You know the tragedy of buying a bundle of basil and watching it turn into black slime in the fridge three days later? I did that for years. Then I learned that soft herbs and hard herbs need totally different treatment, and suddenly my herbs started lasting for weeks.

Here is the whole system.

Soft herbs: treat them like flowers

Basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint are soft herbs. They wilt because they lose water fast. So treat them like cut flowers: trim the stems, put them in a glass of water, and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Keep them on the counter for basil, or in the fridge for cilantro and parsley. Change the water every couple of days. This alone keeps soft herbs alive for a week or two, sometimes more.

Hard herbs: wrap them dry

Rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano are hard herbs. They do not wilt, they rot, because they hold less water. The worst thing you can do is leave them in a wet plastic bag. Instead, wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel, then in a dry towel, and store them in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs the extra moisture and they stay fresh for weeks. I have kept rosemary alive for a month this way.

Do not wash until you use them

Washing herbs adds moisture that makes them rot faster. Rinse them right before cooking, not when you put them away. If you must wash them first, dry them thoroughly, a salad spinner works great, before storing.

Freeze what you cannot use

If you have more herbs than you can eat, do not let them die. Chop them, put them in an ice cube tray, and cover with olive oil. Freeze the cubes and pop one into a pan whenever you need herbs. It is not the same as fresh, but it beats throwing money away. Pesto is also a great way to use up a big basil bundle.

Revive herbs that look sad

Limp cilantro or parsley can often be brought back. Trim the stems and put them in cold water for an hour. The crispness comes back surprisingly well. It does not work on slimy herbs, but it rescues the just-wilting ones.

Since I started treating soft herbs like flowers and hard herbs like dry goods, I stopped throwing away herbs almost entirely. One bundle of basil now lasts me through a whole week of cooking.