Store Parsley To Last [Our 5 Ways]

Did you harvest a lot of parsley? Or bought some pre-packed parsley in the market? Have you noticed that after a few days, the parsley starts to wilt and turn brown, even if stored in a refrigerator? How you store your fresh herbs is critical for their longevity. Here are some tips to store your fresh herbs to last longer.

The best ways to store parsley are by 1) wrapping in a damp kitchen towel, 2) storing in a jar, 3) freezing, 4) chopping and putting in a ziplock, 5) dehydrating to use as a dried herb.

Parsley Storing Technique	How Long Does It Last?
Wrapping in damp tissue	Up to 2 weeks
Storing in a jar	Up to 2 weeks
Freezing	Up to 3 months
Chopping and putting in a ziplock	Up to 5 months
Dehydrating	Up to 3 years but for the better flavor, 6 months to 1 year.

Herbs are essential in our kitchen and their shelf life is sensitive, especially when fresh. But there are things that we can do to help our fresh herbs last a bit longer.

How To Store Fresh Parsley

Parsley is a widely used herb in many recipes such as sauces and is added to dishes like meat, salads, and more. It is also commonly used as a garnish for some dishes. But it only takes up to 3 to 5 days before it wilts.

Well, here are some tips on how to store your freshly harvested parsley or your newly bought parsley from the market.

Damp Wrapping Technique

One of the easiest ways to store parsley to extend its shelf life is the damp wrapping technique. Instead of just placing your fresh parsley or your store-bought parsley into the refrigerator, you can do this to prevent it from wilting and turning brown.

The steps for preserving parsley using this technique are:

1. Get your fresh parsley and trim the bottom of their stems about 1 inch. This process could help them take in more water.
2. Rinse the parsley very well in cool running water.
3. Use a paper towel to dry the parsley.
4. Get some kitchen tissue or paper and soak them in water.
5. Squeeze the damp kitchen tissue or paper for any excess water.
6. Use the damp kitchen tissue and wrap it in the base of the parsley’s stems.
7. Store it in the refrigerator.
8. Every 3-5 days, rewet the kitchen tissue or paper.

Parsley, with this technique, can last up to 2 weeks.

Jar Technique

Another way to store parsley is the so-called Jar Technique. Here, you just need a small jar (glass or plastic container), fill it with water, and place your parsley.

Here are the steps using the jar technique:

1. Trim the bottom of the stems of the parsley about 1 inch.
2. Get a jar or glass and fill it with water just enough for the parsley stems to be submerged in the water about 1 inch or 2.
3. Put the fresh parsley in the jar or glass.
4. With a plastic bag, cover the jar loosely.
5. Store it in the refrigerator.
6. The water may become cloudy or discolour. So, you need to change the water of the jar every few days.

Using this technique, your parsley can stay fresh for up to 1 to 2 weeks.

Ice Cube Technique

This technique is the most preferred by some busy people as this is similar to prepping meals. It is a concept of preparing ahead of time. With the Ice Cube Technique, you can easily prepare dishes with parsley but also extend their shelf life. Here’s who to preserve parsley with this technique:

1. Get your fresh parsley and rinse it in water.
2. Cut the stem of the fresh parsley. If you want to use the stem, you can also skip the process of removing the stem.
3. Use a food processor and put the fresh parsley. If you don’t have a food processor, you can just chop the parsley finely.
4. Add some olive oil to the fresh parsley. You can also use butter or water, depending on what you want.
5. After this, grab a tablespoon and fill the ice cube tray with the mixture.
6. Store it in the fridge.

The shelf life of parsley using the Ice Cube Technique may last depending on what you added to your parsley such as butter, water, broth, or oil but generally, it can last up to 3 months or more if properly stored.

Chopping and Freezing Technique

Chopping and freezing technique is some of the popular ways in making your fresh parsley last longer without losing its taste and texture.

The method in chopping and freezing parsley are:

1. Rinse your fresh parsley.
2. Pat dry the parsley.
3. Chop your fresh parsley depending on how you’re gonna use it.
4. Get parchment paper or use a plate to put the chopped parsley.
5. Spread the parsley to avoid any clumps.
6. Put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
7. After a couple of hours, get the frozen parsley.
8. Put the frozen parsley in a ziplock.
9. Squeeze the ziplock to take out the air as much as possible.
10. Put it in the fridge.

