If there is one word that could clear a room, it’s cilantro.
Am I right?
Love it or hate it, I’m sharing a great tip on how to store these fresh herbs. My CSA vegetable share started this week, and amongst all of the beautiful greens was this gorgeous bunch of cilantro. The smell was just incredible. The only problem was that I wasn’t ready to use it right away. Cilantro isn’t like parsley where you can wrap it in a damp paper towel, throw it in a Ziploc, and be done with it. It’s a lot more delicate. The leaves tend to turn yellow and mushy very quickly.
To prolong its shelf life, try this:
- pat the leaves dry to remove excess moisture- do not wash beforehand
- trim the ends with kitchen scissors
- fill a jar with water (jam jars or little mason jars are great) and place the herbs inside ‘bouquet-style’
- cover loosely with a plastic bag
- refrigerate until ready to use
If you follow these steps, your cilantro should last about 1-2 weeks. Change the water if it starts to discolor and snip the ends every once in a while to keep it fresh. It’s just like keeping a bunch of flowers. And, if at any point the leaves start to wilt, use this trick to revive your herbs.
Then, simply pick off what you need for your recipes…
Here are a few that you might want to try:
CURRIED QUINOA + ASPARAGUS SALAD
CUBAN-STYLE BLACK BEANS + RICE WITH COCONUT CREAM
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Comments
Jayme Henderson says
I do this with all of my herbs. Even when my fridge is full, I just fill a jar of water with freshly cut herbs and place them on the kitchen counter. Keeps herbs fresh for days! If I can’t use them quickly, the dehydrator is nearby. Thanks for the post and information! XO!
laurasmess says
I’m one of those who sits firmly in the ‘love’ camp when it comes to cilantro/coriander. I love the fragrance, the delicacy of the leaves, the flavour… yum! Great storage tip Em, I’m always quite lazy when it comes to storing my purchased herbs but the pretty jar-and-string look is enough to convince me otherwise! Thanks lovely, hope you are enjoying some summer weather now! xx
Emilie says
You know, it’s funny because this little jar that was an old candle votive tied with raffia. I cleaned it out and packed it away. When I was looking for something to store the herbs in, I found it buried in my cabinets! It just happened to be the perfect ‘prop’ find :) I too love cilantro (coriander sounds prettier) just for the fragrance alone. But wow, it sure is quite controversial! xx
Daelynn says
Wow ! This could not have come at a better time. I planted some Cilantro in my garden and just harvested the first bunch yesterday morning;I needed this tip BADLY. THANKS SOOO MUCH !!!
:~)
Emilie says
That’s fantastic Daelynn! Don’t you love when that happens? (I do…) I hope these tips find you well :)
Pam Green says
I never knew to cover loosely with a plastic bag! You learn something new everyday!
Emilie says
Yes, it’s the perfect trick for cilantro. As long as the leaves are dry and chilled, you should be good to go! It’s like a mini green house :)
sherry from sherryspickings says
yes that is a great idea. i am always buying herbs and finding they go off so quickly and lurk sadly in the bottom of my fridge. we used to grow coriander in our back garden but it bolts so fast in sub tropical queensland where i live, that it is not worth growing. also the bush turkeys tend to dig it up! sorry we say coriander not cilantro as i am sure you would know!
Emilie says
Hi Sherry! I am guilty of letting my herbs go as well. Now that it’s summer over here, I just keep them outside in pots and pick off whatever I need. I’m sorry to hear about your bolting coriander. That’s very frustrating (bush turkeys too!). But on a different note, it must be so beautiful where you live! I visited Queensland almost 10 years ago and I remember it being absolutely gorgeous :)
sherry from sherryspickings says
oh yes emilie it is quite gorgeous here.:) today is blue skies and sunshine and a crisp cool morning. winter is a great time of year here. we are actually off to the beach for a couple of days with a friend visiting from cold grey Melbourne down south. can’t wait!
Emilie says
Sounds AMAZING!!! Have a wonderful time :)
sherry from sherryspickings says
thanks. we had a great time and plenty of whale watching too.
celia says
You know, I find shop bought coriander (as we call it here) such a bugger to store that these days I’ll only use it if it chooses to grow in the garden (it’s quite temperamental). Thanks for the tips – I’ll have to try again! :)
Emilie says
You know, that’s a really good point. I wonder if it makes a difference, store-bought vs. fresh for storage purposes (probably does). Mine came straight from the ground and it is completely different from the supermarket variety. Another reader mentioned storing the leaves in a Tupperware container with a damp paper towel. That might work too! xx
stacey snacks says
I have had great success with wrapping in a damp towel then putting in a Rubbermaid/Tupperware type of container. The cilantro lasts well over a week and stays green.
I do the fridge bouquet for asparagus and it keeps it nice and crisp!
Emilie says
Hi Stacey! Thanks for the tip! I bet the Tupperware keeps the leaves nice and crisp (I’ll have to try that one too). Another reader commented on ‘bouquet-style’ asparagus with great success. I’ve never tried that one either, but looking forward to giving it a go. I do love a great tip! Thanks for stopping by :)
Mimi says
A great tip. I use it very often, and am so glad that my husband shares my love of cilantro. I could hang it under my nose all day!!!
Emilie says
Ha ha that’s too funny. I’m glad we share the love of cilantro. I think that it’s a fabulous herb!! I used to have a pineapple-cilantro candle… ;)
Nancy says
Oh you are so right about coriander, I wonder why it is? I love the stuff and it goes into everything I don’t care! Great tips.
Emilie says
I have no idea! It’s like one mention of the word and people freak out. I guess it might be a little too overpowering for some? I love cilantro, especially when it’s very fresh. I even use the stems when they’re thin and tender. I think coriander sounds way prettier too ;)
Becky Winkler says
Great idea! I do this with asparagus, but had not thought to try it with cilantro. It’s my favorite herb and I was planning to buy some today, so I will definitely try this trick :)
Emilie says
Hi Becky! I didn’t know that you could do this with asparagus as well. How cool is that?! I happen to like cilantro too, and the variety that I just received in my vegetable farm share is out-of-this- world. It is so vibrant. I’m not sure what I will be using it for just yet, but I now have a good stash in the fridge for when I’m ready. How do you like to use it? Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend :)