How To Store Cilantro

Cilantro, also known as coriander, is a green herb in the Apiaceae family. The annual herb is actually considered divisive, as some people have a gene that makes them dislike the taste of cilantro due to being extra sensitive to coriander’s aldehyde component, which makes it taste soapy. 

For those who do love the taste of cilantro, it's great for flavoring everything from soups and stews and guacamole to egg dishes and salad dressings. And if you like the earthy, lemony, peppery flavors of cilantro, you need to know how to store it properly so it maintains maximum freshness. 

Cilantro, like many fresh herbs including basil and parsley, will wilt and brown if not handled with care. Read on for the best methods for storing cilantro.

Keep In Water

You’ll get about a week’s worth of fresh cilantro (depending on how liberally you’re using it in your dishes or as a garnish) by storing the entire bouquet or stalk in a glass filled with water. Keep this in the fridge. Be careful only to fill the glass to the point that the stems of the plant are submerged as leafy parts hanging out in water will simply become a soggy mess. 

Wash Immediately

There are a couple of reasons you might want to try another method of storing cilantro. For example, maybe you don’t have room in your fridge for a glass jar, or you’re concerned about the precarious nature of storing an open glass jar in your fridge with so many different family members coming and going to grab various items. 

Or maybe you’re the type of cook who likes to prep as much as possible in advance so that when it comes time to follow the recipe for a dish, you don’t have to spend time washing and chopping all the produce. This is where the wash immediately, chop, and store method of storing cilantro comes in handy:

1. Simply wash the cilantro in a bowl of cold water, allowing the dirt to loosen from the leaves and sink to the bottom of the bowl.
2. Once you’ve swished the herb around a few times to loosen any dirt and dust, dry the cilantro thoroughly with paper towels, an absorbent towel, or a salad spinner. 
3. Chop off the stems (if you didn’t already do so before adding to the cold water bath) and proceed to chop the leafy parts of the stalk.
4. Store the rough chopped cilantro in an airtight container lined with paper towels, and you’ll have the vibrant green herb ready to go throughout the week.

Don't Wait To Prep And Store It

There are those of us who like to prep our produce as soon as we bring it home from the supermarket or farmers market, and then there are those who like to put all the groceries away, worrying about the prep later, so that we can move on to other things. Not all items can be stored immediately without risk of faster spoilage, but fortunately, cilantro is not among them. Here's how to store it properly:

1. Roll the unwashed cilantro bouquet in dry paper towels.
2. Place this roll-up in a plastic storage bag.
3. Zip it closed and return to it throughout the next two weeks every time you need to call upon the fresh herb’s dish enhancement skills. 

Freeze It

It may surprise you to learn that fresh cilantro can, in fact, be frozen. The only catch is the cilantro’s appearance won’t be the same as when it’s used in its freshest form. Still, frozen cilantro manages to maintain its flavor and will work well in a variety of dishes — you just may not want to use it as an eye-catching garnish. 

Freeze the leaves: If you’re going to freeze cilantro, wash and dry it thoroughly, following the instructions above. Chop off the stems or the stalk and discard, being careful to keep as much of the leafy greens as possible. Wrap the cilantro in dry paper towels and place in a plastic freezer bag. Place this bag in another bag and make sure you push out all the air before sealing both bags tightly. 

Freeze the liquid: Another, slightly more involved method is to process clean cilantro leaves in a blender with olive oil. Once you have a nice, thick puree, pour a clean ice cube tray with your cilantro mixture. Freeze the tray and once the cubes are frozen, transfer cilantro cubes to a plastic freezer bag and just defrost one or two as needed for up to six months. You will get greener cilantro this way, but it does require a little more effort, so you be the judge.