This technique can make your parsley last up to 4 to 5 months if stored properly.

Dehydrating Technique

Dehydrating Technique is widely used even before and is the best way in preserving your parsley.

The procedure using the Dehydrating Technique are:

1. Get your parsley and rinse it in water.
2. Gently pat dry the fresh parsley.
3. Use a paper lunch bag to store the parsley.
4. Put the parsley upside down.
5. Ensure that about an inch of the stem of the parsley is outside of the paper lunch bag.
6. Lightly seal the paper lunch bag, so there is still some airflow.
7. Put it in a dark, cool place for at least two weeks.
8. Crumple the dried parsley and put it in a container.

Dehydrated parsley using this method can last up to 2 to 3 years. For best flavor, however, only store parsley from 6 months up to 1 year. Herbs can lose their flavor, aroma, and texture over time.

How To Dry Fresh Parsley

Drying parsley is not recommended by some people. Some say that the flavor of the parsley will not be that strong. But if you want to dry your herbs, here’s the easiest procedure on how to do it.

Sun-drying

Sun-drying parsley is a process of preserving parsley under the sun.

The steps in Sun-drying are:

1. Get your fresh parsley and rinse it in water carefully.
2. Look for a place where there is enough sunlight for drying your parsley.
3. Spread some clean cloth and put the parsley, or use a drying net.
4. Separate the dried parsley leaves from the stalks.
5. Crumble or crush the parsley when you will use it. Some people claim that freshly crushed herbs retain their flavour.
6. Store it in a sealed container and it is ready to use.

Sun-dry parsley can last from 6 months up to 1 year.

You can use some drying net to dry your herbs outside without worrying about pestering insects. Below is a good drying net you can use in sun-drying your parsley.

Air-drying

Air-drying is one of the easiest drying methods because it is easy and cost-effective. By air-drying parsley, you can prevent the burning of the dried parsley which was caused by too much heat in the drying process.

For better flavour and colour, you can try indoor air-drying by following these steps:

1. Rinse your parsley in the faucet.
2. Pat dry the parsley carefully with some kitchen tissue paper.
3. Bundle it up.
4. Get a Butcher’s twine or kitchen twine.
5. Tie the parsley together in the stem with the butcher’s twine or kitchen twine.
6. Hang it in your pantry or in your kitchen. A place with nice air-circulation is the best.
7. It will likely take 5 to 10 days to dry.

This technique can make dried parsley last up to 2 years but for the better flavor it is recommended to store and use it from 6 months up to 1 year only.

Using a Dehydrator

Using a Dehydrator produces more high-quality dried herbs and dry herbs quickly.

To use the dehydrator technique you need to:

1. Rinse your freshly picked parsley.
2. Pat dry the parsley with some kitchen tissue paper.
3. Cover it with the kitchen tissue and set it aside.
4. Wait until there is no more visible moisture in the parsley.
5. When the parsley is completely dry, place the parsley nicely into the dehydrator.
6. Plug the dehydrator and wait for 1-3 hours or until it dries nicely.

Drying parsley using a dehydrator can make it last up to 6 months to 1 year.

If you don’t have one, below are some dehydrators you could check.

How to Store Dried Parsley

We listed some tips on how to store fresh parsley but there are also some ways on how to store your dry parsley correctly.

1. Store your dry parsley in airtight containers.
2. In the absence of airtight containers, use ziplock alternatively.
3. Store the dried herbs in a dark, cool, and dry place.
4. It is recommended to only crush or grind the dried herb if you’re going to use it. This technique will give you stronger and fresher flavours of the herb.
5. Dry the herbs completely. The herbs shouldn’t have any moisture upon drying. .

Summary of How To Store Parsley

1. When storing fresh parsley, you can wrap it in damp kitchen tissue, store it in a jar filled with a little water, freeze the parsley with a mixture of oil or butter, freeze the parsley and store it in a ziplock, or dehydrate the parsley.
2. The 3 easiest procedures in drying fresh parsley are sun-drying, air-drying, and using a dehydrator.
3. It is also important to know how to store your dried parsley properly. When storing dried parsley, it is important to store it in airtight containers, place the dried herb in cool, dry, and dark places, and dry it completely

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