Fresh herbs last for 'months' when you add 1 item to storage container

Fresh herbs can take our cooking to new heights, but it's often impractical to buy them from the supermarket. You usually end up having to buy a bag that's much bigger than you need, and the herbs don't last very long in the fridge before they wilt and need to be thrown away.

For this reason, many people opt for dried herbs that won't spoil and can be added to dishes at a moment's notice. However, while dried herbs are suitable for adding to curries and pasta sauces, they aren't suitable for dishes that require the fresh version, such as salads or garnishes.

But what if we told you there's a way to guarantee that your herbs stay fresh for at least a month, with the potential to last much longer - all by adding one item to your storage container?

That's the claim made by one woman on social media, who swears by a simple method to storing her herbs in the fridge. Allie Hagerty shared a video on Instagram in which she urged people to stop storing their fresh herbs in the plastic bags they come in when you buy them from the supermarket, as these bags trap moisture and make herbs go off faster.

Instead, you should take an airtight food storage container and store them in there. Transferring them from one plastic bag to another plastic container doesn't sound revolutionary, but the genius step comes when Allie adds one item to the box - a paper towel.

She said: "We're going to take a paper towel and line the container. Then I [put in] the holy trinity: sage, thyme, and a little bit of rosemary. Just pop it in here and put the lid on. This will stay good in your fridge for honestly weeks. The thyme that's in there is probably a month old, and it's still fabulous."

In the caption of her post, Allie explained that the paper towel helps to absorb moisture, while the airtight container keeps things sealed so that the decaying process is slowed.

She wrote: "Line an airtight container with a dry paper towel, add herbs, seal, and refrigerate. The towel absorbs excess moisture and the container limits air exposure! The result is fresher basil, parsley, and cilantro for days. Save for meal prep."

Commenters on the post dubbed the hack a "game-changer" and said they would be storing all fresh herbs this way from now on.

One person said: "Must do this with the herbs I got over the weekend!" And another added: "Game changer!"

How to store fresh herbs

For hard herbs with woody stems, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, and chives, following the fridge method is perfectly fine. It's recommended you follow these steps:

Wrap in a damp paper towel.

Place in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container.

Store in the fridge.

However, for soft herbs with tender stems, such as parsley, corriander, basil, mint, and dill, then the "bouquet" method is preferred. This involves storing them upright in a jar as if they're a bunch of flowers by following these steps:

Trim the stems slightly.

Place in a jar with about an inch of water (like a bouquet).

Cover loosely with a plastic bag.

Refrigerate (except basil, which prefers room temperature).

Change water every couple of days.