Kitchen

Herb Savor

Mini fridge-based greenhouse

Cilantro cravings run deep in our house. But there’s always the persistent annoyance of feeling compelled and rushed to consume before it spoils. For the last six months, this plastic container has really helped stretch out the life of some of our herbs. The goods are housed in a plastic pod that inserts into a water dish, which keeps the stems immersed. The pod itself creates a nice, moist microclimate for the leaves. I was skeptical at first. However, we did a side-by-side comparison with our usual cilantro wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag. While the paper towel cilantro started to wilt after about a week and half, a batch from the same bundle kept for an additional *two weeks* in the Herb Savor. We’ve tried parsley (success) and basil (nope). The device seems to work only with stalky herbs. Maintenance is easy: Refill the dish with water every few days. It’ll take quite some time before we’ve made back our money in herb savings. The satisfaction in not having to compost unused herbs is enough for me. It looks super modern perched in the fridge door and makes a great conversation starter when we’re hosting dinner parties.

-- Steven Leckart 04/1/08

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