How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last Up to 2 Weeks

👉 You buy a beautiful bunch of cilantro for one recipe, use a handful, and three days later the rest is a slimy, yellow mess at the back of the fridge. Sound familiar? With the right method, most fresh herbs can stay green and fragrant for one to two weeks – sometimes even longer. Here is exactly how to store fresh herbs, herb by herb, plus easy ways to freeze and use up the leftovers.

🌿 First: Soft Herbs vs. Hard Herbs

The secret is knowing which group your herb belongs to, because they like completely different conditions.

• Soft (tender) herbs have soft stems and delicate leaves: parsley, cilantro (coriander), dill, mint, basil, tarragon, chives. They need water, like a bouquet of flowers.
• Hard (woody) herbs have tough, woody stems: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, bay leaves. They need a little moisture, but too much water makes them rot.

💐 Method 1: The Jar Method (for most soft herbs)

This is the best way to keep parsley, cilantro, dill, mint and tarragon fresh for up to 2 weeks.

1. Trim the stems – cut 1–2 cm off the ends, like you would with flowers. Remove any wilted or yellow leaves.
2. Put them in a jar with about 3 cm of cold water. Only the stems should be in the water, not the leaves.
3. Cover loosely with a plastic bag (a clean produce bag is perfect) to keep in humidity.
4. Refrigerate – except basil (see below).
5. Change the water every 2–3 days, or whenever it looks cloudy.

🍃 Method 2: The Damp Towel Method (for hard herbs and chives)

Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano and chives last best wrapped rather than standing in water.

1. Lay the herbs on a slightly damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel – damp, not wet.
2. Roll them up loosely.
3. Put the roll in a zip-lock bag or airtight container, leaving a little air inside.
4. Keep in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. They will last 2–3 weeks.

🌱 Basil Is Different

Basil hates the cold. In the fridge, its leaves quickly turn black. Instead:

• Put basil in a jar of water like a bouquet, cover loosely with a bag and keep it on the kitchen counter, out of direct sun.
• Change the water every couple of days. It will keep for about a week.
• Even better: buy a living basil plant and pick leaves as you need them.

📋 Herb Storage Cheat Sheet

• Parsley – jar with water, fridge – up to 2 weeks
• Cilantro / coriander – jar with water, fridge – 1–2 weeks
• Dill – jar with water, fridge – about 1 week
• Mint – jar with water, fridge – 1–2 weeks
• Tarragon – jar with water, fridge – 1–2 weeks
• Basil – jar with water, on the counter – about 1 week
• Chives – damp towel, fridge – about 1 week
• Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano – damp towel, fridge – 2–3 weeks

🚫 Mistakes That Kill Fresh Herbs

• Washing them before storing. Wet leaves rot quickly. Wash herbs just before you use them – or, if you must wash them first, dry them completely in a salad spinner.
• Leaving them in the tight supermarket bag. No airflow + trapped moisture = slime.
• Storing them in the coldest part of the fridge. Near the back wall, delicate herbs can freeze and turn black.
• Keeping them next to fruit like apples and bananas, which release ethylene gas and make herbs yellow faster.

❄️ How to Freeze Fresh Herbs

If you can’t use your herbs in time, freeze them before they wilt.

Herb ice cubes in olive oil

1. Chop the herbs finely (parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, thyme and rosemary all work).
2. Fill an ice cube tray two-thirds with herbs.
3. Top up with olive oil or melted butter and freeze.
4. Pop the cubes into a freezer bag. Drop one straight into soups, stews, sauces or a frying pan.

Frozen whole bunches

Dill, parsley and cilantro can simply be chopped, packed flat in a freezer bag and frozen. Break off what you need – no thawing required. The texture won’t be good for salads, but the flavour is perfect for cooking.

🍲 What to Do With Leftover Herbs

Many cuisines use herbs not as a garnish, but by the bunch. These recipes are perfect for using up a lot at once:

• Kuku sabzi – a Persian frittata that is mostly herbs. 👉 Kuku sabzi recipe
• Kutab – thin Azerbaijani flatbreads filled with greens. 👉 Kutab recipe
• Chakapuli – Georgian lamb stew with a mountain of tarragon. 👉 Chakapuli recipe
• Ash reshteh – a hearty Persian herb, bean and noodle soup. 👉 Ash reshteh recipe
• Fattoush – a crunchy Levantine salad full of parsley and mint. 👉 Fattoush recipe
• Green borscht – a fresh Ukrainian sorrel soup with dill. 👉 Green borscht recipe

❓ FAQ

How do you keep cilantro fresh the longest?
Trim the stems, stand the bunch in a jar with a little water, cover loosely with a plastic bag and refrigerate. Change the water every few days and it can last up to 2 weeks.

Should you wash herbs before storing them?
It’s better not to. Moisture on the leaves makes them rot faster. Wash herbs right before using them.

Why does basil turn black in the fridge?
Basil is sensitive to cold. Temperatures below about 10°C damage the leaves. Keep basil in water at room temperature instead.

Can you freeze fresh herbs?
Yes. Chop them and freeze in ice cube trays covered with olive oil, or freeze chopped herbs flat in a bag. Use frozen herbs for cooking rather than salads.

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