This Hack Helps You De-Stem Your Herbs Using a Kitchen Gadget You Likely Already Have

There’s nothing more humbling to me than running into a simple food hack that had been staring me in the face the whole time (like this trick for perfectly slicing cinnamon roll dough using an item found in your bathroom). It’s not only the time and tears I could have saved myself with a more straightforward method, but also, had I figured out this simpler solution myself, I’d be the one basking in the likes and comments. And my latest find is one you’ll all be thankful for (if you didn’t already know about it).

Like many, I use fresh herbs in teas, cooking recipes, and drinks and although I sometimes keep the stem because it can pack more robust flavors, other times, I like to separate it. So I was full of surprise (and jealousy) when I  saw @carolina.mccauley’s hack on how to de-stem fresh herbs using a box grater. Shocked? That makes two of us.

In the video, Carolina inserts the herb stem through the front of her box grater and pulls it through the inside with her hand. And like magic, the herbs detach cleanly off the stem. 

Of course, there is no shortage of kitchen gadgets, and I’m sure I can find a dedicated herb de-stemmer somewhere out there if I bother googling it for a second (or, of course, Amazon), but truthfully, the last thing I need is more gadgets in my kitchen. 

Now that separating the stem from your herbs doesn’t have to be a huge task, here are the best types of basil you can easily grow at home, so you always have some on hand.