Growing Cilantro
The first time I tried cilantro was an unforgettable experience. It was at a little taqueria in Boston, one of those restaturants where they have all kinds of fresh ingredients and they build the whole thing in front of you. When they asked if I wanted it on my burrito, I had to taste it first. It was love at first bite! When I got home I tried my hand at making a cilantro pesto and I was forever hooked.
The cilantro plant, which can grow up to three feet tall, has been gaining in popularity for a long time in Tex-Mex cuisine. If you only go by appearance, you may believe that parsley and cilantro are the same, however; once you try the sweet muskiness of cilantro you will know there’s no comparison. Cilantro is the name of the leaves, which has wonderful pale pink flowers, but the plant that comes from the seeds is called as coriander.
You can start your cilantro herb from seeds or get it from a local nursery, greenhouse or home improvement store. As an annual, you’ll want to begin each growing season with fresh plants. I start mine in pots indoors on my kitchen windowsill when there is still frost on the ground, and it usually takes about 7 to 10 days for the seeds to germinate.
Once the weather turns sunny, I transplant my cilantro herbs to a raised bed in my garden, because they thrive on moist, rich sod and full sun. If your climate gets too hot, keep in mind that your cilantro does like some light shade in the warmest weather. Be mindful, too much sun or too much heat can make your cilantro taste bitter.
About nine weeks or so after you plant the cilantro, you will have herbs with pretty lavender, white or pale pink flowers. You can definitely wait until the weather gets warmer and then plant your cilantro right in the earth. With sunny skies, nice temperatures and some rain you’ll have cilantro sprouts in less than 2 weeks.
For the strongest tastes, use your fresh cilantro in your summer meals. You can lop off a few leaves and either add them whole or dice them and add to your favorite Mexican dish.
You can even dry your cilantro and use it later for fall, winter and spring meals. Try to cut off the leaves just before the herb blossoms so that the foliage will have a heavy concentration of oils. Use a drying rack for really good outcomes. When you dry the plant the taste is not as concentrated, so remember to use more dried cilantro than you would fresh.
You can harvest the coriander seed by drying them first—hanging them upside down in a paper bag works best. Roll the seeds between your hands to release the seed from its pod. Then you will want to freeze the seeds for at least 2 days and then store them in a cool, dark place.
Because it is coriander is a curry spice, so the seeds can be crushed into a powder and used in baked dinners, soups, stews and casseroles.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Herb Garden Plants. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
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