Question about a weird tip for keeping herbs fresh

My first head chef in Austin told me to store cilantro with the stems in a cup of water, like flowers, and cover the leaves with a plastic bag. I thought it was a waste of time until I tried it last month and my cilantro stayed crisp for over a week. What other old-school kitchen tricks actually work that well?

3 comments

3 Comments

riverwhite2mo ago

That "waste of time" line got me, I was the same with putting a damp paper towel over cut onions. Felt silly until my eyes stopped burning.

riley9562mo ago

Wait, does the damp paper towel thing actually work? I saw some article ages ago that said it's the sulfur compounds hitting your eyes, and a wet towel nearby might trap some of them. Honestly, I just started using a really sharp knife and it made a huge difference. Something about crushing the cells less.

betty_shah10d ago

Idk, did you try it with actual wet paper towel or just a barely damp one? I made that mistake once and my eyes were still burning halfway through. @riley956 is right about the sharp knife thing too, that's a game changer. I switched to a ceramic blade a few months back and the difference was wild, way less tearing up. But the paper towel trick is still good if you're like me and forget to sharpen things regularly. Just really soak it, lay it next to the cutting board, and it's like a little moisture barrier.