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 it’s distinctive fragrance, while throwing in a bunch of nutritional benefits too. 

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 fresh chopped cilantro leaves, these dishes take on a new avatar altogether. Dream!

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.

Benefits

In addition to great flavor, cilantro comes packed with vitamin C and provitamin A & K. Cilantro has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties making it a healthy herb. Research suggests that cilantro may help to reduce the risk of heart disease & diabetes, while promoting healthy skin and hair. 

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 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 is to keep 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 is to chop the cilantro leaves and refrigerate

This works great if you use cilantro in your every day 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 they 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. 

Here is another option that I recently discovered from my friend Karen Lee. Karen suggests to air dry cilantro so that it can be stored for months.

Although, Indian cooking usually calls for fresh cilantro, I thought have air dried cilantro is also a good option for when you have completely ran out of cilantro and cannot go to the stores #quarantine.

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: 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.

Do you eat cilantro stems

All parts of this herb are edible and you can totally eat the stems. The cilantro stems are usually tender and even more flavorful than the leaves. Use them in soups or to make chutneys and see how flavorsome your dish will be. 

Are cilantro and coriander same

Absolutely, they are! 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.

Where can you buy cilantro

Cilantro is very easily available in the fresh herbs section at most grocery stores. I usually pick mine at my local Farmers Market as they always stock big, fresh, healthy bunches of this herb. 

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