How to Harvest Cilantro for Fresh Herbs All Season
Cilantro is a wonderful cut-and-come-again plant, meaning that you can harvest from it multiple times—if you know how.
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Cilantro is a cool-weather herb that can be planted in the fall or spring or can be grown in containers as part of a windowsill herb garden. It's used in many cuisines for its fresh, herby, slightly citrusy and peppery flavor and is beloved by many (except those who think cilantro tastes like soap!). If you're growing cilantro in your herb garden, here's how to harvest it so that the plant will continue to yield new growth all season long, according to experts we spoke to.
Meet Our Expert
Sarah Warner, greenhouse manager at the Case Western Reserve University Farm at Case Western Reserve University
Mike Murphy, gardening expert and owner of You Had Me At Gardening
Related: 12 Herbs That Will Thrive Indoors—and Enhance Your Cooking All Year Round
How to Know When It's Time to Harvest Cilantro
You'll want to harvest cilantro once the plant is fairly well-established—it should have long stems and be a healthy size, says Sarah Warner, greenhouse manager at the Case Western Reserve University Farm. Check the seed packet that your cilantro seeds came in if you're unsure of when your first harvest should be. "Typically, a seed packet will state the 'days to maturity' for the plant, and this is when you would look out for the first harvest," she says. "For cilantro, this is usually around five weeks after planting."
You won't want to let the stems get too far past 3 to 4 inches tall, though—if you let cilantro grow too long, it can start bolting, producing buds and seeds instead, says Mike Murphy, owner of You Had Me at Gardening. Cilantro can also start bolting early if the weather gets too warm. When cilantro bolts, it produces small white flowers, and the leaves become bitter to the taste, but don't despair—if you missed your opportunity to harvest cilantro because of early bolting, you can harvest the coriander seeds it produces instead.
Related: 10 Herbs You Should Stop Buying and Start Growing
How to Harvest Cilantro
"Cilantro is a great 'cut-and-come-again' plant, meaning as long as there is a small amount left of the plant, it can continue to photosynthesize and produce more stems and leaves," says Warner. Follow these tips to harvest cilantro from your garden to ensure it continues to yield leaves throughout the season.
Tools Needed
Herb or garden shears
A basket or bowl to collect harvested cilantro
Instructions
Clean your herb shears with soap and water, or swipe an alcohol wipe over them to properly disinfect them.
Snip the outer leaves of the plant, leaving the inner ones intact to keep the plant growing, says Murphy.
Don't snip more than one-third of the plant—leaving two-thirds of the plant intact will allow it to replenish and produce more leaves, according to Murphy.
Always stick to cutting the outer leaves first to ensure continuous growth. "The worst thing would be to lop off all the sprigs close to the soil," says Murphy.
How to Store Cilantro
Once harvested, it's easy to keep your cilantro fresh for weeks (yes, weeks!). Follow these tips our experts suggest to enjoy your freshly harvested cilantro.
Chop and store in an air-tight container: "My favorite way to store cilantro so it stays fresh is chopping it and placing it in an airtight container," says Warner. "Ensuring the leaves are dry will help keep cilantro fresh a little longer."
Place the stems in a jar with water: "Fresh cilantro can be stored by trimming the stems and placing the bunch in a jar of water, similar to what you would do with flowers," says Murphy. You don't need much water—an inch of water in the jar will do. Then, cover the leaves loosely with a plastic bag before placing them in the refrigerator, Murphy says.
Wrap the stems in a damp paper towel: Wet and wring out a paper towel so that it's damp, not sopping wet, and then proceed to wrap your cilantro stems in it. Keep them further protected by placing your wrapped stems in a resealable bag and place them in the fridge, says Murphy.
Related: How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last Longer
How to Dry Cilantro
Overwhelmed with your cilantro yield? Dry it out so that you have cilantro well past its growing season that still tastes great. The best way to dry cilantro is to hang dry it, according to both of our experts. Here's how to dry your cilantro harvest.
Tips
"Ensure the drying process is out of full sun, that there is adequate airflow, and make sure the leaves are dry," says Warner. "If the leaves are wet this could encourage mold to grow."
Take five to six stems at a time, and tie the base of the stems together with twine, forming a little bunch.
Hang the bunch upside down in a cool, well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight, says Murphy.
Leave them hanging for about two to four weeks, according to Warner.
Once the leaves are crunchy and there is no moisture left, take your cilantro bunches down and remove the leaves from the stems.
Store the dried cilantro leaves in an airtight container, in a cool, dark spot.
Remember to date and label your container.
Related: How to Dry Fresh Herbs to Use in Your Cooking All Year Long
Read the original article on Martha Stewart.
