How to Store Cilantro
Posted by Aarti on May 16th, 2012 . Filed under: Uncategorized .
There’s always at least one bunch of cilantro in my refrigerator at all times. It’s my herb of choice, followed closely by mint. There are few Indian dishes that can go without a handful of my fresh little friend, whose zesty yet cooling brightness shines a light through all those warm spices.
Bren isn’t a huge fan though. Whenever I finish a dish with a flourish of this cool number, he says, “Oh so you’re adding a little soap?”. I used to think he was just being obstinate until I read this article about it being a genetic predisposition. Some people really do taste soap. I don’t. I taste my momma’s kitchen on Fridays when my dad would come home from the market bearing bags and cases of fruit and veg. We’d painstakingly wash the cilantro, dry it, pick out the leaves that looked like they’d seen better days, and then put them away.
Aha, but HOW did we put them away?
So many of you have asked me how to store herbs; my answer has always been to wash, dry, wrap in paper towel and then store in a plastic food storage bag. Right? Well that works for hardier herbs like parsley and mint. But cilantro? Well, she is a delicate flower (read that in a loonnnng New Orleans drawl please). Throw her in a food storage bag like yesterday’s news? She starts to pout, and then throws such a tantrum as to turn herself black, sludgy and unusable.
In a flash of inspiration a few weeks ago, I remembered how Mum would grab an old ice cream container (back then in Dubai, the local brand of ice cream, Kwality, came in plastic tubs which Mum would hoard for just this kind of purpose; she was ahead of her time! Look at how much these food storage containers cost now!), line it with paper towels, place the cilantro in one even layer, cover with another layer, and snap the box shut.
And so that’s just what I did. I snapped off the tougher stems, both because I don’t use them and also so that I could fit them into my container. It’s worth mentioning that I spin these herbs as dry as I can, and even, if I have the luxury of time and counterspace, leave them out to dry on a kitchen towel. Wet herbs go bad faster. But for this batch, I just spun them and boxed ‘em. Look at how good these leaves STILL look.
Now scroll back up to the first photo and look at the date on the sticker (another one of my favourite tricks: labeling everything with masking tape). I took this photo yesterday. This cilantro has lasted 3 weeks! Isn’t that amazing? Whenever I use some, I pull out any stems or leaves that are heading to that blackened stage, so they don’t contaminate the rest of the leaves, but I haven’t had to do that too often.
Amazing!
-x-
aarti
May 16th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
What a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing.
May 16th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Thank-you for this…I shall go repackage the cilantro in my fridge right now!
PS: my Father is in the “cilantro tastes like soap” camp. I am so glad my husband, children and I are all cilantro lovers.
May 16th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Would this method work for fresh Curry Leaves? I love them but they only last for about a week in the fridge.
May 16th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
David… yes I think that would work!
May 16th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Thank you!! I like cilantro, but not my husband so much and I don’t use much of it. I hate to buy it because I only get to use a couple bits before the whole thing goes bad. Now maybe I can buy and use more often!!
May 16th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Thank you so much for posting this! It has been painful to throw out cilantro (my daughter calls it the spice of the gods…) All of us love it. Now it will be on hand all the time! But, I, too, have encountered those with the sad genetic predisposition…..
May 16th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Thank you thank you thank you! I am so tired of buying cilantro once a week because last week’s is all brown and slimy…. I will do this!
May 16th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Aarti, since I travel a lot for work, I’ve had success with freezing cilantro. (Obviously this doesn’t work if you want it to be pretty for a garnish, but if you’re just looking for the delicious flavor, it will do the trick). Since I don’t make any cilantro dishes that don’t also have onions in them, I toss the cilantro and a bit of onion into the food processor (the onion gives it a little bit of body), perhaps add a bit of water, and process until it becomes kind of a paste. I then freeze it in ice cube trays, pull the cubes out, and put them into a ziplock bag and toss it back in the freezer. Anytime I need cilantro in a recipe (even weeks or months apart), I just grab a cube from the bag and toss it in. Works great if you don’t cook frequently/use cilantro frequently in your cooking!
May 16th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
What timing! I always wonder the best way to store. It’s grocery day, so I don’t cook and pick up something on the way home. I bought cilantro knowing I’ll stop and at the Thai restaurant up the street and bring home some chicken phad thai. I simply can not eat it without cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Some Thai restaurants give you cilantro with it; others do not. I ask for it always at this one, but end up getting a container of mostly stems, so I remembered to buy a bunch. I have bad luck keeping it looking like your photo, so 3 weeks is amazing! I purchased a small bunch and gobbled up mine already since my husband gets home late. I wet and wrung out a paper towel and stored the other half bunch. It’ll do since we’re talking only hours, but I’m excited to try your method for longer storage. Now… if I could only figure out ginger. I’ve been advised to freeze it whole, to freeze it peeled, store it in a towel…nothing keeps it from turning greenish. I know you make a garlic blend, but sometimes I want to use it sans garlic. Any suggestions?
