Learn How To Store Cilantro After Harvesting!!!
Cilantro, also known as coriander, is an annual herb that is a common choice for home herb gardens. Typically grown for its culinary uses, cilantro requires full sun and prefers the cooler parts of the season. If you are growing cilantro indoors in a pot or windowsill garden, crowd the plants to help reduce moisture loss and supplement the humidity by spritzing the herbs from time to time. When it comes time to harvest and preserve cilantro, keep a few things in mind.
Harvesting Fresh
The freshest option for your homegrown cilantro is to harvest the herb only as you need it. Windowsill gardens and herb gardens just outside the kitchen door are a great way to keep fresh cilantro at the ready. If you intend to use your cilantro shortly after harvesting, but not immediately, you can place a few sprigs in a glass of water to help keep them fresh and prevent them from wilting.
How to Store Cilantro: Health Benefits of Cilantro
Cilantro is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that play important functions in the body. It contains vitamins A, C, K, including fat, carbs, and protein. Coriander also contains trace amounts of potassium, manganese, choline, and folate. It also contains the antioxidants lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Some of the many benefits of cilantro include:
Treatment of Fungal Infection
The essential oils in coriander serve as a natural antifungal that helps to fight infections and reduce the side effects of other treatments. It contains carotenoids a strong antioxidant that helps to reduce the risks of eye disease and certain forms of cancer.
Helps to improve Skin Health In a 2015 study, it was discovered that coriander extracts had the possibility of protecting the skin against Ultra Violet (UV) radiation that could lead to photoaging.
Anti-inflammatory PropertiesThere are claims that cilantro possesses analgesic and inflammatory properties that could be useful in reducing pain in the body.
Read also: How to Grow and Care for Peace Lilies Indoors
How to Store Fresh Cilantro
Like other similar herbs and leafy green veggies, once picked, cilantro can wilt quickly and lose its color and flavor.
So, if you do not plan on using your harvested cilantro right away, you will need to store the leaves properly so they can last longer.
The easiest way to make sure no cilantro goes to the compost pile or the trash is to always try to harvest as much as you need to use at the moment. This way you’ll not only get the best taste and flavor out of the herb, but you’ll also avoid wasting it.
However, if you’ve picked more leaves that you can use in your dish, or have noticed that your cilantro is near bolting and have harvested the entire batch, here are a few simple and effective ways to store those extra leaves for later use.
1. Keep it in water
You can store a cilantro bunch in a glass or jar of water to keep it fresh for a few days or even longer, especially if you keep the jar in the fridge. Just place the cilantro leaves in a container with an inch of water and remember to change the water occasionally to keep the herb fresh.
2. Store it in the refrigerator
To keep your cilantro fresh for a longer period of time, wrap the freshly picked and washed leaves loosely in damp kitchen towels and place them in a sealed bag or container which will go in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. This method will keep the leaves fresh for days or up to a week.
