How to preserve cilantro for the winter at home: useful tips

Coriander (cilantro - greens) is an annual herbaceous plant that has a spicy aroma, is actively used in cooking and has a positive effect on health. Many housewives want to know how to preserve cilantro for the winter at home in order to preserve its beneficial and tasteful qualities.

For long-term storage, use fresh cilantro with dense, whole leaves and a rich, spicy aroma and flavor.

Shelf life

The length of time you store cilantro at home depends on the method chosen. Information about the timing is given in the table:

How to Store Cilantro in the Refrigerator to Keep It Fresh

You can keep cilantro fresh in the refrigerator. Before storing it, carefully sort out the greens , completely eliminating spoiled leaves and weeds. Trim the stems a little if necessary.

Fill a half-liter jar or glass with clean water. Place a bunch of greens in a container so that only the stems are in the liquid and the leaves do not touch them. Cover the top of the grass with a plastic bag and place the composition in the refrigerator, on the middle shelf.

To keep coriander fresh for 7-14 days, place the greens in a glass of cool water. Make sure that the leaves are above the liquid level, otherwise they will quickly deteriorate

With this storage arrangement, the greens will remain fresh for up to 2 weeks . Check the workpiece daily, change the water and trim the ends if they show signs of rotting.

Do not wash cilantro if you plan to store it in the refrigerator. Excessive moisture will speed up the process of rotting of the greens, and they will quickly deteriorate.

You can also store cilantro in a plastic bag . To do this, sort out the greens and put them in a bag. Store the spice in the vegetable compartment or on the middle shelf of the refrigerator.

Pickling greens

Before storing fresh cilantro in salted form, you need to measure 20 g of salt for every 100 g of greens, then proceed in the following order:

1. The stems need to be removed.
2. The greens are washed, dried, and then chopped.
3. The resulting mass is placed in layers into a clean jar, the layers are compacted well and each of them is sprinkled with salt.
4. When the jar is filled to the top, its contents are squeezed tightly to form juice.
5. Containers with seasoning are tightly closed with plastic lids and placed on the coolest shelf of the refrigerator.

Storing salted cilantro can last all winter. And you can add it to first, meat and vegetable dishes, the taste of which will become much more pleasant. At the same time, they will need to be salted less than usual, given that the seasoning already contains a certain amount of salt.

Methods for long-term storage of cilantro

To preserve greens for a longer period, they can be frozen, dried or canned. Let's consider these methods in more detail.

Rules for freezing greens

You can store cilantro in the freezer. By freezing, all the nutrients and beneficial substances of the plant, its taste and aromatic properties are preserved. Moreover, such a preparation has a long shelf life and is easy to create.

Before freezing coriander, rinse it well and dry it on a paper or cotton towel.

You can freeze cilantro in a plastic bag . To do this, sort out the washed grass and dry it on a paper towel. Place produce in ziplock bags/bags/bags and squeeze out as much air as possible. Place the preparation in the freezer and store until needed.

You can preserve greens in their whole form, as well as chopped - it all depends on individual preferences and how the herb is intended to be used.

Freeze cilantro in portions for a single use. Remember, greens cannot be re-frozen - this will cause them to lose all their taste and beneficial qualities.

You can freeze cilantro in vegetable oil . This preparation will maximize the aroma of the spice and become a complete seasoning for the dish. You need to follow a number of simple steps:

1. Wash and dry the grass. Cut it into large pieces and put it in a blender bowl.
2. Pour vegetable oil over the greens at the rate of 80 ml per 50 g of raw material.
3. Beat everything with a blender until you obtain a homogeneous green puree.
4. Place the mixture in ice-freezing containers or small silicone molds.
5. Place the dough in the freezer for 3 hours. After the allotted time, pack the cubes several at a time into bags. It is important to put stickers on them with the name of the greens and the date of freezing.
6. Place the pieces back into the freezer for long-term storage (8-12 months).

To freeze coriander, finely chop the prepared greens and combine with sunflower oil. The main components can be pureed using a blender or left leaves whole

You can also freeze coriander with butter . This preparation will give the dish a special aroma and taste. The procedure for freezing greens:

1. Mix chopped cilantro with softened butter at the rate of 100 g per 3 tbsp. l. herbs. You can add garlic, pepper, lime zest, other seasonings or herbs to the preparation to taste.
2. Mix all the ingredients well, transfer to parchment paper or foil and wrap with a roll.
3. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until the butter completely hardens.
4. Place the roll in a plastic bag and place it in a freezer drawer.
5. Add the preparation to first courses, use it when preparing sauces, meat or fish.

Drying

Drying will help preserve the spicy aroma of cilantro. You can dry the plant naturally or in the oven. Each method has its own advantages and features.

