SHOP BOUGHT POTTED HERBS

[tintinthegingertomcat]

A few weeks ago I purchased from my local COOP a potted mint as I needed some for one dish. After about a week it had started to grow tall and spindly and looking decidedly sorry for itself so I took off all the larger mint leaves and cut the plant down. I have now frozen the leaves I didnt need and now the mint plant itself seems to be thriving really well.

I think doing it this way - freezing the leaves I dont need and cutting back is going to be the way to keep this plant thriving.

I am now going to do this with other herbs and see what happens.

I am sure that because the leaves are now frozen that when I need some in the future it will become easier to crush the leaves.

In the past I have just thrown the plant away when no longer needed but as I need to save the pennies I think that this is the way forward.

Any other tips?

[****merlin*****]

re potting it will allow it to thrive

mint grows very well

but when you buy them they are a bit pot bound

freezing any herb in water in ice cube trays

or in olive oil works very well

then you pop them out and into a bag, they will keep for a long time

i like them in olive oil, but when frozen it will look like butter

i use them from frozen

growing your own from seed would be cheaper if you have a garden

shops like wilkinsons and lidl do seed packets for 39p

and poundland do 6 in one pack for, well, a pound

[captainbovine]

I have chive plants in my garden, I cut off what I want and then we get flowers in the summer, one plant is white the other bluey purple colour. I have mint, they say to cut it down before it flowers but the flowers were that lovely I left it. I've cut it down low now though. I must get the leaves in to freeze.

[****merlin*****]

chive flowers are lush on salads Capt

i grow chives and garlic chives and love the flowers

just the petals though

[vamo48]

We had several pots of parsley from supermarkets, and when they were finished with I planted them outside in a big container - they are all doing very well there and we are really getting our money's worth!  Other plants we have grown from seed, it's much cheaper, but planting the supermarket ones outside is worth a try - nothing to lose!

[carolyorkie2010]

I'll try doing that because when I have bought Parsley from a supermarket, it has wilted in no time at all, in spite of me following the instructions.

[ilove2patch]

If you freeze the leaves in a bag you just scrunch up the bag when they are frozen & they chop themselves.

[ed_blackadder_1]

I have a basil plant bought from the shop on the windowsill, and the use by date ? is the 2nd of June ! still looking great, just water occasionaly and there you go, I have put mint, parsley and chives in the garden, but the only one I cant get to grow is corriander.

[alisonsvintagechicboutique]

i firmly believe that the supermarket potted herbs are not made to last or be transplanted.  

They all seem to be very weak.

That said if I see them cheap I buy them cut them right down to  soil level put them in a bag and put them straight in the freezer.  

I have rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, coriander, chives and more in the freezer.  Basil goes black in the freezer so if you want to freeze it put in a tupperware container or similar and pour olive oil over it to cover it.  This way it does not go black.  

I adore using herbs in this way.  Freezing keeps them wonderfully fresh and its superb to use them year round once the plants have died off in the winter.  

Also as has been said no chopping needed.  simply get the pot of herbs cut right through the stems just above soil and bung in a bag and freeze - done in less than 5 seconds.  With most herbs the stems are quite tender so dont even bother to pick the leaves off.  Any herbs with twiggy bits like thyme I tend to just find it easier to pick out the stems before I use them to cook with.  

The communal garden at the flat has a few herbs in the borders and no-one uses them!!  Rich pickings - mind you there is no sage so I might plant one!  I am going to use some nasturtium leaves today in a salad.  And I just discovered a big lovage bush.  not to everyones taste as it tastes like celery but its wonderful in soups and the likes in small amounts.  

If you have asian shops near you they often sell whopping big bunches of cut coriander pretty cheap.  Its a divine smell when I open the freezer!  Currently my favourite herb is sage - love its smoky interesting flavour.  Use it in loads of things.  

[*elphaba*]

Potted herbs are in seedling compost which has very little in the way of ongoing nutrient, and they are indoor grown so don't take kindly to being planted out either.  

The best I have managed is to repot into high feed compost and take out the growing tips so it bushes out.    Otherwise, stripping and freezing as described is the only way, and I've done that for years.

Interesting note:  the cheapest easy source of nitrogen (which is what herbs really need) is wee, so widdling on your supermarket bargain herbs might be enough to keep them happy in their existing pots if you don't want to repot.  Its perfectly safe and sanitary as long as you don't have a UTI as urine is sterile and only smells if colonised by bacteria which can't happen in soil.   I know people who grow pee-beans and pee-peas every year very successfully.

Growing from seed is the cheapest way to go - I'm knee-deep in basil this year.   If only I could grow pine nuts too! 

[tintinthegingertomcat]

Wish I could grow pine nuts also!!!!

My mint on the windowsill is looking amazingly healthy after cutting it back. When I go shopping tomorrow I think I will purchase some more window sill herbs to see if I can do the same with them.   Dont think I will be feeding them with wee though!!

[mozart5255]

i always buy supermarket chives, parsley tyme etc and put them outside.  some last for years and reseed themselves.

much cheaper than buyin from a nursery.   and parsley can be sometimes quite hard to grow from seed.

another way of keeping herbs is to put the leaves between a layer of kitchen roll.  one bottom .  one on top.   not to many and pop them in the microwave for a few secs until they have dried out.   crunch up lovely and keep their colour.  store in jar.

dont leave them in microwave to long  better in short bursts until they have dried.

[leoleoleo123]

I plant mine outside too....

containers are the way to go though, as my parsley plant went rampant.. as will mint!