed and thinly sliced cup olive oil tablespoons fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Place the lettuce in a large bowl and cover with ice water Let soak for to minutes to get crisp then drain Dry the lettuce either in a salad spinner or using towels then transfer to a large bowl Add the feta dill and scallions and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice Season with salt and pepper toss to combine and serve Related Articles Recipes Use blackberries to make a pie tiny cakes and even a salad Light and breezy Five easy weeknight dishes that won t weigh you down The secret to restaurant-style chicken at home Recipe Poached salmon and broccoli Caesar salad make a healthy hearty meal Recipe Pasta and Pea Soup is a tasty simple dish with delightful brightness