Short Guide for Storing Fresh Herbs

             
           Fresh herbs surely add zest to your meals and enhance their flavor. However you should store them in the right way to prevent spoilage and lose of taste. Fresh herbs add a tantalizing flavor to many meals such as pasta, pizza and many other dishes. Many people grow them in their garden so that they are totally fresh when they are added to the dishes. Today we will have a quick look at the correct way in which fresh herbs can be stored.

              First of all you should pick the herbs from your garden in the morning as the leaves are the freshest in that period of time. If you pick them up during the later part of the day then the leaves could be a little dried because of the sun. Herbs with long stems should be placed in small vase like flowers so that the herbs remain hydrated. You should ideally use the herbs within a few days after they are picked as with each passing day they lose a small percentage of their freshness.

             For keeping herbs (with long stems) fresh for more days, they can be placed in a plastic bag in the fridge. The bag should be loosely draped at the top. This way the herbs are hydrated and cool and hence they will remain fresh for a longer period of time.

            You can place the herbs in the vegetable drawer of your fridge in case they are to be stored for a short period of time. This way the herbs will remain fresh for at least a week. They can also be placed in a wrapped paper towel and then put in a Ziploc bag. In case you want to store the herbs for a longer period of time then you need to freeze them. You can start by tearing the stems and then chopping the herbs in fine pieces. You can then place them in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer.

            You need to also cut off any discolored or rotten parts. Different herbs should not be stored together. You should avoid rinsing the herbs unless it is required. You can simply dampen them a little and then pat them dry with a towel. Once they are dry you can place them in the Ziploc bag. Do not out the wet herbs in the bag as they will then begin to emit an odor.

            You can become a master at storing herbs by clicking on the link. In the HowToStoreFoodInfo you will also find tips and tricks of storing food and keeping them fresh.