Many different dishes call for the use of fresh herbs, from curries to pastas and even salads. Adding a sprinkle of coriander or rosemary are usually the finishing touches when it comes to achieving some added flavour.
While fresh herbs are relatively inexpensive, they’re notorious for spoiling quickly, so you might be spending more money than you’d like on a packet of basil leaves for your dinner. Freezing your herbs in olive oil is one way to prevent them from going bad, but if you prefer something with slightly less hassle — and don’t want to waste precious oil — one creator has shared her method for keeping herbs fresh for up to two weeks.
When it comes to saving money in the kitchen and getting the most from your food, one of the easiest ways to cut down on costs is by limiting food waste and making sure it lasts.
In a video posted on TikTok, Violet Witchel who runs the account @violet.cooks shared a method she learnt in culinary school that will keep herbs fresh for longer, meaning you can add them to more dishes.
Plus, fresh herbs often come in a large bunch, which can be difficult to get through in just one recipe.
Violet starts by soaking the herbs in vinegar “to kill off the bacteria” and pulls out any rotten leaves “so they don’t contaminate the rest”.
The acidity in vinegar works to kill bacteria that can be found on vegetables which can be picked up from a number of sites, from the soil it’s grown in, to any cross-contamination that might occur during processing.
After soaking your herbs, Violet then instructs viewers to cut the bottoms off so that the leaf can “absorb excess water while they’re stored” and then wrap the remaining herbs in a damp paper towel.
The paper towel works to absorb excess moisture and help regulate this too, while preventing the leaves from drying out and spoiling.
Once wrapped in a damp paper towel, the herbs can be placed in a plastic sandwich bag.
Violet advised pressing out “as much of the air as possible so they’re exposed to as little oxygen” and assured viewers that following these steps to store herbs “will help keep them fresh for a week or two”.