Cute Ways to Store Herbs

Grow Fresh Herbs

• Grow three to five pots of fresh herbs on the sill of a sunny kitchen window. Buy herb plants at a garden store in early spring, or nearly year-round in larger grocery stores. Transfer each plant from the plastic garden pot it came in to a ceramic or decorative plastic pot. Arrange the pots on the windowsill and keep the plants watered. You'll have a beautiful, alive arrangement and a ready source of fresh herbs.

Display Freshly Cut Herbs

• Store freshly cut herbs from the grocery store or your garden in clear glass jars, such as those used for canning. Wrap the stems in damp paper towels and display the jars out of direct sunlight. Herbs stored this way will remain fresh and attractive for several days.

Make Herbed Oils

• Infuse olive oil with fresh herbs, then store the flavored oil in a clear glass jar with a sprig of fresh herb. Warm the oil on the stove, then remove from the heat and add a large handful of fresh herbs. Let the oil infuse for five minutes. Strain the oil and store in a decorative glass jar. Add a fresh sprig of the same herbs you used to flavor the oil, then seal the jar. Display your flavored olive oil in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Hang Herbs to Dry

• Hanging herbs evoke a sense of country harvest time. Tie kitchen twine around the stems of a small handful of fresh herbs. Hang the herb bundles upside down from a pot rack or shelf.

Use Containers for Dried Herbs

• Transfer dried herbs into decorative containers. The ideal container for storing dried herbs is one with a tight-fitting lid that does not allow light to penetrate, such as an opaque plastic, glass or metal jar. Use identical containers for your collection of herbs, and label each container with the herb it contains. Display the containers on an open shelf away from heat and light, or in a cabinet or drawer.