It doesn't matter if you get your herbs from your local farmers market or grocery store, herbs are a flavourful addition to any dish. The downside to herbs however is that they can wilt quickly, get bruised and then we don’t know what to do with them... hello garbage or compost bin.
We don’t have time to worry about our herbs going bad, so here are some tips on how to keep them fresh or preserve them.
Keeping your herbs fresh
There’s two main ways to keep your herbs fresh at home, ready to be used when putting the finishing touches on your Dinner Ladies dish! Storing your herbs the following ways should give them an extra weeks' worth of freshness.
Storing herbs wet
- Wash your herbs then trim 1cm from the stem of the herbs (works best for parsley, coriander, basil, mint) then place them in a cup with water.
- Cover the leaves with a small plastic bag, ready to be stored.
- Place the covered herbs in the fridge. Note: If storing basil, leave at room temperature.
Storing herbs dry
- Wash your herbs then let them dry slightly
- Once dry, wrap herbs in individual bunches (don’t mix herbs) in a damp paper towel.
- Put the wrapped herbs in a resealable bag or airtight container, then place in the fridge (keep basil at room temperature)
Refreshing your wilted herbs
We know human ice baths are all the craze right now, but do you know about herb ice baths? When it comes to bringing your wilted herbs back to life, ice cold water is all you need.
- First remove any black or bruised leaves from the stems.
- Next, get a large bowl and fill it with cold water and ice cubes.
- Submerge the herbs (stems on) into the bowl of iced water and soak them for 15 – 30 minutes until they start to look a fresh, bright green colour.
- Use a colander to drain the herbs and they’re ready to use or preserve (more on this below).
Note: When it comes to refreshing basil, only cold plunge them for a maximum of 2-3 minutes. Unlike other herbs, the longer basil soaks, its leaves will turn black.
Drying your herbs
Have kitchen string lying around and don’t know what to do with it? How about to dry your herbs. This works best for rosemary and thyme. Grab a bunch of sprigs from either herb, then tie kitchen string around the stems. Once tied, hang them upside down in a dry and ideally dark place. Give it about 1-2 weeks and you’ll have beautifully dried herbs to use when you want that extra bit of flavour.
To store: once dried, remove from the stems and store in an airtight container to keep for up to a year.
To use: dried herbs tend to release oils that bring out all the flavour. Before using, rub the herbs slightly between your fingers or chop them up to release all the goodness.
Preserve your herbs in ice cube trays
Herbs can be frozen in several ways - packed tightly as they are, with water or olive oil. Freezing herbs is a great way to keep them fresh for longer and to easily pop out and use in cooking, but it’s also a fantastic way to make your drinks look that little bit fancier.
- First, make sure your herbs have been de-stemmed and washed (no need to fully dry them before freezing, just lay them on paper towel to get rid of excess water!).
- The best herbs for freezing are mint, basil, parsley, coriander & dill, however sage, rosemary and thyme also work well, look beautiful and can add great flavour to a dish.
- Next, decide if you want to chop the herbs or keep them whole, then arrange them into the empty ice cube trays. Keep it simple with one herb or mix and match the herbs. Note: it doesn’t matter the size or shape of your tray, but the smaller the better for individual portions when cooking.
- Add as many herbs as you want to pack in, the more herbs, the less liquid will be added.
- Once your herbs are placed in the tray, it’s time to fill them up. Choose from water or a good quality olive oil (we used Cobram Estate), or as we did here, you can do some with water and some with olive oil to get the best of both!
To store: Once frozen, pop them out and seal in snap lock bags or containers in the freezer, ready to use.
To use (in cooking): You don’t need to thaw them before use as they’ll lose their colour and shape. If using for cooking, add them still frozen.
To use (drinks): Use them as decorative ice cubes in a cocktail or blend them into a fresh smoothie or juice.
*You can also freeze herbs without a liquid by placing them in labeled, sealed containers or tightly sealed snap lock bags.
So, I bet by now you’re wondering which herbs do we at The Dinner Ladies use in our dishes? Here’s a few of our favourites and some dishes we have used them in and suggest topping yours with.
Coriander
A great addition to these two dishes.
Mint
Not only used in the prep of this dish, but it adds a sense of freshness when added on top.
Basil and Thai basil
Fresh basil leaves on top of a chicken parm is *chefs kiss* and the Thai basil leaf is used when making our Thai chicken curry (coriander also goes great on this one).
Parsley
Although we don’t add this to many of our dishes during prep, this herb is a popular addition that we suggest you add as a finishing touch to your meals.
