My Favorite Way to Store Leafy Herbs.
The inspiration for the Supply by Kara logo came from the wonderful (to me) task of plucking cilantro leaves from their stem. I am definitely not one of those people who have the “cilantro-tastes-like-soap” gene. I eat it by the handfuls and find it essential to have it on hand. Because cilantro is such a staple for me, I need it to stay longer than it does when stored in its grocery store produce bag.
I always enjoyed researching blog posts and respected culinary resources reviewing the “best way to store” herbs and other fresh ingredients. I most often see the “herb stems in a mason jar + water + plastic bag in the refrigerator” method that seems to be the winner on the internet for prolonging freshness. I’ve used it myself and got decent results. But in the last few months I think I found a better way:
(1) Clean cilantro - Cut and discard the dried bottom of stems, rinse and salad spin x2,
(2) Pick over cilantro being sure to remove any less-than- fresh leaves,
(3) Separate leaves from stems (optional) - I do this step and save the clean stems separately from the leaves for blended salsa or Peruvian Aji Verde, and use the leaves for toppings.
(4) Grab a mason jar (I use the 16oz),
(5) Shove a paper towel into the mason jar,
(6) Put the clean cilantro leaves with or without the stems into the mason jar,
(7) Add another paper towel on top and screw on the lid,
(8) Put it in the refrigerator and enjoy for a minimum of 1.5 weeks.
I use this method for parsley as well and am consistently impressed with how long it remains fresh. My best guess is that this works because of the combination of keeping the air out in the jar and minimizing moisture with the paper towels. Our household usually buys two bunches of cilantro and one bunch of italian parsley every two weeks. Now we have a greater risk of running out than the cilantro or parsley going bad.
As someone who doesn't like to fully plan every meal for the week, having parsley or cilantro at the ready for recipes or garnish is really nice. I didn’t realize how often I would skip adding parsley to pasta dishes that called for it, for example, before I began cleaning and storing it this way. Last week I made a quick shrimp scampi (frozen raw shrimp, linguine, lemon, garlic, white wine) and the clean parsley at the ready helped kept the prep time the same as the time it took to cook the pasta.
I no longer use the “herb stems in a mason jar + water + plastic bag in the refrigerator” method but that is not to say it is not useful! My method is a bit more involved and requires more prep work. If short on time, “herb stems in a mason jar + water + plastic bag in the refrigerator” definitely beats doing nothing. Or you can hire me.
It is on my to-do list to do my own side-by-side experimenting of the various techniques but for now my winning mason jar method is purely anecdotal so proceed at your own risk. (But it works I promise).
