Long live fresh herbs!

You’ve no doubt noticed that fresh herbs are now available on Lufa Farms’ Marketplace. So they don’t get lost and wilted in the back of the fridge, we have a few tricks to help extend their life…

In the fridge!

Above all, it’s important to only rinse herbs just before using them and dry them off by blotting with a paper towel.When you receive your freshly cut herbs, wrap them in a humid paper towel and place them in a sealed plastic bag. This will keep them fresh about a week. 

If you want them to last even longer, you can put the stems or roots of the herbs in a glass filled with 2-3 cm of water and cover with a plastic bag. (There are also containers for this purpose sold in culinary supply stores.)

In pots!

If you’ve received potted herbs, like chives, put them close to a window in the sun, and water them a bit from time to time. You can also transplant them in your garden or in a larger pot on your balcony.

In the freezer!

Especially effective for coriander (cilantro), dill and chives, freezing allows herbs to keep for up to 6 months! The method is simple: finely chop the herbs and put them in an ice cube tray. Fill the tray with water or olive oil, and freeze it. Once frozen, put the cubes in a freezer bag and use as needed for your recipes.

For basil, which tends to brown in humid conditions, you can make a pesto recipe and freeze it the same way. Nothing better to enhance your tomato sauces!

Drying!

It’s also very easy to dry your herbs. Dried thyme, rosemary and oregano keep their aroma and flavor for up to a year. The easiest method is to bunch the whole herbs and suspending them top-down by a loose knot, in a room away from light and humidity, for 1-2 weeks.

No waste!

Finally, if you want to get the full potential of your herbs while they’re fresh, you can prepare an herb butter. This will perfectly accompany grilled bread, corn, meat or fish. Alternatively, you can use the herbs to create flavored oil: delicious on pizzas, cheese, or in salads.

Doesn’t this make you hungry? Long live fresh herbs!