Storing cilantro as a preparation for the winter is a good alternative to consuming this spice fresh. Even when cilantro is in the freezer or canned, it actually does not lose beneficial micro-, macroelements and vitamins. This crop, which is also known as coriander, has a beneficial effect on health and is one of the ways to boost immunity when consumed regularly. Learn how to properly store cilantro in the freezer and what its shelf life is later in the article.
- 3.1. Video: how to properly freeze cilantro
Rules and terms for storing fresh cilantro
Cilantro tolerates storage well in the refrigerator. It remains fresh for up to 10-14 days. In room conditions it quickly withers and turns yellow. The ideal way is to pull out the plant with roots, put it in water, and wrap it in newspaper on top. The fluid is changed every 2 days.
Other options for storing cilantro:
- in paper bags . Dry, unwashed cilantro is placed. The package is closed. Place on the bottom shelf, in the vegetable compartment;
- in containers . It is important to use a lid with holes. Otherwise, the product will quickly be banned;
- in a bowl, enamel pan . Place dry cilantro and stretch cling film on top. Be sure to make punctures for ventilation.
What kind of cilantro do you usually use?
FreshFrozen
Cilantro can be frozen in sprigs, chopped, pureed, with vegetable oil or butter. The shelf life does not exceed three months. They use freezing in hot and cold dishes, sauces, and snacks.
Snack butter with cilantro and vegetables for the winter
Butter, like vegetable oil, helps greens and all their beneficial properties survive almost until next spring.
To use this recipe and preserve cilantro for the winter, chop the greens, mix thoroughly with softened butter and, placing them on cling film or a sheet of parchment, form a block that is convenient for storage and subsequent cutting. In the freezer, butter with cilantro can be stored for 3 to 6 months; the product can be used when preparing rice and potato dishes, minced meat and pasta.
If desired, in addition to cilantro, add green and mild onions, garlic and lemon zest, pieces of sweet pepper and other spicy crops to the oil.
A little table salt will help the savory oil last longer, and the vegetables and herbs in it will remain juicy, just like when picked from the garden.
Is it possible to freeze cilantro?
Almost any food can be frozen. Cilantro is no exception. You just need to know the features of harvesting leafy greens. The rich, bright taste is easy to lose. The plant does not tolerate long-term storage. There is a risk that instead of a fragrant semi-finished product, you will get a herbaceous mass similar to hay from the chamber.
Why do they freeze?
Two main purposes are to supply the body with useful substances and to be used in cooking. This ingredient is key in many oriental recipes. It is not always allowed to replace fresh cilantro leaves with a dry analogue.
Is frozen cilantro good for you?
At low temperatures, cilantro loses some of its vitamins and its mineral composition becomes poorer. The properly dried analogue has much more benefits. But a frozen product retains its taste, color, and aroma better. Some valuable nutrients remain.
Useful properties of frozen cilantro:
- inhibits the development of inflammatory processes, is a natural antiseptic;
- improves digestion. Helps the stomach cope with fatty, heavy foods;
- normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland, helps restore hormonal levels and the menstrual cycle in women;
- lowers cholesterol levels. Better prevention of cardiovascular diseases;
- cleanses the kidneys and has a mild diuretic effect.
The beneficial properties refer to high-quality cilantro grown in natural conditions without artificial stimulants or chemical fertilizers.
Selection and preparation for freezing
Only young plants have a delicate, pleasant taste. Overgrown specimens become tough, stringy, and bitter. Choose delicate, light-colored branches. It's better to freeze your own cilantro than store-bought cilantro. Or buy at the market from farmers or private owners.
Preparation instructions:
- Let's sort it out. We remove sluggish, withered specimens. We immediately collect them into bundles.
- We rinse. We take the bunches by the stems, put them in a bowl of water, and rinse them several times.
- Let's dry it. Choose a ventilated, not hot place. Spread in a thin layer and keep until frozen.
Some recipes allow you to freeze wet coriander. For example, cubes do not need to be dried; additional water is often added to them. It is not necessary to do this before grinding into puree, just shake off the droplets.
Freezing cilantro sprigs for the winter
Freezing greens: recipes for preparing cilantro for the winter
Low temperatures make it possible not only to preserve cilantro for the winter, but also to preserve all the vitamins and active substances in its composition. The simplest way to freeze cilantro is:
- in preliminary sorting and washing of greens;
- dry it thoroughly on a paper or cloth towel;
- in crushing and distribution into dense bags.
After this, the closed containers with the herbs are put into the freezer, where the herbs are to be stored. If, according to this recipe, not only cilantro, but also other herbs are prepared for the winter, it is better to sign the bags in advance to make it easier to recognize green raw materials in the future.
Portion cubes based on chopped cilantro are becoming more and more popular among housewives. Making them at home is not at all difficult. The foliage and juicy parts of the petioles are crushed, and the resulting mass is placed in ice molds or other small containers. Water added to the chopped greens holds them together, giving the cilantro prepared for the winter the shape of a cube.
Instead of water, you can add melted butter or olive oil, as well as garlic and lemon juice, with which cilantro goes well.
Freezing cilantro
Household freezers are suitable for freezing. The minimum temperature is 12 degrees. Cilantro is best preserved at -18 degrees. In addition to the freezer, it is important to prepare airtight packaging.
Suitable container:
- vacuum bags;
- dense bags for freezing;
- food containers.
Not suitable:
- thin polyethylene;
- paper, parchment;
- metal containers.
