Herbs: Here’s What You Should Always Do Before Cooking

Thyme, chives, mint, basil, coriander, parsley, rosemary… In summer, there are dozens of aromatic herbs ready to enhance our dishes and preparations. You can find them in supermarkets, at the market, in grocery stores or even in your small vegetable garden. But is it possible to consume them immediately? In reality, it would be better to wash them systematically.

According to Dr. Diana Kadouch, a nutritionist interviewed by Hello Doctorsit is essential to wash your aromatic herbs before consuming them. The simplest reason: “there may simply be dirt on them leading to a risk of contamination”. Indeed, these herbs have been touched by many people before reaching you, especially if they come from supermarkets or grocery stores. Florian Gilbert, market gardener, specifies that “a salad or aromatics can be touched about twenty times” before being purchased. To clean them, nothing could be simpler, just rinse them with clean water and dab them to be sure to remove all the dirt.

Dirt on your herbs may shorten their shelf life. Thus, cleaning them allows them to be preserved longer according to the nutritionist. To make them last over time, it is also preferable not to leave them in a glass of water in the refrigerator. Contrary to popular belief, this gesture is ineffective since the roots are cut. It is better to opt for a zipped freezer bag in which you place your herbs. They must therefore be washed but also properly dried with absorbent paper to prevent the spread of fungi. Once properly cleaned, dried and stored, your herbs can be kept for around fifteen days.

It is also possible to freeze them in oil. To do this, finely chop the leaves and half-fill the cubes in an ice cube tray. Then cover with water or oil. The oil prevents the cold from burning the plants and oxidizing them.