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This simple little trick will save you lots of steps and make it super easy to always have fresh summer herbs at your fingertips all season long!
Two years ago, after living in Raleigh, NC for almost 40 years, we packed up and moved to the mountains of North Carolina to be near family. Although I've loved almost everything about moving to the Asheville area, it was sad to discover that there was no place for a garden at our new home. Scott had me quite spoiled in Raleigh with his raised bed vegetable gardens and a wonderful herb garden right off of our deck.
Trees, trees, everywhere!
Here, we're surrounded by forest and mountains in all directions. We have a yard but it's pretty shaded and definitely not a place where a garden would thrive.
I've found that there are lots of wonderful farmer's markets in the area though, so it's been easy and fun to find beautiful homegrown fruits and vegetables. And my ingenious husband came to the rescue and found a way for me to continue to have my beloved herbs.
A great solution!
He discovered that the area right around our driveway receives about 6 hours of direct sun. Although it's not suitable for a garden, it's perfect for a Veg Trug. What's a Veg Trug? It's an elevated garden planter, perfect for vegetables (and herbs!) Trugs are designed for gardening on decks or patios (no bending or kneeling!). As you can see in the pics, my herbs are happy little campers!
And see the frame around the top? A greenhouse cover is available to go with it, so you can start planting herbs and/or veggies earlier in spring and extend the growing season later into fall. All in all, it's been a wonderful solution for us!
So what's my trick for keeping these wonderful herbs at my fingertips? Although the herbs are not far from the kitchen, I found that often I would hesitate to run out and clip them, especially if I was in the middle of a recipe or in a hurry to get dinner on the table. Then there are the sudden afternoon mountain downpours that seem to come out of nowhere. And okay, I admit it, some just plain old laziness would keep me from the delicious herbs
Another issue I ran into with fresh herbs is the fact that, if washed them right before using, they tend to be slick, difficult to chop and can get a bit slimy after chopping. Wet, slimy herbs don't make a pretty presentation for a dinner you've spent precious time preparing.
But I learned a clever little trick a number of years ago and I thought I'd share it with you. It's a wonderful way to have clean, dry herbs right at your fingertips all summer long.
This is how it works; about twice a week, early in the day, I go out to my herb garden and clip a bunch of herbs. Fresh herbs love to be snipped and trimmed, and the more you cut away, the faster they seem to grow.
Who needs flowers?
When I bring the summer herbs inside, I give them a good washing either under the faucet or swishing them in a sink full of clean, cool water. I hold on to each bunch at their stems as I wash them, keeping like kinds of herbs together and gently shaking the excess water into the sink when I'm finished.
Then I stick the clean in glasses filled with fresh water. Sometimes I place the glasses into small decorative pots for a pretty look. I keep this clean, fresh supply of herbs on the counter or the windowsill within easy reach. They dry quickly and stay fresh for at least 2-3 days (longer on the windowsill). And who needs fresh flowers when you have these beautiful, fresh greens to decorate the kitchen?
Every day or two, I discard the water and replace it with fresh. Any time herbs are needed for a recipe or a garnish, I simply pull the clean, dry herbs from their containers and I'm good to go!
Fresh herbs are quite magical, adding delicious flavor to everything - salads, soups, pasta, bread, grilled entrees, desserts, beverages, etc. Like I said; everything! In fact, one of our all-time most favorite reader recipe is this East Sweet Basil Vinaigrette.
Summer is the time to use them with great abandon as they are readily available and can transform your meals from average to extraordinary.
If you don't have space or time to grow fresh herbs, this method will also work with the bunches of summer herbs sold at farmer's markets. Don't try it with grocery store herbs in the little plastic packets however, they've been away from "their mama" for too long and won't survive.
If you do grow your own fresh herbs, you'll love this simple little trick! It will save you lots of steps and will make it super easy to always have these fragrant, tasty sprigs of deliciousness at your fingertips for cooking all summer long!
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I have a deck for the summer growing of herbs, but what do you do in the winter? Not enough sun for indoors, is there?
