How to Store Fresh Herbs

I sometimes buy big bunches of cilantro, basil or mint from grocery stores. As all of us know, cilantro or basil don't keep fresh for longer time. If you buy a bunch of cilantro from the store, and keep it in the fridge as is, it will start drying(dehydrating) after 3-4 days.

Some people crush the herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays. I usually like to use fresh herb leaves in most of the dishes I cook,so freezing them is not an option for me.To keep the herbs fresh for longer time, heres what you can do.

Take a deep flask, fill it up with 1-2 inches of water. Take the bunch of the herbs you would like to store. Cut the bottom half centemeters of the stems of the herbs so that it can take water in. Put your herbs in the flask such that only the bottom 1-2 inches of the stems are in water. See the image below.

Now, cover it with a plastic bag. Do not shut it tight. The bag will allow to retain the leaves moisture, but it will also allow some air circulation, so that the herbs stay fresh. Put this flask in the fridge. Depending on the type of the herb, you can extend the herbs life from 2-3 weeks.

This mint you see in this picture, has stayed fresh for about a month. I use mint leaves for tea. I just need 1-2 leaves a day. I take it out of the fridge everyday, get the leaves, and cover it back with the bag.

Note: If you see that the water is getting merky afer a few days, change the water and cover the herb with the bag again. Try this method for cilantro. I have stored cilantro in the same way for upto 3 weeks.

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