How to store herbs and vegetables to extend their lives.

This has been such a season of learning for me!  Just this year I learned the best way to store raw herbs and vegetables to extend their lives.

HERBS:

Some herbs - lemon balm, lovage, mint and basil (with long stems) - seem to do best in a small glass container on the counter.  I fill the container about half full, remove the leaves from the stems in the water, and top up the water every morning:

Others - chives, dill, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage - seem to do better in the fridge.  I wrap them in a damp (damp, not wet) paper towel, then store them in a plastic bag with the end open.

Basil trimmings are best stored in a paper bag at room temperature.  Even then, they will only last a few days.  In the fridge, they will turn black in a day or two.

Here's a photo of some herbs on my counter.  The sage, obviously, should be stored differently!  But the lemon balm, rosemary, mint and parsley kept well for a few days.  The celery didn't survive, unfortunately.

VEGETABLES:

Carrots: storage carrots, harvested on a root day, will keep for A YEAR in an open end plastic bag in the fridge.  It is now early September and we are eating carrots that were harvested LAST OCTOBER.  Do not wash them.  Thicker carrots will store longer.  I store 5-6 in one bag. 

Cucumbers: these do well wrapped in a damp paper towel (damp, not wet) and then stored in a paper bag in the fridge.  They may dehydrate a little but they won't rot.

Eggplant: similar to green beans, these keep well in a shallow bowl lined with a thin cotton dish cloth.  Keep the eggplant separate from each other. 

Green Beans: these do best in a SHALLOW bowl lined with a thin cotton dish cloth, and stored in a cool basement.  Cover them with a second dish cloth to protect from dust.  I stored one small bowl with a waffle weave dishcloth and they did not fare as well - the waffle weave absorbed moisture but did not release it.  

Peppers: these do well wrapped individually in paper towels (dry, not damp) and then stored in a paper bag in the fridge.  They may dehydrate a little but they won't rot.  I keep the jalapenos and poblanos this way until I have enough to process them.