Fragrant greens add freshness and flavour to a variety of dishes. Don’t let them wilt away on you – here are 5 ways to use wilted herbs.
1. Freeze Them
The best way to preserve fresh herbs that are beginning to wilt is to chop them up and freeze them into ice cube trays with a bit of water or olive oil. Now you will always have fresh herbs at hand.
2. Make A Custom Spice Blend
Tie the herbs together in a bundle and hang it upside down in a dry well-ventilated area for a couple days. When the herbs crumble easily, strip off the leaves and store them in an airtight container for use in future cooking. Experiment and make your own spice blends. Tip: Dried mint leaves can also be used as tea!
3. Infuse An Oil
Wash and dry the sprigs thoroughly. Add the herbs to a sanitized and dry glass jar and cover with olive oil. Let sit for one to two weeks in a cool and dark spot and then use it as a dipping oil or a drizzle for pizzas, salads and pastas!
Make sure your sprigs are fully dried before adding olive oil. Any trace of lingering water can increase the risk of bacteria growth.
4. Keep Them Alive Longer
Add days (or even weeks) to the life of your herbs. The best way to store herbs is to keep them in a glass jar with fresh water. Leave them on the kitchen counter and add water as needed.
When the roots start sprouting after one to two weeks, you can replant them in soil!
5. Flavour Your Butter
Mince your herbs and mix them into softened salted butter. Wrap it in parchment and roll the herbed butter into a log before storing it in the fridge. This is a perfect accompaniment for homemade bread, scrambled eggs or a nice steak. You can also freeze the herbed butter and use it at a later date.
Did You Know?
Keep them moist!
If you are storing herbs in the fridge, wrap them loosely in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and place them in the high-humidity drawer of the refrigerator.