Preserving Fresh Herbs

While dried herbs serve their purpose in many cases, sometimes you’ll want to store your fresh herbs for processing and using at a later date. Maybe you picked up your share on Thursday evening, but won’t have free time for medicine making until Saturday morning. To prepare your herbs for refrigerator or countertop storage, first remove the rubber bands from the bundle. Let the herbs breathe. 

Approach the herbs as you would a bouquet of flowers. In a mason jar, add 2 inches of filtered water. Add bunched (but not bundled) herbs to the jar. Cover the jar with a loose plastic bag to prevent them from drying out (see picture). This method will work well for herbs like parsley, tulsi, lemon balm, bee balm, catnip, nettles, feverfew, etc. For basil varieties, follow the same method, but leave the mason jar on your counter instead of the refrigerator. Herbs will last a few days with this method. Change water daily to extend life. 

For heartier herbs: sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, mullein, roots, etc. wrap the herbs in a thin layer on a damp paper towel or cotton linen then store in a plastic or ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Herbs can keep for up to two weeks with this method. Experiment to see what works best for you.