Sometimes intermediate dishes are required. These are ice molds and silicone containers. They are only needed to freeze. Next, the product is transferred to an airtight container for long-term storage.
Twigs
A classic way to prepare aromatic cilantro. Ideally obtained in vacuum bags. Or we use regular thick bags. Thin polyethylene is not suitable.
Instructions:
- Wash the branches. Immediately sort through and remove any limp, yellowed greens.
- Place on a paper towel, cover with a second one, and collect excess moisture.
- Let air dry for 20-30 minutes. You don’t need any longer, the cilantro will wilt.
- Collect in bunches, shorten the stems to equal length. Place in bags.
- Seal, pump out or squeeze out air. For compactness, it is possible to wrap the bags with thread or elastic.
- Freeze in the chamber.
It is advisable to immediately lay even bundles. Then in winter there will be no problems with chopping. We do not recommend using containers for this method. Getting frozen branches out of the total mass is problematic.
Shredded
The most convenient method to use. In this way it is easy to freeze only the leaves, or together with the stems. Focus on the quality of the product.
Instructions:
- Chop the cilantro as you would for a salad or soup.
- Place in containers, bags, and other containers in small portions for 1-2 uses.
- Seal tightly and freeze.
Adding salt will help save space and extend shelf life. The chopped leaves are lightly rubbed with your hands with a small amount until the juice appears, packaged, and frozen.
Cubes
It is not necessary to take a mold in the form of cubes. Any other model will do. You can even freeze it in the insert of a box of chocolates.
Instructions:
- Chop the cilantro finely.
- Fill the cubes, pack tightly.
- Add 1-2 tsp to each cell. boiled cold water.
- Place in a chamber and freeze.
- After 6-7 hours, knock the cubes into a bag or container. Return to freezer.
An option is to freeze cilantro puree and chopped coriander sprigs in a food processor into cubes. In this case, it is easy to do without water; native juice is enough. This preparation is ideal for sauces, marinades, and added to hot dishes. Dill, parsley and other chopped herbs can be frozen in cubes.
In oil
To freeze cilantro at home for the winter using this method, you will need unrefined olive oil. It is allowed to take other types.
Instructions:
- Place 100 g of cilantro into a food processor. Lightly chop. There is no need to puree it. Or chop very finely with a knife.
- Add 140-160 ml olive oil.
- Pack into small containers. It is allowed to use silicone molds and ice containers.
- Freeze and after 10-12 hours transfer to an airtight container.
The second way to freeze aromatic coriander is to mix it with butter. It is necessary to add 3 tbsp to 100 g of oil. l. chopped cilantro. Place in a bag, shape into a briquette or sausage, and freeze.
Freezing chopped cilantro
Green mixture
It is not necessary to prepare only cilantro. It goes well with other types of greens. Mostly dill, parsley are used, less often sorrel, and lettuce. The type of additive depends on the purpose of use.
- Cut the cilantro, add other greens in any proportion. We focus on your taste.
- Pack in portions into bags and molds.
- To freeze.
You can freeze the assortment in the form of cubes, grind it into puree or mix different branches, or prepare whole bunches.
Preparing dried cilantro for the winter
One of the simplest and most common ways to preserve the beneficial properties and aroma of greens for a long time is drying. If all the rules are followed, the temperature and duration of the process are maintained, then crushed cilantro leaves retain their taste and aroma throughout the year and can be used to add to sauces and hot dishes.
Before preparing cilantro for the winter using this method:
- stems and leaves are washed;
- remove all rough and damaged parts of the plant;
- The greens are carefully dried so that no traces of water remain on the drying materials.
Gourmets claim that the pungent smell of cilantro becomes softer if the greens are chopped before consumption or processing.
Therefore, the young parts of the shoots and leaf plates are cut, and then laid out in a thin, even layer on clean baking sheets. Harvesting cilantro for the winter by drying is carried out in a dry, ventilated room. Plant materials should be located away from direct sunlight and heat sources with temperatures above 40°C. If the greens are dried in an oven or electric dryer, it is important to provide the cilantro with the same temperature regime and monitor the process all the time so that the raw materials do not stick together and the loss of moisture occurs evenly.
Dried cilantro is poured into clean glass or ceramic containers with tight-fitting lids. In a cool, dark place, spicy greens can be stored for about a year, completely retaining all the active substances, aroma and taste inherent in cilantro. Coriander seeds are dried in the same way, which in winter will be useful for making aromatic bread, adding to sauces, minced meat and poultry dishes.
Shelf life
Cilantro has a very short shelf life compared to other products. We do not recommend freezing large quantities. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy a fresh bunch in the store.
Shelf life of cilantro:
- 3 months in vegetable oil;
- 1 month in butter;
- 3 months in chopped form, in twigs.
Thawed cilantro cannot be stored for longer than 3-4 days. Should be kept exclusively in the refrigerator, use an airtight container.
How to preserve cilantro for the winter: marinade recipe
Adding vinegar helps food preserve for a long time, and cilantro is no exception. The simplest recipe for preparing cilantro for the winter involves pouring chopped greens with a marinade of 300 ml of water, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of 9 percent vinegar.
Tightly packed glass jars with spicy leaves:
- pour in the prepared marinade:
- let it brew;
- then add a little vegetable oil on top;
- cover the containers with lids.
Cilantro prepared according to this recipe for the winter will improve the taste of salads, meat sauces and vegetable stews. The marinated greens should be stored in the refrigerator or cellar.
