How To Prep & Store Fresh Cilantro

Cilantro is a phenomenal “must use” herb that brightens up the appearance and taste of any dish with its perky green color and lemony refreshing flavor. Although fresh cilantro is used as a garnish in many Indian dishes, it can be a game-changer when added to soups, salads, and meals. This delicate herb adds oodles of flavor to your food with its distinctive fragrance while throwing in a bunch of nutritional benefits too. 

Cilantro is an annual herb reaped from the Coriandrum Sativum plant. Cilantro is a Spanish name for coriander, as it is referred to in India. It is also known as Chinese parsley in parts of Asia. In India, cilantro is also popularly known as Kothimbir or Dhaniya. All parts of the plant, including the seeds (coriander seeds) are edible, and are used to flavor different cuisines across the world.

I use cilantro quite liberally in my cooking and it is a must-have in my refrigerator at all times. I cook a lot of Indian dishes that are either bright red or yellow, and I love how this bright green herb adds a beautiful contrast to my food. Topped with some freshly chopped cilantro leaves, these dishes take on a new avatar altogether. Dream!

Jump to:

• Taste
• Prep & Store
• Option 1 - Refrigerated in a glass of water
• Option 2 - Chop and refrigerate
• Option 3 - Using a raw egg
• Option 4 - Air Drying
• Recipes

Taste

If you are a cilantro lover like me, this will baffle you, but for some, cilantro tastes like soap! Cilantro contains a natural aldehyde chemical, similar to that found in soaps. Some people have a certain genetic trait because of which they perceive cilantro to be soapy. In reality, though, cilantro is not soapy to taste but in fact mildly pungent and citrusy.

Prep & Store

Fresh cilantro has high water content and if not stored properly can quickly go bad. Over the years, I would put the cilantro standing upright on the side door of my refrigerator in a produce bag. This method is quick and the cilantro will easily last for a week.

If you can spend a little more time prepping the fresh cilantro it is easy to have the freshest cilantro by extending its shelf life for up to 3 weeks. There are a couple of methods I have tried and tested for prepping and storing cilantro.

First, rinse cilantro really well under cold running water 2 to 3 times or until it is free of grit.

Then, place the cilantro in a strainer and drain most of the water out. You can also gently shake off the leaves to help remove excess water.

Next, picking up individual plants by their stems, spread them on kitchen towels. Take as much space as you need making sure they are not overlapping too much.

During this process pick out any yellow or brown leaves and discard them.

Pat dry excess moisture with paper towels. At this point you have 2 options to store the cilantro:

Option 1 - Refrigerated in a glass of water

Trim the bottom stems of cilantro. Do not discard the stems, freeze for extended shelf life or keep refrigerated in an airtight container lined with paper towels. These stems can be used to make chutneys, soups, or broths.

Place the cilantro leaves upright in a cup filled with cold water.

Next, cover the leaves with a clear plastic produce bag and secure with a rubber band or tie a knot with the produce bag

Keep the cup in the refrigerator door and check every 4-5 days. Change the water as needed. This method will ensure that your herb stays fresh for 2-3 weeks.

Option 2 - Chop and refrigerate

This works great if you use cilantro in your everyday cooking as the chopped cilantro is convenient to use and lasts for weeks.

Clean and spread the cilantro on kitchen towels. Leave out to dry for 2-3 hours till all the water has completely dried off. Cut the stems and freeze for extended shelf life or keep refrigerated in an airtight container lined with paper towels. These stems can be used to make chutneys, soups, or broths.

Coarsely chop the leaves. Note: Make sure the cilantro has no moisture and it should not stick to your hands while chopping.

Loosely Place the leaves in a paper towel lines container.

Cover with another paper towel.

Check every 4-5 days and discard yellow/brown leaves if any.

Pro Tip: Does your refrigerated cilantro look wilted? Put it in ice-cold water for 5 minutes and see it magically crisp up and look as fresh as the day it was bought. 

Option 3 - Using a raw egg

This is the latest cilantro storing idea I shared on Instagram:

• Pick out any browned, yellow leaves from the bunch and discard them.
• Pat dry the cilantro with paper towels, no need to wash it. Loosely keep the cilantro in an airtight container or a herb storage container with a raw egg. The porous shell of the egg helps absorb excess moisture keeping the cilantro fresh for 4 to 6 weeks.
• Make sure to keep checking every week and picking out any yellow/brown leaves. Also, make sure to disard the egg if you haven't used up the cilantro in a couple of weeks.

Option 4 - Air Drying

Here is the last option that I learned from my friend Karen Lee. Karen suggests air-drying cilantro so that it can be stored for months.

Although Indian cooking usually calls for fresh cilantro, I thought having air-dried cilantro is also a good option for when you have completely run out of cilantro and cannot go to the store.

Here is Karen's process for air drying which I tried out and worked great. So this summer when cilantro will be available abundantly I may air dry some extra to use later.

Place a cooling rack on top of a kitchen towel. Trim the thicker stems of the cilantro and line the cilantro on the rack.

Allow to air dry for 5 days or until the leaves and the stems are completely dry.

Place the dried cilantro in an airtight jar. (Note: the photo below is in a bowl to show the texture)

Recipes

Cilantro is awesome for garnishing, and it is also used as a star ingredient in many recipes. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Instant pot chicken cilantro soup
• Instant pot kothimbir vadi
• Salmon tikka masala skewers
• Baked salmon with fresh herb chutney
• Spicy mango salad topped with fresh cilantro

Did you find this post useful? Check out these cooking101 articles that will help you with meal prepping and also save time.

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