Ways to Preserve Cut Parsley

Short-term Preservation

• Preserve cut parsley for up to two weeks in a glass of water. Fill the glass with just enough water to cover the stem ends of the parsley while keeping the leaves dry. Store the parsley in the refrigerator and change the water every few days to keep it fresh. Another method of short-term preservation is to wrap the parsley stems in a damp paper towel. Place the wrapped parsley in a covered plastic container and store it in the refrigerator. If you have a parsley plant, wait until the last possible minute to cut the parsley to help it stay fresh for as long as possible.

Freezing

• Preserve parsley in the freezer for up to six months. Chop parsley leaves into small pieces and place them in empty ice cube trays until almost full. Pour water over the chopped parsley to fill the ice cube trays, then put the trays in the freezer. Once they're frozen, you can remove the parsley cubes from the tray and store them in a plastic freezer bag until you are ready to use them. You can easily add the frozen parsley cubes to soups, sauces, stews and other dishes as needed.

Drying

• Wash freshly cut parsley and remove the leaves from the stems. Place the leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and set them outside in direct sunlight to dry. Alternatively, you can dry parsley leaves in the oven on a low temperature -- approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the method you choose, the drying process can take anywhere from one to a few hours. Check regularly to make sure the parsley leaves are not burning. Once they're dried, crumble the leaves and store them in a resealable plastic bag or a covered plastic container. Use the dried parsley within one year for best freshness.

Salt

• Salt can be used to preserve fresh herbs. Remove fresh parsley leaves from their stems. Add an 1/8-inch layer of table salt to a plastic container. Place a layer of parsley leaves on top of the salt. Add another layer of salt, followed by another layer of parsley leaves. Continue layering until the container is full, finishing with a layer of salt. Remove the parsley leaves from the container as needed, and be careful when adding salt to the dish because the parsley leaves might contain extra salt. Preserve parsley in salt for up to 1 year.