Chervil is a herb becoming popular in gastronomy in the necessity of finding new ways to add or modify the current flavor of recipes. So, today I will teach you how to store this rare herb differently depending on your needs.
You can store fresh chervil in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. It can last 4 or 6 months if you freeze it, and to keep it longer, you could dehydrate it and keep it for a year at room temperature.
To know in detail how to preserve chervil, keep reading.
How to store chervil in the fridge
In case you were wondering how to keep chervil fresh, you can do it in two ways:
How to keep chervil wrapped
- Step 1: Wash the chervil.
Please get rid of the root of the chervil, in case it still has it, then wash it with plenty of water. If you have a spin bowl, use it to dry the chervil.
If you don’t have that type of bowl, shake the chervil and then dry it with absorbent paper. Then leave it for about 10 minutes on a rack or towels to finish drying.
- Step 2: Wrap the chervil.
Once the chervil is dry, separate it into several bunches and wrap them with a paper towel that is slightly moistened. Then place another layer of paper, but dry.
- Step 3: Put the wrapped chervil in a bag.
Place the bundles of chervil wrapped in a plastic bag, then squeeze it well. You can also use a plastic container with a lid (not airtight).
- Step 4: Label.
Write the storage date of the chervil or stick a label with that information on the bag or container.
- Step 5: Store the fresh chervil in the fridge.
Put the bag at the bottom of the fridge, and you will be able to keep the chervil for ten days. [1]
How to store chervil in water
With this method, the idea is to treat the chervil as if it were flowers:
- Step 1: Use a container to make a vase.
You need a glass or container that serves as a vase to place the bunch of chervil; if it is glass, it is much better.
- Step 2: Cut the root of the chervil.
If the chervil still maintains its root, cut it, but do not remove too much of the stem since the idea is to immerse the stem in water and not the leaves, which should be kept as dry as possible.
- Step 3: Prepare the container.
Place the bunch or bouquet of chervil in the glass or container, and you can hold it together with a garter and add water to cover three-quarters of the stem. Then you proceed to cover the leaves of the chervil with a plastic bag.
- Step 4: Label the vase.
Place a label with the date of storage of the chervil on the container or bag.
- Step 5: Store the fresh chervil in the refrigerator.
Place the vase in one of the coldest areas of your refrigerator, so the chervil in water will stay fresh for 1 to 2 weeks, but yes, you have to change the water every three days.
How to freeze chervil
Can chervil be frozen? You can freeze the chervil for an extended period, but it will lose its freshness as time goes by. However, the taste may remain the same; it just changes the consistency.
- Step 1: Wash the chervil.
Cut the chervil root, then wash it with plenty of water.
- Step 2: Bleach the chervil.
Take a pot of water to the fire and when it starts to boil, add the chervil and let it cook for 1 minute. After this time, you take it out and put it in a bag with cold water and ice to cut the cooking.
- Step 3: Dry the chervil.
Drain the chervil and dry it with absorbent paper.
- Step 4: Perform the first freezing.
On a tray with waxed paper or parchment, although you could also use a nonstick sheet, spread all the chervil, then put it in the freezer for a few hours until it freezes.
- Step 5: Bag the chervil.
After an hour, the chervil should be frozen so you can transfer it to an airtight bag suitable for the freezer.
- Step 6: Label the container.
Write on the bag the date of freezing the chervil.
- Step 7: Store the chervil in the freezer.
Chervil can be frozen for 4 to 6 months. [2]
How to preserve chopped chervil
If you have chopped a lot of chervil, you can save it in several ways so as not to waste them. The first is to store it in the fridge, wrapped in absorbent paper, and put it in an airtight container or bag.
Chopped chervil may be in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. The other methods used to preserve chopped chervil involve freezing it as follows:
- Step 1: Wash the chervil.
As always, remove the residues and any other dirt, wash with plenty of water and dry it using a salad spinner or absorbent paper.
- Step 2: Chop the chervil.
Chop chervil the way you chop it regularly.
- Step 3: Use bags or molds to make ice cubes.
You can place the chopped chervil in a freezer bag or an airtight container that is resistant to cold but should be divided into portions since chervil can not be re-frozen.
