How to store fresh herbs

Two groups, two methods

Soft herbs

Parsley, coriander, dill, mint, basil, chervil, tarragon. Fleshy stems and thin leaves. Treat like cut flowers.

Hard herbs

Rosemary, thyme, sage, bay, oregano, marjoram. Woody stems and tough leaves. Treat like a vegetable.

The exception

Basil hates the cold. It goes black in a fridge. Keep it on the counter in water.

Why the difference

Soft herbs lose water fast and rehydrate readily. Hard herbs lose it slowly and are damaged by damp.

Chives and spring onions

Behave like soft herbs. Stand them in water.

Soft herbs, the flower method

This keeps a bunch of parsley or coriander for a week or more.

1. Trim a centimetre off the stem ends with a sharp knife.
2. Stand the bunch in a glass or a jar with an inch or two of cold water — enough for the stems, not enough to submerge the leaves.
3. Pick off any leaves that would sit below the waterline, which rot.
4. Cover loosely with a plastic bag, tented rather than sealed, to keep humidity up without trapping condensation.
5. Put it in the fridge — except basil, which goes on the counter out of direct sun.
6. Change the water every two or three days and trim the stems again.
7. Wash the leaves only when you use them, never before storing.

Hard herbs, and the rest

• Hard herbs: wrap loosely in slightly damp kitchen paper, put in a bag or box, and refrigerate. They keep for two or three weeks.
• Do not stand hard herbs in water. They rot rather than drinking.
• A growing pot on the windowsill is the best storage of all for basil, mint and chives, and needs actual light.
• Herb paste for the freezer: blitz soft herbs with oil and freeze in an ice cube tray. Far better than drying.
• Whole hard herbs freeze well on the stem, in a bag. They crumble straight into a pan.
• Herb butter: chop into softened butter, roll in paper and freeze. Slices off as needed.
• Drying suits hard herbs, oregano and bay. It suits parsley, coriander, dill and basil very badly.

Using the stems

The stalks of soft herbs are usually thrown away and they carry as much flavour as the leaves, sometimes more.

Parsley and coriander stems are firmer than the leaves and take heat well, so they go in early — chopped fine into a soffritto, a curry base or a stir-fry. Coriander roots, if the bunch has them, are the most intensely flavoured part of the plant and are foundational in Thai curry pastes.

Hard herb stems go into stock, into a bouquet garni, or onto a barbecue. Basil and mint stems are best steeped and removed, since they are fibrous but not without flavour.

Common questions