This $20 Herb Keeper Helps Keep My Cilantro Fresh for Weeks, and Saves Me So Much Money
If you cook with fresh herbs you’re probably familiar with the cycle of using a handful for a dish, then returning in a few days, only to find the remaining 80 percent of that cilantro or parsley totally wilted and unusable.
My preferred money-saving strategy when it comes to groceries is keeping everything I buy from going to waste, and there’s one tool I’ve used for months now that’s made a major impact: the Cole & Mason Fresh Herb Keeper.
The cost of just about everything at the grocery store has been on a steady rise, and I feel it every time I shop the aisles. Suddenly I start looking at items I can cut from the grocery list to save a few dollars — often the “extraneous” ingredients I love to use, but struggle to not let go to waste. Like fresh herbs.
What’s So Great About the Cole & Mason Fresh Herb Keeper?
This container solves the problem of fresh herbs wilting before I can use them up. It keeps my favorite herbs — like cilantro, basil, dill, and parsley — fresh for a couple of weeks, while woodier herbs like thyme and rosemary are good for more than a month.
The compact acrylic container is made up of two parts: an opaque bottom and a clear top with a lid for easy access to herbs. Both pieces are easy to clean (I just wash them in the sink every time the herb keeper is emptied out) and the whole thing takes up minimal space (it fits in any standard fridge door).
The clear lid has several vents to provide necessary air flow, while the bottom holds a couple of inches of water for the herb stems to rest in. There’s even a tiny viewing window where you can see if you need to refill the water. This combo works like magic to keep your greens fresh, plus your delicate herbs will never be squashed in the crisper drawer ever again.
The Cole & Mason herb keeper also comes with several plastic inserts to create three roomy compartments inside. There’s plenty of space for store-sized herb bundles, making it easier to separate your sage from your dill. You can access all of the herbs easily without having to take everything out, too — open the lid, snip off what you need, and keep on cooking. Or if you want, just slide the lid down to grab a few stems.
When it comes to affordable kitchen tools that have simplified my routine and helped me save money without shortening my grocery list, I’ve yet to find something I love more. If you’re feeling the strain of inflation on your grocery bills, try this game-changing tool out before you cut fresh herbs out of your grocery lists.
Buy: Cole & Mason Fresh Herb Keeper, $19.99