They’re the most-wasted fresh ingredient in our fridges, but delicious. Food Director Lucy Nunes has a simple hack – and it isn’t just blitzing the whole bunch into a pesto – to save your soft herbs.

Credit: Nigel Lough

How to store herbs

“The best way to store herbs is wrapped in a damp tea towel or damp paper towel in a plastic bag in the fridge,” says Nunes, our head recipe creator and master herb-reviver. “Make sure to discard any damaged leaves and stems before wrapping.” 

This simple step will mean that your herbs last for about a week in the fridge.

Storing chopped herbs frozen in ice cube trays is also a great idea. It might seem like a bit of an effort at the time, but it’s the perfect way to save an excess of herbs from going to waste, and is also so rewarding when you get to use them.

“I usually freeze soft herbs like parsley, coriander or basil in water, as I’ll often stir the frozen cubes in when finishing a soup or pasta,” Nunes says. “And for the harder herbs like thyme or rosemary, which I often use to fry off onion to start a dish, I’ll pop those in oil.

“Simply chop the herbs and spoon into ice cube trays, then cover with water or oil. Freeze until set, then transfer to small zip-lock bags – and don’t forget to label! There’s nothing worse than an overloaded freezer full of deliciousness that you can’t identify.”

Related story: 46 fragrant ways to use up those leftover herbs

Credit: Getty Images / Oksana Nazarchuk M

How to revive herbs

But what if, in the frenzy of unpacking your groceries, you forgot to wrap your fragrant leafy greens in that damp tea towel, and just chucked them straight into the crisper? Now, you’re likely faced with sad, wilted stems that look less green and more grunge. We’ve all been there – chefs and food directors included. 

“Sometimes you don’t have time, and you quickly pack away herbs in the bottom fridge drawer,” Nunes says. “Don’t worry, there is a solution!”

“Just pop the herbs in a small container and cover with cold tap water (mostly submerged is enough), then put the container, uncovered, in the fridge. After 1-2 hours, they’ll be perky and happy again.”

Related story: Herb-filled recipes for those leftover bunches in the fridge

What else can you store this way?

We saved a bunch of coriander, but this tip works for other soft herbs such as parsley, basil and tarragon, as well as leafy Asian greens and even snow peas, celery, radishes and beans.

And it doesn’t end there. Chef and restaurateur Junda Khoo has a similar hack – this time for a packet of bean sprouts.

“Before buying bean sprouts, check that they’re still crunchy – wilted droopy sprouts equal old stock,” he says. 

“To store, remove them from the packet, rinse in cold water and drain. Transfer to a container with a lid, fill it with water until sprouts are covered, then store in the fridge with the lid closed. This will last for almost a week.”

More more info on how to store your herbs, check out this useful guide. 

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