Mary Berry says herbs will stay fresh for much longer if you store them in 1 place

She's been a familiar face on British TV screens for more than five decades, and now Mary Berry has revealed a clever trick to stop your fresh herbs from going off too quickly. The cooking icon, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has worked in the food industry for more than 60 years, is known for her expert advice and no-nonsense recipes.

Over the years, she's shared countless kitchen tips with home cooks across the country, and one of her most useful herb storage tricks came during a 2021 interview. In it, Mary explained that she's a huge fan of growing her own herbs, including tarragon, sage, basil and rosemary.

But when it comes to keeping shop-bought herbs fresh for longer, she recommends one simple method that could save you money and reduce waste.

She told The Independent: "I put my herbs in a jug or a jam jar and slip a poly bag over the top and keep them in the fridge.

"They'll keep very well. Parsley, whether you grow flat-leaf or ordinary parsley, it doesn't matter, they're a very similar flavour, will keep well if you've put the stalks in water."

While it might sound basic, the science behind Mary's hack explains why it works so well.

Storing herbs in a jar of water with a plastic bag over the top creates a humid microclimate, which slows down wilting and helps the herbs retain their moisture.

It also protects them from the cold, dry air inside the fridge, which can quickly damage delicate leaves.

The plastic cover helps block out oxygen and light, reducing browning and flavour loss.

Keeping the stalks in water also allows the herbs to stay hydrated, much like cut flowers.

This method works especially well for soft herbs like parsley, coriander, and dill.

It can extend their freshness for up to a week longer compared to just leaving them in the supermarket packet.

Mary also shared a money-saving tip for basil. She said: "If you don't want to sow seeds, you can buy a pot in your supermarket and then nip out the tops, divide them up and spread them out in the garden.

"They'll grow well, or spread them out on the windowsill, so you've got more plants."

For more amazing food storage hacks, click here.