How to Store Fresh Coriander, Mint and Green Chillies

The bunch that was fresh on Sunday

You bought a big, bright bunch of coriander on the weekend. By Wednesday it is wet at the bottom and yellow on top, and the mint has black spots. Fresh herbs are cheap per bunch but they go off faster than anything else in a desi kitchen. A little handling at the start gives you roughly 7 to 14 days instead of 3. <!-- VERIFY: herb shelf-life ranges are rule-of-thumb for fridge storage; vary by freshness at purchase -->

The common enemy is moisture on the leaves combined with bruising. Almost every method below is just a way to keep the leaves dry and the stems hydrated.

Fresh coriander (dhania, cilantro)

Two methods work well. Pick based on how fast you use it.

The jar method, for use within a week.

1. Trim about 1 cm (1/2 inch) off the root ends.
2. Do not wash it yet.
3. Stand the bunch in a jar with 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) of cold water, like flowers.
4. Loosely cover the leaves with a plastic bag and put it in the fridge door.
5. Change the water every 2 days.

The paper towel method, for up to 2 weeks.

1. Wash the bunch, then dry it thoroughly. A salad spinner does this in 20 seconds. Without one, spread it on a clean towel for 30 minutes.
2. Pick off any yellow or slimy leaves.
3. Wrap the bunch loosely in a dry paper towel and put it in a container or zip bag with the top open a little.
4. Replace the towel when it feels damp.

The enemy is any wet leaf touching another. One rotting leaf spreads fast.

Mint (pudina)

Mint bruises and blackens in cold air, so treat it more gently than coriander.

• Keep mint stems in a jar of water on the counter for 2 to 3 days if the kitchen is not hot. Cover loosely.
• In the fridge, wrap the dry, unwashed sprigs in a barely damp paper towel inside a container.
• Pick leaves from stems only when you are about to use them.

If you have too much, make a chutney paste, or freeze the leaves (see below). Any mint paste with a little lemon will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. <!-- VERIFY: fridge life of fresh mint chutney; commonly 3 to 5 days -->

Green chillies

Green chillies are the easiest to keep, if you handle one thing: remove the stems.

1. Pick out any soft, wet or spotted chillies and use those first.
2. Pinch or cut the stems off. The stem is where rot starts.
3. Dry them fully.
4. Put them in a paper bag or a container lined with a paper towel, and store in the fridge.

Stored like this, firm chillies stay good for 2 to 3 weeks. If you buy 500 g (1 lb) at a time, cut them into chunks and freeze in a flat bag. They go into curries and tarkas straight from frozen.

Freezing herbs

Freezing changes the texture, so it suits cooked dishes and not garnish.

Frozen cubes keep well for around 3 months. <!-- VERIFY: freezer life for chopped herbs, commonly 3 to 6 months -->

Signs a herb is past saving

• Slimy or sticky stems or leaves.
• A sour or fermented smell.
• Black, mushy patches (not just a few brown tips).

A few brown edges are fine: trim them. Slime is not.

What to do with a lot of herbs

Cooking is the best storage plan. Chop a fistful of coriander into daal, finish a tadka daal with a handful, or top chana masala just before serving. Aloo gobi is another dish that takes a generous handful of coriander at the end. Add herbs off the heat so their flavour stays fresh.

A weekly herb plan

For other pantry basics that need a similar routine, the guide to storing ginger-garlic paste covers the next item in the fridge. If you want to track what is in the fridge so none of it is forgotten, Degchi's pantry demo shows how a have, low and out list works.