Selecting, Washing and Storing Herbs

You can grow fresh herbs in a garden, window box, or even small flower pots and you'll never have to worry about having too much or too little on hand. If you're selecting herbs at a grocery store or farmers' market, look for ones that look fresh, are not wilted, and smell fragrant. Avoid herbs with black markings and try to taste a bite to be sure of what you're getting.

To wash particularly sandy herbs such as basil, parsley, or cilantro, fill a bowl with cool water, swish the herb around in it to let the sand sink to the bottom, remove the herbs and pour out the bowl of water. Rinse the bowl to remove any excess sand and repeat until you're certain that it's clean.

There are specific ways to store certain herbs, but generally you want to keep them hydrated. In order to do so, place herbs in a cup of water in the fridge or in a plastic bag wrapped in damp paper towels.