Therefore, ice cube molds represent a perfect option. Add a tablespoon of chopped chervil to each compartment and water or olive oil.
You put the mold in the freezer for two hours or until they freeze completely, then unmold and place the chervil cubes in an airtight freezer bag.
- Step 5: Write down the storage date.
Write the storage date of the chopped chervil on the bag.
- Step 6: Store the chopped chervil in the freezer.
Thus, the chopped chervil can last 3 to 4 months in the freezer, and the cubes of chervil and frozen oil for about six months.
How to dehydrate chervil
Dehydrating chervil offers you the possibility of keeping it for a long time. However, its flavor will be a little reduced. You can dehydrate chervil in several ways, like outdoors, microwave, food dehydrator, or even oven, but I will focus on the microwave and food dehydrator.
Dehydrate the chervil with a microwave.
- Remove the root.
- Wash the chervil.
- Put paper towels on a plate.
- Add some bunches of chervil to the plate.
- Cover them with another paper towel.
- Use the microwave in a 30-second batch
- Repeat until completely dry.
Dehydrate chervil with a food dehydrator.
- Remove the root.
- Wash the chervil.
- Place the chervil on the food dehydrator’s tray (make sure the chervil does not pile up).
- Set the temperature to 105°F – 120°F (40°C – 50°C).
- Dehydrate for 2 to 4 hours.
Use a glass container to store dry chervil. You can place the jar with dehydrated chervil in the pantry, a dark, dry and cool place for at least two years.
You can also store dried chervil in the freezer for 24 to 36 months. Again, remember to write down the storage date.
How to preserve chervil in oil
You can prepare a sauce of chervil, garlic, and oil to help you take advantage of the chervil.
- Step 1: Wash the chervil and chopit.
Cut the root and remove the withered leaves, wash the chervil with plenty of water and dry it with absorbent paper.
Then proceed to fine-chop the chervil, and you will do the same with three garlic cloves.
- Step 2: Fill the jar.
You will need a glass jar with a screw cap or airtight, which should be clean and very dry. There you will add the chervil and chopped garlic, and then add the oil (preferably olive) until everything is immersed in the oil.
- Step 3: Write the storage date.
After covering the jar well, stick a label with the date of storage of the chervil.
- Step 4: Store the chervil in oil.
Place the jar in the coldest part of your refrigerator. The chervil in oil will remain in good condition for 3 to 4 weeks.
To freeze it, you can fill some ice cube molds with this mixture, freeze it for a few hours, then unmold and pass the cubes with chervil and garlic in oil to a bag to freeze for six months.
How to tell if chervil got bad?
The chervil will spoil when it is wholly withered or when its leaves are viscous and have an extremely dark green, so you must throw them away.
Another way that tells you that chervil is bad is its smell, if it smells bad or just lost all its scent, its useful life is over, and the best thing you can do is throw it away.
If mold is present, i.e., it has black or white spots or lint on its leaves or stem, it is no longer safe to eat, and you will have to discard it.
How long does chervil last?
| Product | Duration |
| Fresh chervil wrapped in paper and refrigerated | 10 days |
| Fresh chervil in water and refrigerated | 10 – 14 days |
| Frozen chervil | 4 – 6 months |
| Frozen chervil in oil | 6 months |
| Chilled chopped chervil | 4 – 6 days |
| Frozen chopped chervil | 3 – 4 months |
| Dehydrated chervil at room temperature | 1 – 2 years |
| Dehydrated chervil in the freezer | 24 – 36 months |
| Chervil in oil in the fridge | 1 month |
What is the best way to preserve chervil?
You can only keep fresh chervil in the fridge, and the best way is to store it in a bowl of water, although it also serves by wrapping it with moistened paper towels.
In addition, you can freeze chervil in several ways, but if you freeze it in oil, it will keep for a little longer. The same happens if you store chervil with oil and garlic in the fridge, it lasts a little longer than when it is fresh.
To preserve chervil for much longer, you can dehydrate and keep it for a long time, although it will slightly reduce its flavor.
If you want to learn how to store some other vegetables, you will likely find it on this website since there is a long post list about food preservation, which is constantly updated.
[1] https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TheFoodKeeper.pdf?fwd=no