Fresh parsley elevates everything from salads and pastas to soups and marinades. Its bright, grassy flavor and pop of color make it a pantry staple, but parsley is also delicate. Once it’s been chopped, it starts to lose moisture and aroma quickly.
If you’re wondering how to store chopped parsley so it stays vibrant, and how long it lasts in the fridge, you’re not alone.
This guide pulls together the latest advice and adds a smarter solution: Dorot Gardens frozen chopped parsley cubes that eliminate all the prep work and waste.
Why Proper Parsley Storage Matters
Parsley is a tender herb with thin leaves that deteriorate when exposed to different factors. Some cooking experts found that light, air, and moisture can all affect how long delicate herbs like parsley stay fresh. Conversely, not enough moisture dries them out and saps their flavor.
Temperature matters too; herbs stored too cold freeze and become mushy. Storing it correctly helps preserve its flavor, color and nutritional value.
How to Prepare Parsley for Storage
Before you can store parsley properly, you need to clean and prepare it first. You can try the “dunk-and-swish” method. Dip the bunch leaf-side down in a bowl of cold water, swish to remove dirt and sand, and shake off excess water. Pat the leaves dry gently with paper towels.
Washing herbs before storing them helps remove dirt and grit, which can help parsley stay fresher for longer. After washing and drying, keep the parsley bunched together with a rubber band or twist tie to make chopping and storing easier.
When chopping parsley, use a sharp knife to avoid bruising. Slice off just the amount you need, leaving the rest of the bunch intact. Remove tougher stems if you don’t want them in your dish, though you can save them for broths or sauces.
How to Store Chopped Parsley in the Fridge
Jar Method for Whole and Trimmed Parsley
If you’ve chopped some parsley but still have leftover sprigs, treat them like flowers. Trim the ends of the stems, place the bunch in a jar with about an inch of water, and loosely cover the leaves with a plastic bag. Change the water every few days.
This method keeps fresh parsley vibrant for about a week or two.
| Note: Storing tender herbs like parsley upright in water with a bag over the top was the best method for long-term storage. |
Damp Paper Towel Method for Chopped Parsley
For fully chopped parsley, moisture control is critical. Lay a piece of damp (not soaking) paper towel on your counter, place the chopped parsley on top, and roll it up like a jelly roll. Slide the bundle into a resealable plastic bag, leaving it slightly open to let some air escape.
Wrapping herbs in a damp paper towel and storing them in a zipper-lock bag kept hardy herbs fresh longest and worked surprisingly well for tender chives too. We advise using this method for chopped parsley and say it will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator.
| Tip: For maximum freshness, store the bag near the front of the fridge where the temperature is consistent and avoid pushing it to the back, where ice crystals may form. |
How Long Does Chopped Parsley Last in the Fridge?
Because chopped parsley is more delicate than whole sprigs, its shelf life is shorter. Wrapped in a damp paper towel and sealed in a bag, chopped parsley should maintain good texture and flavor for a few days. If stored upright in water, trimmed parsley can last up to one to two weeks, though its leaves will gradually lose vibrancy.
Parsley and cilantro, both tender herbs, may have an average shelf-life of around three weeks when stored properly. However, that timeframe applies to whole sprigs, not chopped leaves; once you chop parsley, expect a shorter window.
Can You Freeze Chopped Parsley?
Freezing is an excellent way to preserve parsley for cooked dishes.
It may be best to wash and dry the leaves thoroughly, then form them into a “log” in a freezer bag, squeezing out air before placing it in the freezer. You can pull the log from the freezer and slice off what you need. If you’d prefer a more consistent option, Dorot Gardens makes this easy with Dorot Gardens Chopped Parsley cubes – pre-portioned and freezer-ready, so you can use exactly what you need and keep the rest frozen.
Why Dorot Gardens Chopped Parsley Is a Better Solution
If all this washing, chopping, drying and wrapping sounds like a lot of work, and if you’ve ever thrown out a slimy bunch of herbs, you’ll appreciate the convenience of Dorot herb cubes. Dorot Gardens Chopped Parsley captures the fresh taste of parsley at peak flavor without any prep on your part.
Here’s why it outperforms traditional methods:
- Flash-frozen freshness: The parsley is harvested, washed, chopped and flash frozen quickly, locking in fresh flavor and aroma, so your herbs taste bright and vibrant whenever you need them.
- Portion control: Each cube holds one teaspoon of chopped parsley, so you can measure precisely. Need a tablespoon? Use three cubes. There’s no guessing how long a bunch has been in the fridge.
- Long shelf life: Stored in your freezer, Dorot Gardens parsley stays fresh for a long time. You use only what you need and return the tray to the freezer, eliminating waste and ensuring you always have herbs on hand.
- Simple ingredients: The cubes contain nothing but pure parsley, with no added oils, fillers, or preservatives.
- Ease of use: Simply pop a cube directly into soups, sauces or sautés. The cube melts in seconds, infusing your dish with fresh herb flavor. You can also thaw cubes to mix into dips, dressings or compound butter.
Dorot Gardens cubes solve the problems of wilted herbs and lost flavor. They’re especially handy when a recipe calls for a small amount of parsley and you don’t want to buy an entire bunch. You can find Dorot Gardens products in the frozen vegetable aisle of many grocery stores. Use our store locator to see where they’re available near you.