To the rescue of herbs

Despite our intention not to waste them, our last purchases of herbs have once again ended their journey withered in a corner of the fridge. How to prevent this from happening again?

Isabelle Morin
The Press

“I never cease to be frustrated at having to buy a huge bunch of parsley to make a dish that only requires two tablespoons and ends up in the compost,” writes Valérie Demers, a reader of The Press. Why not split the bundle in four and sell each portion for 75 cents rather than $2? »

“The more robust and popular herbs are sold in bunches. We have already tried to sell them in smaller portions, which was not conclusive, answers Sobeys spokesperson Anne-Hélène Lavoie. The most fragile are however sold in trays, in small portions. Further reducing the content of this packaging would be unprofitable and would raise the issue of over-packaging. Offering them in bulk and by weight is difficult to do with such a light ingredient, and in particular portends losses associated with handling.

Unless you can get them in smaller quantities at the public market by asking the merchant to divide the bunch, we come back to the starting point: how to properly preserve our fine herbs and use them better in the kitchen?

What to know before buying

Herbs with a high content of essential oils, such as thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sage, marjoram, dill and oregano, can be used very well in the winter, whatever the recipe says. , and will be just as interesting if not more in this form than fresh, says chef Jonathan Garnier, of the Culinary Guild. Those with a high water content (basil, parsley, coriander, mint) however lose their aromatic interest once dehydrated. Buying them fresh becomes essential if you want to enjoy their flavors.

Store them properly

“Grocery packaging is not made for home storage, but for marketing and transport,” says expert in the fight against food waste Florence-Léa Siry, from Chic frigo sans fric. “When we redo the chain, when we see that the fine herbs, already fragile, have been cut too quickly before being carried around in packaging that does not breathe, we understand why the food is all the more tired when it comes to us. »

At home, herbs should be removed from their packaging, says Florence-Léa Siry. “I place the more tolerant herbs on a dry cloth which will absorb their excess humidity and prevent them from turning black in the fridge. »

Jonathan Garnier places the stem of the bouquets in a base of water in the fridge, renewed every two days. “For the chives, I wrap it in absorbent paper and moisten it slightly. She survived a good week in these conditions. »

It is in our best interest to buy basil, which is more sensitive to cold, as a plant, they say. As it prefers moist soil at all times and good sunlight, place it on the counter in a bowl filled with water, while making sure to water it every two days up to the height of the pot. We can thus keep it for two to four weeks and perhaps longer in dividing seedlings from the market. Some herbs even manage to make their way to the vegetable garden in the spring.

“It’s doable, but it can be disappointing,” warns Lili Michaud, urban agronomist and author of the book. Herbs from the land to the table.

Transform them upon purchase

There is no point in denying it: if despite our efforts to preserve them well, our fine herbs end up in the compost, the problem is elsewhere. “I think the solution is to find some form of food planning at the time of purchase. If I add parsley to make a tartare, fine, but you have to consider what you can do with the rest from the start,” advises Jonathan Garnier.

Setting aside the quantity you need for a recipe and then preparing the surplus as soon as you buy it also represents 10 well-invested minutes, says Florence-Léa Siry.

Train your zero-waste muscle

Regularly reviewing foods that require more attention in the fridge is a good way to limit losses. Tabbouleh, salads, pasta, vinaigrettes, soups, smoothies, stews, potatoes or rice are all ready-made preparations in which we can slip all that herbs we have left. “A majority of people still follow recipes to the letter. You have to trust yourself,” notes chef Jonathan Garnier, of the Culinary Guild.

Fine herbs bring flavors, freshness, color and crunch to a preparation, lists Florence Léa-Siry. “Once you understand it, it’s easy to improve a lot of dishes. ” Just think about it !

other options

Dehydrate

The herbs with a higher content of essential oils can be spread on a baking sheet or a dry cloth to dry them in the open air for a few days away from the sun. “The top of the fridge is particularly effective for dehydrating, underlines Florence-Léa Siry, expert in the prevention of food waste, since it emits heat without cooking. »

Freeze

“They can all go in the freezer, but the result will not be interesting when they come out,” warns chef Jonathan Garnier. We will not use parsley in these conditions to make a tartare, but it can be suitable for a tomato sauce or a soup. Florence-Léa Siry puts them in a food processor, adds oil and freezes them. “I then use the ice cubes at the end of cooking in stir-fries, stews, rice, soups, pasta… I sometimes do the same thing with garlic or ginger. »

salty herbs

They are obtained by mixing one part salt to four parts herbs, to which can be added green leeks, celery leaves, chopped carrot peelings… When a recipe calls for salt, all you have to do is add it. replace with salted herbs.

Flavored butters

In softened butter, add chopped herbs, citrus zest, garlic, shallots, arugula, to instantly give character to your dishes.

Pestos

Let’s look beyond the basil and pine nut duo: all fine herbs are suitable for it (including greens like arugula and spinach) and the same goes for nuts. Do you have a surplus of “party mix”? Go in the pesto! “It allows you to make a quick recipe without too much work to flavor meat, hot cheese, a soft-boiled egg, fish and any preparation, points out Jonathan Garnier. Normally, a pesto should leave the fridge fairly quickly. »

Chimichurri

Fine herbs, vinegar, pepper flakes and onions (garlic or shallots) combine in this preparation to be used as a marinade, vinaigrette base or side sauce.