Whether you grow fresh herbs on your windowsill or shop for them at the farmers' market, there's nothing worse than seeing your just-bought herbs go bad before you get to enjoy them. Follow these tips to help give your herbs their maximum potential shelf life!

• Wash your herbs by swirling them around gently in cold water to loosen any debris.
• Drain the water and spin the herbs dry.
• Lay them out on a few layers of paper towels and pat them down gently with another towel to blot any excess moisture away.
• To store your herbs, arrange them lengthwise in a single layer on a damp paper towel. Roll them up and place them in a plastic zip lock bag or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
• For longer storage, you can freeze your herbs by snipping the leaves into small pieces and packing them into an empty ice cube tray. Fill the tray about three quarters of the way with water and freeze. The next day you’ll want to top the tray off with water and freeze it again. Store them in a sealed container in the freezer.

The Best Way to Store Fresh Herbs [Serious Eats]
4 Alternatives To Drying Herbs [Rodale’s Organic Life]
Keeping The Fresh In Herbs [Sunset]

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