Pick a bunch for a meal you already know you will make
A bunch of fresh herbs is easier to use when one meal has a clear place for it. Buy parsley because you are making white beans, dill because you have potatoes, or basil because tomatoes are already on the counter. Begin with one combination you can picture. The rest of the bunch can then be fitted into other meals without asking you to plan an entirely new menu around it.
Look at the bottom of the stems and the leaves tucked inside the bunch. Choose leaves that look sound and smell like the herb you want. A bunch can look fresh at the front and have damaged stems hidden by its tie. If a store sells herbs in different quantities, compare the smaller bundle with how much you normally use. A very full bunch can be good value for a soup, sauce, or salad that uses a handful. If you only need to finish two plates, a smaller amount may be easier to enjoy while it is fresh.
Take the herb home where it cannot be crushed by heavy groceries. If the bunch is delicate, carry it above a bag of roots or cans rather than under them. When you unpack, take off a tight tie and inspect the inner leaves. Remove damaged or spoiled pieces. Give the good leaves a storage place where they are visible and where the temperature suits the herb. Follow any package directions. A bunch left inside its shopping bag is easy to forget.
Choose a storage method that suits the plant
For many hardy bunches such as parsley or cilantro, a short jar with a little water can hold the stems upright if you have a steady shelf in the refrigerator. Trim the very ends if they are dry. Keep the leaves above the water and cover them loosely if that suits the herb. Change the water when it looks cloudy and check the stems. A tall container that tips when you open the door will cause more trouble than it solves, so use a broad base and a shelf where it stays still.
Another useful method is to place dry leaves in a suitable covered container with a clean towel that can catch a little excess moisture. Dry leaves have a better chance of staying usable than a bunch packed wet against the sides. Check the condition of the towel and replace it if it becomes saturated. The point is to protect the leaves from drying completely while keeping water from collecting around them. If you wash the bunch first, dry it gently and give it a moment to release the last drops before storing it.
Basil can react badly to very cold conditions, and tender herbs vary in how they behave. If the package suggests a particular temperature or method, use it. A small bunch that you will use right away needs less storage planning than one intended to finish several meals. Keep any herbs you leave briefly at room temperature away from direct heat. Use leaves while they smell fresh and discard spoiled ones rather than trying to revive them for a sauce.
Use the best leaves where people can taste them directly
Before adding an herb to a finished dish, tear or cut one leaf and smell it. A handful of mild parsley will taste different from the same volume of mint. Young, tender leaves are often pleasant in a salad. Larger leaves of the same herb can have a stronger flavor or thicker veins. Taste them separately and give the most tender leaves a place where they will be easy to eat. Chop larger sound leaves if their texture would be noticeable whole.
Dill fronds can sit on warm potatoes with a little butter or oil. Wait until the potatoes are ready to serve so that you notice the dill when it meets the heat. Basil can be torn over sliced tomatoes, while parsley can make a bowl of beans taste fresher. Use the herb as a finishing ingredient in the first meal. That lets you see what it adds before you mix it into anything that will be hard to adjust.
Keep a few small leaves aside while you prepare the first plate. Taste a bite before adding the rest. You may need fewer leaves than you thought, especially when the dish already contains a dressing or a strongly flavored cheese. If the herb seems absent, cut or tear it so more of its surface touches the food. Putting a whole sprig at one edge can look appealing without changing how the food tastes.
Herbs can also make a plain side dish work with something strongly flavored. If the main dish includes lemon, try finishing the side with just a little parsley and salt before adding more acid. If the meal is rich, a small pinch of chopped dill in a cool yogurt sauce can offer a fresh bite. The quantity needed can be very small. Put the first spoonful of the finished food onto a separate plate and add a few leaves there. This is especially useful when somebody at the table dislikes an herb. Their portion can stay plain, and you can decide how much to use on yours after tasting the actual dish.
Cook tender stems and tougher stems differently
A fine parsley or cilantro stem can carry as much flavor as a leaf. Taste a small section from the end nearest the leaf. If it is tender, chop it finely and use it in a dressing or let it soften briefly with an onion. Trim off thicker ends if they feel fibrous. Put the tender pieces in at the stage that suits the dish. A raw salad has less room for a tough bit than a pan that will simmer for another ten minutes.
Some herb stems, such as woody rosemary, have a different use. Put a small whole sprig into a simmering sauce so you can remove it easily. Use a piece that is large enough to find and keep track of what went in. Taste the sauce while it cooks. A little can contribute plenty of flavor, and removing the sprig early gives you control over how far it goes. The loose leaves can also be chopped when a recipe asks for them, but the woody stem should not remain in the finished dish.
A stock can use a few clean parsley stems or a small piece of thyme, especially when the stock will go into a dish that suits those flavors. Tie the pieces in a loose bundle with suitable kitchen twine or add them whole and strain them out. Start with less than you would use in soup. A herb that seems quiet in the pot can become stronger when the liquid is later reduced.
Save a small amount for a dish where color matters less
If you have sound herbs left and know you will not use them soon, freeze them according to a reliable method suited to the herb. Chopped herbs can go into a small container or be portioned with a little water in a freezer-safe tray, then transferred into a labeled freezer bag once solid. Do not leave the prepared herbs sitting at room temperature while you decide what to do. They will usually lose the firm shape that made them attractive on the first plate, so plan to use them in a hot dish.
Think of a frozen herb portion as a seasoning for soup, warm grains, or a pan sauce. Add one, stir, and taste before adding another. Mint may be useful in a particular grain dish and too pronounced in another. Parsley is easier to place in several meals. Label each portion so that an opaque bag of frozen green leaves is still useful. Include the date and the herb name, and store them according to applicable guidance.
If you plan to serve a herb oil or another fresh mixture, make only what you need for that meal or use a tested storage method. A small amount of freshly chopped herb stirred into oil or yogurt at the table can be easier to manage than a jar you have to remember to use. Choose the method that fits your next meal and the part of the bunch you have available.
Build a habit around one herb at a time
Look at the bunch again the next time you prepare a meal. If there are only a few leaves left, use them where they will be obvious. A few leaves of basil can finish one plate. A tablespoon of chopped parsley can season part of a pot of cooked grain. Taste the smaller portion first. You can always add a second ingredient after you know what the herb contributes on its own.
Put the empty container near the sink when you use the last of it. The number of meals you got from the bunch is useful information for the next shopping trip. Perhaps the smallest bundle was enough for dinner and a sandwich, or perhaps you used more when it was already cleaned and visible. Buy the herb for a first meal, keep the stems you can use, and give the extra leaves a second destination while they still taste good.