Hi Lynn, I do have a bright window with morning sun and I grow herbs there. They don't do as well as outside but at least I have herbs. When they fizzle out, I just replace them with new ones.
Hey I love the tip for the fresh herbs on the window sill! I get super lazy to run out to the porch for them and hesitate to grow them due to that... but that’s an excellent idea!
Oh and great getting your website this morning at the pool 🙂
Thanks, Crystal, for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you're having a good week!
I too love my summer herb garden and like to display them in the kitchen. When my friend sold her parents house, her dad was a teacher who had a lab in the basement. I helped her clean it out and she gave me test tubes and stand for my herbs. It's cool looking!
That sounds so fun, Lee. What a great idea!
I love the idea of your veg trug. I do have one tip for keeping Basil after the growing season. Whenever I cut back my basil, which is often, I wash it, shake off and dry on paper towel. After I chop it, I place it in a plastic baggie, fill the bag with a good amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and lay the bag flat in your freezer. When frozen you can stand it up. Then when you need fresh basil in the winter, you can easily snap off the amount you need for your recipe. Honestly, you cannot tell it has been frozen and you get that wonderful fresh flavor right from your garden and right from your freezer. I got this tip several years ago from Martha Stewart.
I love this idea, Kay! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thanks for the smart and practical tips on keeping herbs. I’m curious what you suggest to keep larger amounts for later use? I’ve tried drying some, but I’m not that happy with the results. Have you any experience with microwaving herbs to dry them and then crumbling them to store?
I live in the Raleigh area and visit the mountains several times a year. It’s hot, hot, hot here now so you are fortunate!
Hi Laura, I really don't try to keep my herbs for later use. I use them with great abandon during the summer months and then resort to either buying the hydroponic plants at the store and growing them in a bright sunny window in the winter or buying the little packets of fresh herbs at the store.
Living in Winnipeg Manitoba growing fresh herbs all year would be a dream, but we have great grocery stores that are usually well stocked.
One day I saw a woman buying 5 or 6 bunches of cilantro and I asked her how she stored it to keep it fresh. She told me to buy the freshest cilantro that is not too wet, do not wash it when you go home, then lay out a 2 + foot piece of paper towel and lay the cilantro in a single layer, then roll up like a jelly roll (short side) and place in a ziplock bag. refrigerate in your crisper. When it comes time to use it take out what you need and wash before adding to your recipe.
I have had fresh cilantro for over 3 weeks! If there are any bits left over that are not suitable for a garnish pop it in a ziplock bag and freeze it, good for soups or curry stews! Also don't forget to use the stems of your cilantro, this is the only herb that the stem can be eaten these add a great boost of flavour to your cooking.
Thanks so much, Donna, for sharing your expertise and success with cilantro! I usually do the same thing when I get home from the grocery store but I wash it first. I'm going to try your technique to see if it will last longer.
I assume that you do not zip the bag shut? Or do you?
I’m lucky enough to have 6 raised beds with full sun in Sacramento and have half of one dedicated to herbs. I, too, get lazy sometimes when I’m in the middle of a recipe and need to run out to clip fresh herbs, wash them, dry them, etc. I love the idea of snipping off some of each and putting them in containers of of water after washing them. Thank you so much for this great suggestion! I’ve never been able to successfully grow cilantro because it’s just too hot here. When I buy fresh cilantro at the farmer’s market, I wash it, trim off the ends, put it in a glass of water and store it in the refrigerator. It keeps for at least 10 days if I remember to change the water every few days and trim off the ends. I didn’t have such good results putting cilantro on the countertop, however.
6 beds! That is awesome! I'm a bit jealous!
Thanks for sharing your experience with herbs. Hope you enjoy this easy technique!
Cilantro is a winter herb. Look up cilantro and see if you can start it in the fall. There is a variety that is very slow to bolt. Also, since it’s just the leaves we’re after, cilantro will take some shade.
Happy gardening.
Thanks, Jennifer! I recently moved from Raleigh to the mountains of NC. I'm thrilled to find my cilantro is growing through the summer here. It bolts a bit but the lacey leaves are pretty and delicious!