May 16th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
My mama does this too! We’ve learned from the best!!
Thanks for article. You rock.
May 16th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
My mama does this too! We’ve learned from the best.
Thanks for article. You rock!
May 16th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
I store lettuce the same way. I’ve kept romaine for up to a month using this method.
Love you Aarti!
May 16th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Great!! any ideas for how to store basil?? same method? …. i always ended up with a basil that is dead ……
May 17th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Ah! You have done me such a svc, here! I have a bag going limp even as we speak, and let’s not even talk about the mushy mess that usually ends up in the trash. Thank you!
May 17th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
So glad you posted this! Tried it tonight! Hoping I will now be able to use more than 10% of the cilantro we buy before it gets thrown out.
May 18th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
I’m with Bren! It tastes like soap to me too! I can’t stand it. Nice to know it’s all genetics, because I have really tried to like it.
May 19th, 2012 at 5:25 am
[...] from a friend out west, Aarti Paarti, with an interesting tip for keeping cilantro fresh in the refrigerator for two weeks. I’m [...]
May 20th, 2012 at 5:29 am
[...] dips, even to just add to a sandwich. I happened across a post from Aarti Sequeria who teaches an easy way to keep cilantro fresh for weeks in your fridge which is great for all kinds of reasons, more cocktails being one of them. [...]
May 21st, 2012 at 4:40 am
HI!! I am Vanessa from Portugal
i love your show. I have a little retaurant of mozambique food, my mother is from mozambique and there is a lot of influence of indian flavours there, that´s why i love your ideas and learn so much with them. By the way everybody loves the lentils i make whith the thecnique of the spices in warm oil..thanks:)
Can you tell me please how it is called that box you heve the spices on?
And thanks for the tip, my cilantro will last a lot more;)
May 29th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
THANK YOU!!! I loooove cilantro, but I never buy it because it goes bad so quickly. You are a lifesaver!
June 4th, 2012 at 10:08 am
I was just dealing with this issue when I came across this post! Fabulous!
June 4th, 2012 at 10:09 am
I was just dealing with this issue when I came across this post! Thank you so much for sharing this!!! Fabulous!
June 18th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Thank you for the idea. I had no idea that the leaves were so delicate.
June 19th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Thanks for the suggestion, love cilantro, got two pots of it growing now and wondered how I was going to use it up before it was gone
June 20th, 2012 at 2:07 am
Thanks for the tip, I will try it. I store mine in a”n herb keeper (a clear, tall, cilindrical vessel with a top) , you fill it about 1/5th with water and cover. You can cut the end of the stems right before placing the cilantro in there.
It lasts quite a while looking fresh! you should change the water and maybe trim the stems every few days.
I like cilantro!
June 25th, 2012 at 9:35 am
Thanks for the tip! My cilantro always goes to the dark side before I can use it all up. Mint comes from the back yard, so no storage required!
June 30th, 2012 at 12:44 am
oh.. i;m going to try this one. i’ve been only able to keep cilantro 2 weeks tops. thx!
July 7th, 2012 at 9:50 am
Aarti, thanks for this great tip! I’m always buying cilantro and I never seem to use it all before it goes bad. I’m going to have to try this!
I know you do gluten-free as well and I would love for you to check out my new gluten-free blog. Baking and cooking gluten free is my passion. It’s a journey, that’s for sure!
http://www.sarahbakesgfree.com
I love reading the stories you share, always opening up your heart. God’s love is evident in your life and your longing for His heart is so encouraging! Still makes me smile when I think about you winning the Next Food Network Star. You’re a great chef and a super amazing girl!
-Sarah
September 14th, 2012 at 2:26 am
Hi Aarti,
It’s been honored to talk to you earlier today! I will share all your experiences with our local readers of Rasa magazine soon. btw, this is a brilliant tip! does ths work wth any other fresh herbs? will try this soon. thanx for the tip.. pls do come by malaysia again and I will sure to bring you to nice traditional local food. take care, chow!
May 11th, 2013 at 10:36 am
[...] tried a couple suggestions for storing the yummy herb, including this one from one of my favorite Food Network people, Aarti Sequeira… and none of them have worked [...]