A few years ago I started seeing fresh herbs pop up in the produce section of my local grocer, usually in the $4-$5 price range. Now that summer has gone and my fresh herb supply is gone, I was pleasantly surprised to run across these small herb packets again, but this time for only a dollar!
These packages from The Herbal Garden were found at my local Jewel Osco for just a buck. I was totally sold as dried herbs in this part of the country are ridiculously expensive (and lame anyway).
Each package is stamped with the herbs' origin, so you can pick your herbs from the US or at least know if they've come from a different country. The herbs made all the difference in my latest soup and (bonus) didn't hurt my pocketbook in the process.
Do you have a good source for fresh herbs now that farmers' markets and outdoor growing season is passing us by?
Related: Flavor Tip: Add Fresh Herbs to the Water When Boiling Potatoes
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Our Wegmans has a similar packaged fresh herb selection, but twice as expensive, unfortunately. Another decent option is a tube of fresh, pureed herbs that sells for about $4.99 - they last for a lot longer, however, good for winter. It's not ideal, but a good way to add a bright note of fresh cilantro or basil to a sauce off-season.
we are completely spoiled in jersey city (and the whole new york city area in general). the little groceries have the best produce, including cheap herbs in giant bundles, all year round. i'm not sure where it comes from, or how they can sell it so cheaply, but i'll take it! a giant bunch of basil at our local store (P&K in jersey city) is only $1.29, all year round. it's bundled in a twist tie, and the stems sit in water. it looks like someone literally just picked it from their garden. all herbs are like this, parsley, dill, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, practically anything we want! when we lived in hoboken we had a similar go-to store for cheap herbs, when the local Shoprite was selling tiny plastic packages of wilty basil for $3.99 a pop!
J&H, I am utterly jealous of your $1.29 basil! I was pretty pleased that I found fresh organically sage for around $2 at Smith's (Kroger affiliate) a few days ago. It wasn't a huge quantity--came to about 1/3 cup chopped fine, but was adequate for my needs.
The only good source I have is my own garden. I'm fortunate to be able to grow most of what I use regularly. Most have died back in the last couple wks (our first cold spell) but I have a stash in the freezer. Not optimal but better than dried and wayyyy less expensive. *Sheesh* those lil packets of fresh herbs are $3.99 here. I just scolded the dh yesterday about buying a packet of fresh rosemary for a project (not even a cooking one at that!) when the freezer is stocked to last all winter.
You can container grow thyme and even keep it outdoors for the winter. We have a delicious thyme plant and we're in New England.
I wish stores sold fresh herbs loose (not bundled or in clamshell containers). How many times have you needed just a few chives, or a handful or cilantro, and had the rest go bad before you could use it? Some herbs like rosemary and bay leaves can last a long time, but the moister herbs usually don't even make it a week.
@engineergirl - take the leftovers and whiz them with some olive or a neutral oil in a blender or food processor (I've also used a mortar/pestle) and slap it into some ice cube trays. Pop out when frozen, stick them in a bag and you have ready-to-use "fresh" herbs when you just need a little for a recipe. This really works best for the "soft" herbs. For hardy or woody herbs like rosemary/thyme, I honestly just stick the rest in the freezer (in a bag) and the herbs just break off their stems with no browning. I like this method better than drying.
I brought in my pots of rosemary, sage, and basil (and a little parsley) from outside for the winter. I wish I had some thyme too. I'm pretty sure the rosemary will make it through the winter because I have done it before, but I don't know about the others. Fresh herbs in the store are about $4 here. I wish I could find a deal like this.
My local Whole Foods (Chicago) has bulk bins of various fresh herbs in the produce section near the packaged herbs. It's a nice way to buy just the amount you need at a lower price.