I love your idea and the veg trug. My husband is a very handy carpenter and could easily make one of these for me. My question for you is, where do you live now? You have such beautiful gardens. We live in Minnesota and have a short growing season. BTW, I love, love your recipes. I always wish you would publish a cookbook so I could have the recipes at hand. Still wishing! Thanks again for your wonderful blog!
I think I need a veg trug! What a great gardening help! And I love the tip about snipping and placing in water! Brilliant!
It is adorable ! and you both are simply amazing! Always!
Thanks so much, Edna! You are really sweet 🙂
Your herbs look so beautiful! I have an antique baby bathtub on a raised stand (from Eastern Europe) that sits on my side porch, right outside my kitchen. I plant it with mint, basil and Italian parsley, and it gets full afternoon sun. I have to water the plants daily because the sun is intense here in Southern Oregon. My plants start out looking beautiful, but then they start getting thin. I go from fat, healthy-looking leaves to little thin scrawny things. How often do you trim your herbs, and how much do you trim them, in order to keep them bushy and growing? I love fresh herbs and I'd love to know how to keep them growing all season, looking like yours! Thanks for any advice.
Hi Terri, I love the idea of an antique bathtub! I bet that creates such a pretty look!
I checked with Scott regarding your questions. He said it could be a drainage problem. Do you have any kind of drainage at the bottom of the tub? He always makes sure there are drainage holes at the bottom so the plant roots don't get drowned and puts a thick layer of gravel underneath the soil also to ensure good drainage. The other issue, according to "the boss" could be fertilizer. He fertilizes them with Miracle Gro every other week during the growing season. Hope that helps!
Thank you Chris! Yes, I have drainage (one hole, and the bathtub slopes a little toward it), but I haven't fertilized them. The herbs were planted in a very rich soil, so I didn't think I needed to, but I will certainly give that a try. I'm not really sure how to keep basil and parsley trimmed so that the plants stay thick. Maybe it's just the fertilizer. Thanks for the response.
Definitely try the fertilizer! I can see a huge difference a few days after Scott fertilizes. He always says that when you have good drainage, it's great but on the other side, the nutrients are leached out through the drain holes. Thanks, Terri for sharing your comment.
Love this idea of keeping herbs fresh! I like to use my rosemary in pie crusts when I make quiche, but this is the first year I do not have fresh herbs growing in my sun room. (Surgery on the arm prevented me from planting anything!) But next year -- oh boy!
Hi Sunny, so sorry about your arm surgery. That slows up a lot of things! Hope you find a farmers market or other market with a good source of fresh herbs!
Rosemary pie crust sounds amazing!
I think of you every time I clip fresh herbs and put them in a glass of water in my kitchen window Chris. Great post, terrific tips and LOVE that little garden box. I'll have to check it out 🙂
I love that you think of me with the herbs Tricia! Hope you do that often 🙂
LOVE this, Chris! Here in Minnesota, tiny vases filled with fresh herbs is even more precious (for sanity's sake) in the wintertime when we can only them at the grocery store. For that reason, vases full of fresh herbs line my counter tops just days before Thanksgiving to mark one of my favorite cooking sprees... I (almost) can't wait!! 😉
Thanks for your comment Michele! Scott and I spent our first 30 years in Wisconsin, so I know what you mean!
Great info, Chris. I tend to forget to trim mine and they get kind of gangly and out of control. I'm not growing them in the garden this year but I do have several types in pots on my window sill year round. I'm getting better at not killing them too quickly, lol. I discovered just a wee bit of water each day seems to do the job and they're happy.
And I agree about cooking with fresh herbs. My readers are tired of me lecturing about that, lol. Great post!
They do need tender love and care, don't they Robyn? Scott just spent yesterday evening giving everyone fertilizer and a "haircut" and they look quite respectable now. Best of all, they will jump in growth when they are trimmed, guaranteed!
wonderful tip and the kitchen looks alive with fresh herbs in it, thank you lovely xoxo ps credit to the photographer 😉
Scott says, "Thanks Beverley!"