Naturally

How to dry cilantro naturally:

1. Carefully sort the plant, remove damaged leaves and inedible grass.
2. Rinse the spice well under running water and then dry it with a paper towel.
3. Cut the plant into large pieces. Do not chop too finely as the cilantro will dry out even more during drying.
4. On a prepared surface covered with paper, place the grass in one layer. Place the container in a dry place with good air circulation, away from direct sunlight.

The herb can be gently mixed with your hands several times a day. It will take 2 to 7 days for the cilantro to dry completely.

This method of harvesting will preserve the taste, aroma and all the vitamins of the plant. It is quite simple to implement and does not require material or time costs. store dried coriander in a glass container away from ultraviolet radiation and high humidity for quite a long time.

Dry cilantro retains all its beneficial and tasteful qualities and can be stored well at home for a long time (up to 3 years)

In the oven

You can dry cilantro in the oven:

1. Sort and rinse the plant. Dry it on a paper towel.
2. Chop coarsely.
3. Place the cilantro on a baking sheet.
4. Preheat the oven to +40 ℃ and place the workpiece there for 5 hours (with the door open). After the allotted time, check the readiness of the product - it should rustle and crumble in your hands.
5. Place the dried herb in a glass container and store it in a dry place in the kitchen.

Dried cilantro is an ideal option for seasoning fish, meat, first and second courses. Spice will help make food not only tasty and aromatic, but also healthy.

Conservation

Pickling recipe

Salted cilantro retains the entire spectrum of vitamins and nutrients. The procedure for creating a blank:

1. Wash the greens and dry on a cotton/paper towel.
2. Mix rock salt (250 g) and grass (1 kg) in a dry container.
3. Place the raw materials in sterilized dry glass jars. Sprinkle a thin layer of salt on top. After a couple of days, the greens will settle and you can add a little more grass.
4. Close the jars with a tight lid and store the preparations in the refrigerator or cellar.

Salted cilantro contains quite a lot of salt, so do not add additional salt to the dish during cooking. If necessary, you can add salt to the treat directly on the plate to suit your taste.

Recipe for preparing cilantro in oil

We offer a simple recipe for preserving cilantro in oil. You will need:

• cilantro – 500 g;
• vegetable oil – 500 ml;
• rock salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash the cilantro thoroughly, dry, and finely chop.
2. Prepare the container - wash and sterilize the glass jar and lid.
3. Mix chopped grass with salt and place in a jar (2-3 cm to the edge).
4. Fill the jar with oil to the top.
5. Close the jar and store in the refrigerator for 2-4 months (use the product as needed).

The preparation of cilantro and oil preserves the entire range of nutrients, taste and breathtaking aroma

Freeze for the winter

There are 2 ways to freeze spices. For soups, it is better to freeze green onions in water. An ice cube will not only fill the dish with flavor, but will also raise the foam, if suddenly you did not have time to remove it at the initial stage of cooking.

Recipes:

• In bulk. Wash the onion feathers, dry them on a paper towel and finely chop them. Place in a thin layer on a tray and freeze quickly. After 5-6 hours, pour the greens into a bag (you can do it in portions), and then place it in a plastic container with an airtight lid. Additional containers are needed to prevent the onion smell from spreading throughout the freezer.

In ice cubes. Wash and finely chop the greens. Place in an ice cube tray. Fill each ramekin halfway. Pour in water (you can add salt or season it with spices if you wish). Place the form in the freezer. After 8 hours, pour the onion ice into an airtight container.

How to save cilantro seeds - coriander

Green seeds are also actively used in cooking. Raw materials should be harvested at the end of August. During this period, the product is as rich as possible in essential oils, which provide the spicy aroma of the seasoning.

In dry weather, dry the plant “umbrellas” under a canopy (away from direct sunlight), and then collect the seeds in thick canvas bags. Store the product in a dark, dry place.

Coriander has a long shelf life and is actively used in cooking to give dishes a special spicy note.

Preserving cilantro for the winter is easy at home, using various harvesting methods. For long-term storage, use only high-quality greens and prepare them correctly.

A little about the plant: benefits and harm

Cilantro goes by several names, and the culture has been known to people for about 5,000 years. Initially, the plant was used in medicine, and then introduced into cooking.

Cilantro appeared in Russia thanks to Count Apraksin in 1830.

Cilantro greens are widely used in cooking. For example, in salads, meat dishes, soups. Coriander seeds go perfectly with cheese, marinades, pickles, sausages and liqueurs.

Coriander helps digestion in the processing of heavy, fatty and coarse foods, speeding it up and eliminating the feeling of heaviness. Greens are rich in vitamins, which is good for the cardiovascular system, digestion, and increasing appetite.

But cilantro has a number of contraindications for use. It is not recommended to use the spice if you have coronary heart disease, diabetes, gastritis, or high stomach acidity. Frequent consumption of greens in an uncontrolled volume can disrupt menstrual cycles in women, weaken male potency, and interfere with memory and sleep.

You should consume no more than 40 grams of greens or seeds per day; this dose is completely safe and beneficial for the human body.