Increase The Shelf Life Of Herbs With These Simple Hacks

 Increase The Shelf Life Of Herbs With These Simple Hacks

Extend and elevate the shelf life of your excess herb harvest to use them in dishes all year long.

Reaping the benefits of fresh herbs needs proper storage methods because when the time comes to use that sprig of thyme in your curry or garnish your pesto with basil leaves, they should be fresh enough to avoid ending up in the compost pile. So bid farewell to soggy herbs and increase their shelf life with the following simple storage hacks.

Freeze herbs in olive oil

Chop your herbs and place them gently in an ice cube tray. Fill the tray by pouring olive oil over the herbs, until they are fully immersed and then freeze them. At the time of cooking, put the cubes in the pan, and the olive oil will melt and add to your recipe. You can freeze basil, parsley, sage, and cilantro in olive oil. Frozen herbs can last for 6 to 9 months.

Freeze herbs as ice cubes

Freezing works wonders for chives, basil, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm, and mint. Frozen herbs can be directly used for cooking, but it is essential to note that, after defrosting, even if your herbs feel limp, their flavor will not be compromised. If frozen herbs are properly stored in airtight containers, they can last almost a year.

Prepare a herb paste.

Herb pastes serve as an incredible marinade on veggies and can be mixed into spreads or dips. To prepare herb paste, you need to pluck out the leaves of the herbs from their stems and put them in the blender. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and keep pulsing the leaves until they are finely shredded. Your herb puree can last nearly 13 to 14 days if you store it in the refrigerator.

Store at room temperature like vase flowers

While freezing or refrigerating herbs generally increases shelf life, you may also preserve your fresh herbs at room temperature by caring for them as vase flowers. Trim the stems before immersing them in water. Keep the vase of herbs away from direct exposure to sunlight. Check on them regularly and pluck out the leaves that have darkened or yellowed. Also, you need to change the water every day. Hard herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, and parsley can last for nearly 7 to 10 days at room temperature.

Dry your herbs

Gather your herbs in bunches, and tie their stems with a string and suspend them upside down in a dry and warm place. With time your herbs will begin to shrink in volume. It takes about 4 to 5 days for the herbs to dry out completely. After this, you need to pluck out the dried leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container in a dark and cool place. Dried herbs can last for almost 6 months.

Next time, consider using these storage hacks to keep your delicate greens fresh.