This is a great tip, Chris! It seems that sometimes my basil plant is just enough out of reach that I sometimes forego using it, so I need to try this!
Thanks Laura! It's great to have them at your fingertips, isn't it?
Hi Chris thanks for all the wonderful tips great post thank you for sharing.
Thanks Danielle! Scott will be expanding our sharing of gardening experiences, including developing a plan for fall harvest planting.
Great post Chris. I have done something similar for years, I put them all in the same large vessel. The sill on my kitchen window is not quite as wide as yours, and it faces south, so this time of year, I need to lower the blind during the high heat times. Sometimes, when a do not have any flowers in my yard and we are having dinner guests, I go out to my herb garden and pick away. I make a fresh herb bouquet, or several small ones to place along the center of the table. Guests always comment on how lovely and fresh they smell.
Great ideas Karen! Sounds like you're a "herb hound" too!
This really is a great tip! It's one of those 'why didn't I think of that' ideas. I didn't, you did and I appreciate you sharing it with us.
You're so welcome Denimo!
Clever tip Chris, I always keep basil fresh on the counter but never thought to try that trick with anything else, great post.
It really is a step-saver Cheri!
I brought in basil two days ago & did this, only to realize I also introduced their white flies too! Any suggestions for safe spray for these before I cut them?
Insecticidal soap spray works right up to the day of harvest. Just wash the plants well when you bring them in.
Lovely collection you got there and thank you for the tips!
Oh I do that too Chris.I love it..way better than refrigeration..they are plants after all:)
Your gardens must be gorgeous by now.I loved what he did.
Such a great idea! My herbs are growing like crazy, but I"m like you. I like to have them "at hand". Great tip and they look so pretty, too 🙂
Thanks Jennifer! Scott just fertilized them last evening, so I'm guessing they will take off again!
I just cut some herbs (estragon, olive herb, rosemary, red basil and parsley) and place them in glasses and then I saw this :-)) A wonderful post, Chris.
Thanks Angie! I always say you can't get enough herbs!
Chris, you are a gem. I have basil, and thyme. Oddly though my mint is struggling. Usually mint is like kudzu, but for some reason it is struggling. Maybe it has been away from its mama.:) Love your herbs on your sill.
You're so sweet Madonna. Don't worry, mint always struggles in the summer heat. If you cut it way back and keep it well watered, it will do just fine and revive. It drinks twice as much water as most herbs.
Thanks Chris! I'm looking forward to my cut herbs growing and flourishing even more.
You're welcome Sandra, you'll love it!
They actually have little plastic pots of basil at Martin's.. I could get that, then before I am ready to use it, do this! What a great tip!
That's a great idea Ginny!
And, they look so beautiful in your kitchen window, Chris!
Thanks Debra! And out beyond the window is Scott's new vegetable garden that's going crazy! We were on a road trip for a week and everything went wild! So much produce! Yikes!
How does he keep the rabbits & squirrels out?!
Hey Sandy! The raised beds help us keep out moles, voles, and rabbits. Squirrels occasionally will sneak a bite of our veggies, but so far haven't been much of a problem. We installed a 5' wrought aluminum fence across our back property line before Scott built the raised beds, so deer aren't an issue either. Garden Supply Company (online) has a great selection of products to keep the critters at bay!
Thank you Chris, so easy, so brilliant...
It is so easy and they keep so well Jenna.
Great idea! Not only practical, it looks so pretty as well in the kitchen.
Thanks Adina, I love it too!
Such a great tip Chris! I hate it when the herbs are slimy and you try to cut them for a recipe right away. Going to try this one! Thanks so much
You'll love it Tricia! It's wonderful to keep fresh herbs, ready to go right there on your windowsill. Plus they're so pretty to look at as you work 🙂
Chris, what do you fertilize your herbs with?
Thanks for your question Yvonne! Scott uses a combination of Espoma Herb and Vegetable Food and Miracle Gro products. His soil is equal parts of compost, pine bark fines and screened top soil.