Spring herbs pop up nearly overnight, in the garden and at farmers markets. Unfortunately, fresh herbs are among the top fresh foods that go to waste — so when you pick up a bouquet of rosemary or thyme for a recipe, have an arsenal of creative uses in your back pocket to make sure you’re getting the most out of each fragrant bundle.
Use the tips below to keep herbs fresh and tasty for as long as possible, and try one or two new ideas for enjoying your bounty.
How to store fresh herbs
Hardy herbs: lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme
Store time: several weeks
Hardy herbs are simple. Wrap the bundle loosely in a damp paper towel, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Re-moisten the paper towel when it starts to dry out.
Delicate herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, tarragon
Store time: two to three weeks
Treat these almost like a bouquet of flowers. Remove the rubber band or twine from the stems to give the bunch room to breathe. Give them a quick rinse, then let dry as much as possible; water trapped in a leafy canopy or tightly packed stems encourages mold.
Gather herbs into a bouquet and trim the bottoms of the stems; the herbs will “drink” water through the stems, and dried or pinched stems are less efficient, which could lead to wilting. Place the bouquet in an upright jar and add an inch or two of water, so all the stem bottoms are submerged. Herbs brown faster when exposed to oxygen, and wilt sooner if allowed to dry out, so as the final step, put a loose plastic bag over the jar. Store all delicate herbs in the fridge, with the exception of basil, which is particularly sensitive to the cold. Store basil on a countertop out of direct sunlight. With all delicate herbs, replace the water in the jar every two or three days.
How to immediately use fresh herbs
For those times when you’ve purchased an herb for a specific recipe but only need a handful of the bunch, here’s how to make use of the rest.
Butters and oils
Chop, dry and fold fresh herbs into compound butters (see Seasonal eating: Celery Leaf Compound Butter). Use compound butter in savory pastry, like quiche or pot pie, spread on toast or use as a dipping butter for crudités.
Pastry, pasta and bread dough
Use a rolling pin to press fresh herbs into raw pie dough or shortbread before baking. Consider thyme, dill or chives for savory pies, and mint or basil for not-too-sweet desserts. For shortbread, lavender and rosemary is a winning combination.
Top fresh pasta sheets with fresh herbs (basil is the obvious choice) then roll through the pasta maker. This makes stunning ravioli or lightly dressed fresh pasta dishes (think lemon butter, not red sauce).
You may have noticed focaccia tableaus seemingly everywhere recently; use fresh herbs to create a beautiful landscape on top of bread dough, then bake.
How to preserve fresh herbs
Use any of these methods to safely preserve your fresh herbs for months.
Freeze
Blend clean, fresh herbs with a little water or oil, then pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Stir herb-water cubes into soups and sauces, or blend into green smoothies from frozen.
For herb-oil cubes, bring to room temperature and whisk into vinaigrettes and marinades or stir directly into pasta sauces. Remember, these herbs are still delicate and likely to burn over high-heat application, so reserve this method for lower-heat recipes.
Dry
The simplest way to dry herbs: air and time. Use kitchen twine to tie herbs into small bundles. Hang in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The herbs will be dried and ready to use in one to two weeks.
Use as directed in any recipe calling for dried herbs.
Infuse
Wash herbs and dry completely. Place herbs in a glass container and fill the container with oil or vinegar of your choice (white wine vinegar will provide the most neutral palate base). Make your own combinations, like dill with chives, oregano with thyme, or tarragon with mint.
Add infused oils to vinaigrettes, drizzle over fruit and vegetables, swirl into gazpacho or use in creamy dips and sauces.
What to do with wilted herbs
As a final resort, herbs that have begun to brown or lose shape (but aren’t slimy) can be used to make broth and flavor soups. Tie a bundle of herbs together with kitchen twine to create a bouquet garni. Add the bouquet garni to a soup pot while cooking; once the dish is ready to serve, pull out the entire bundle (much easier to do when the herbs are tied together) and discard.
Hannah Green's Root-to-Leaf column appears monthly.
