Herbs are a must-have for any chef who wants to add that little something extra to their favourite dish, but the shelf life of herbs leaves something to be desired.
Nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan knows this pain of bulk buying herbs and hoping for the best, so she’s shared her hacks for keeping herbs fresher for longer with Yahoo Lifestyle AU.
1. Create a mini greenhouse
This hack might sound a bit odd, but if you’re able to create a mini greenhouse, your herbs will stay fresher for longer.
McMillan suggests placing the cut stems of your herbs in a small glass of water and covering the whole thing in a plastic bag. Keep the bag sealed up tight with an elastic around the base of the glass.
This keeps the humidity high.
Simply store the mini greenhouse in your fridge and use the herbs as soon as possible.
Another way to do this trick is to sandwich your leftover herbs between two damp piece of paper towel and place the herbs in your fridge crisper drawer.
2. Don’t cut the herbs in the first place
McMillan recommends avoiding buying bunches of herbs in the first place if you don’t have plans to use all of the herbs at once.
Instead, she says you should purchase the tiny pots of herbs that are now stocked in supermarkets. This helps keeping your herbs fresh as you can store them on your windowsill (if you remember to water them to keep the herbs alive) and they’ll be fresh until you’re done using the crop.
3. Don’t lose your leftovers
Food wastage is an issue at the moment, so another way to ensure that you get the most out of your herbs is to chuck them into your freezer.
McMillan suggests that you freeze your leftovers as chopped herbs in a zip lock bag or in little ice cube trays that are filled with olive oil.
By keeping them in the ice cube trays, you’re able to use them quickly and whenever you need a flavour boost.
By following these hacks, you’re bound to keep your herbs fresher for longer and give your cooking a boost of flavour.