Herbs from the supermarket are ideal if you want to have fresh herbs available in the off-season. However, they are grown in such a way that they do not live very long. Because supermarket herb plants are grown quickly, they are not hardy enough. The plants grow in ideal climate and light conditions, and once they are outside the greenhouse, they do not withstand much. When such a plant develops very quickly, the cells are larger and contain more moisture. You can often taste that then, too.
A Dutch supermarket chain has come up with a sustainable alternative to disposable plants and teaches how to keep supermarket herbs alive for longer than just a week.
For the utmost in freshness, leading Dutch grocer Albert Heijn has developed the Help Yourself herb garden, allowing customers to take only what they require.
Pick-your-own herb gardens are a new service that the renowned Albert Heijn supermarket company in the Netherlands just made available to its customers. The Help Yourself Herb Garden, created in collaboration with design firm studiomfd, enables customers to choose just what they require, from a full plant to a few sprigs. As soon as they are completely developed and prepared for harvest, herbs are carried into the store.
After harvesting the herbs, customers can wash their hands at the sink provided by the business. Urban farming and gardening initiatives are coming up with increasingly inventive methods to exploit abandoned places.
The global society has once again found alternatives to avoid unnecessary waste and take supermarket chains one step closer to sustainability.
More information: https://www.springwise.com/dutch-shoppers-pick-herbs-supermarket-garden/