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Storage Matters

Does storage matter? You know it does!
Yet, even though storage matters, sometimes you can’t help but wonder if it is really worth the extra effort and/or cost to store foods in the best possible fashion. After all, everyone feels lazy at times.

When unpacking groceries it is best to have an idea of when you will use what (which ideally you should have planned before visiting the grocery so are still somewhat in the same train of thought). If you bought something, for instance an herb, of which you plan to just use a little bit here and then a little bit there then it is best to try and give it a long shelf life right from the start. Here we will focus on that herb.

Storage Matters

Extending Shelf Life of Vibrant Green Herbs

Fresh green leaves can turn into a soggy brown mush rather quickly if left unattended. Store them differently and they can remain fresh green leaves for long periods of time.

We’ve talked about storing herbs on the countertop to have handy, add some green, save refrigerator space and just make you feel a little more like a chef when in the kitchen. This is great storage for about a week at a time, depending on the herb. Here’s more on herb bouquets.

To keep herbs the longest you possibly can (without freezing or drying, of course), there are special herb saver containers that can be purchased (see the additional information section below to purchase one of these). But, if you’ve got some canning jars and lids sitting in the back of the cupboard they work just fine for storing fresh herbs too. Simply place some water in the bottom of the jar, insert the herbs stem down and then place the lid on top. Place these jars into the refrigerator without having to worry about them being knocked over and spilling and knowing that they will remain fresh and usable for the longest possible time.

This picture illustrates a purchase of cilantro that was split into two bunches before storing in the refrigerator. Once bunch was placed into a plastic bag and then the refrigerator drawer while the other was placed into a canning jar with water as just explained.

This cilantro spent more than three weeks in the refrigerator. The plastic bag bunch was tossed as the contents were brown and soggy, but the jarred cilantro was still good and put to use.
Note: If you keep herbs for this long be sure to change the base water about once a week.

Storage Matters

Additional Info

Check out this herb saver available on Amazon.

Another great way to save fresh herbs is to make herb butter.

To learn how to re-crisp vegetables, see our crisp lettuce post.

To explore the unique qualities of fresh and dried herbs, see our fresh vs dried page for more information.

For general help with menu planning see our menu planning post.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.