Harvesting and Storing Cilantro Leaves

Cilantro, or coriander, is a fast-growing herb in spring and autumn. Its leaves are annual seasonings for food and ingredients for herbal tea. Let’s learn how to harvest cilantro leaves and use them in cooking and tea here. This instruction also gives you the best tips for storing fresh and dried plants. 

HOW TO HARVEST CILANTRO LEAVES & MAKE HERBAL LEAF TEA

I. How To Harvest Cilantro Leaves

It’s easy to grow coriander from seed. When the herbs are mature enough, you can harvest them fresh. 

1.1. Pick Green Cilantro Leaves

Now, follow these steps to pick green coriander leaves.

1. When the stalks are about 6 inches tall, you can harvest green cilantro.
2. Use a pair of garden shears or scissors to snip off the outermost coriander leaves.
3. Leave about an inch of stem for regrowth.
4. You can also harvest all herbs in your garden when the best growing season is about to end. Then, the plant won’t grow anymore.
5. You should pick green leaves in the morning for fresh crops. It helps maintain the freshness of the plant. 
6. Prune mature cilantro leaves regularly to promote the plant to produce more leaves.

Sometimes, you cannot use all fresh herbs at once. Put the left fresh leaves in a bag and store them in the fridge. You can keep them fresh in the freezer for a week. Throw away rotten and withered leaves when processing this greenery because these leaves lose all nutrients and flavors. 

1.2. Remove Leaves From Stems

You had better get the vegetable leaves off the stems before chopping them. Here’s how to remove cilantro leaves from greenery stalks you have picked from your garden.

1. After harvesting mature stems, you hold them with one hand. 
2. Then, pinch the stem base with another hand and pull it through your fingers to strip off leaves. 
3. Alternatively, you can use a knife to cut the leaves off the stems.

Some cilantro stems are too tough to chew. Therefore, you should remove big stalks of this spice vegetable before cooking. 

II. How To Make Cilantro Leaf Tea

Coriander often grows well in spring and autumn. But you can dry its leaves to use in winter and summer. Let’s learn how to make cilantro leaf tea here.

2.1. Dry & store coriander leaves for tea

You collect all coriander plants in your garden before summer or winter and dry them for a long storage period. Follow these steps to make do-it-yourself cilantro leaf tea. 

1. Rinse the cilantro leaves to remove dirt and sand.
2. Spread the leaves on a tray.
3. Then, put it in an airy, dry, warm location or dehydrator to dry those leaves. Set the temperature of the oven to around 100-120°F. It’s a helpful tip for drying this herb during rainy and wet days. 
4. It takes hours to days to dry coriander leaves. It depends on the temperature and humidity. When they are crisp and brittle, you can store this DIY leaf tea in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

It’s possible to keep completely dried coriander leaf tea for six months. 

2.2. Make coriander tea from dried leaf tea

You can make a herbal drink from DIY cilantro leaf tea for health benefits during summer and winter. Check out how to steep this herbal tea below. 

1. Crush the dried cilantro leaves into small pieces. You can crush those crisp leaves with a mortar and pestle set easily.
2. Boil fresh water in a pot or kettle.
3. Pour hot water over the crushed-leaf tea.
4. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
5. Strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids.
6. Add some honey to sweeten the drink. 
7. Enjoy cool or warm tea.

You can drink this herbal tea at any time of the day. But you had better consume it in the morning or before meals for digestion improvement. 

II. How To Cook With Cilantro Leaves

It’s easy to taste coriander in Southeast Asian, Mexican, Indian, and Mediterranean dishes. This seasoning herb adds light and fresh savor to meat, fish, chicken, and salads. Let’s learn some cooking tips with this herb. 

3.1. How to use fresh coriander leaves for cooking?

Chefs often use fresh cilantro leaves to make flavorful dishes. It releases more aroma and nutrients than the dried herb. Here are some tips for cooking with green cilantro leaves you pick in your garden or buy from the market. 

1. Rinse cilantro leaves thoroughly to remove dirt and sand.
2. Remove withered and woody cilantro stems and rotten leaves. 
3. Add finely chopped leaves to salsas, guacamole, or pico de gallo.
4. Add some green cilantro stems to decorate curries, soups, and stews.
5. Mix chopped cilantro leaves with yogurt to make a tasty dip.
6. Use cilantro leaves to add a flavor burst to biryani, fried rice, and other rice dishes.
7. Add cilantro leaves, lime juice, chopped garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender, then drizzle the dressing over salads. 

Avoid overcooking cilantro leaves because this herb will lose its flavor. Besides, it would be better to use this seasoning herb raw. You can check what to do with coriander (cilantro) seeds here. 

3.2. Which are the best recipes using cilantro leaves?

Coriander leaves add fresh, lemon, and peppery flavor to many dishes. Check out the four easy but delicious recipe ideas featuring cilantro leaves below. 

• Cilantro Lime Chicken 

It’s a tasty Mexican-style chicken recipe. Mix lime juice, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to rub and marinate chicken breasts. Then, grill or bake the chicken well. 

• Cilantro Pesto Pasta 

Coriander adds Mexican flavor to this pasta dressing. Blend cilantro leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt, and olive oil until you get a smooth mixture. Then, add the creamy sauce to your pasta and serve it. 

• Coconut Curry Soup

It is a mouthwatering Thai-style soup. Firstly, you dice carrots, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. Simmer them in chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder, sliced ginger, and garlic until the soup becomes tender. Then, add cilantro leaves, stir them, and serve with flatbread.

• Grilled Corn Salad

Grill fresh corn on the cob until lightly charred, then cut off the kernels. Dice diced tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeño peppers. Mix corn and these vegetables with lime juice, cilantro leaves, and salt. Let the side dish chill and serve.

IV. Conclusion

This article has shown you how to harvest cilantro leaves and make DIY herbal tea. Pick fresh coriander for cooking. Then, dry bold and mature leaves to make herbal tea. You can also buy high-quality cilantro leaf tea from The Rike for instant use. Keep dried tea away from heat and humidity to avoid mold.