In Your Home – Page 8 – Sustainable Lawrence

Storing Fresh Herbs

From stopfoodwaste.org

Store cilantro and other fresh herbs just like cut flowers in a jar with 1-2 inches of water and covered with a plastic bag to maintain moisture.

For tender herbs like mint, dill, parsley, and cilantro, remove any wilted leaves, trim the stem ends, and place the bunch into a jar or glass with 1-2 inches of water. Try to ensure that the leaves stay above the rim of the container.

Loosely cover the herbs with a plastic bag and place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to change the water every few days (or when it starts to look cloudy), and remove any wilted or slimy leaves when you notice them.

Tip: Don’t wash the herb leaves until you’re ready to use them as the extra water can rot the leaves.

How to properly store: Asparagus

Spring is around the corner and fresh Jersey asparagus is hitting grocery shelves. Here are tips to properly store fresh asparagus from stopfoodwaste.org.

Trim the ends of asparagus and place them in a jar or glass with 1-2 inches of water, just like fresh cut flowers. Keep them in the refrigerator.

You can also wrap the cut ends in moist paper towel and store them in a loose plastic bag. Make sure to refrigerate the asparagus as soon as possible.