Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Coriander seeds and leaves can be used in cooking. But how is coriander harvested correctly and how can its shelf life be extended?
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also known as bugweed or Asian parsley, is one of the most important herbs in Asian cuisine. After the umbelliferae have been successfully cultivated, both the leaves and the seeds can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. It makes sense to know a few tricks for preserving the coriander so that you can store it without any problems and use it to refine dishes for as long as possible.
Harvest Coriander
The leaves of the coriander plants can be harvested continuously during the growing season. By cutting the bug weed regularly, the formation of flowers, which is usually associated with a negative change in taste, is delayed. However, if you also want to harvest the aromatic seeds of real coriander, you must not cut them after July so that the plants still have enough energy for flowering and fruiting. Coriander can often be harvested well into September.
Tip: If you mainly want to harvest the coriander leaves, there is a trick to suppress flowering: sow the coriander rather late, between mid-April and mid-June out of. On the other hand, if you want to harvest seeds, sow early, namely from the end of March. We will tell you more about growing coriander in the accompanying special article.
Harvest Coriander Seeds
Depending on the weather and variety, the aromatic coriander seeds can be harvested 20 to 28 weeks after sowing. Accordingly, the harvest time is usually in the months of July to August. The drying flower umbels, in which the coriander seeds are located, should always be cut off before they are fully ripe in order to avoid losses due to the seeds being released. As soon as the seed pods turn light brown, they can be harvested.
Harvest coriander leaves
If the self-grown or purchased young plants strengthenOnce the herbs have developed, the leaves of the coriander can be harvested continuously. Depending on whether you only want to use the fresh leaves or later also the seeds of the coriander plants, you can either cut off whole shoots close to the ground or harvest the leaves individually with scissors. If seeds are to be harvested, one should not cut off too many at a time to avoid weakening the plant too much. At the same time, however, pruning is urgently needed to avoid the formation of flowers and seeds too quickly. Harvesting of the spicy coriander leaves often ends when they bloom, as the green coriander takes on a slightly bitter taste. It's still edible, but many people don't like it as much. As soon as the first inflorescences appear, the entire foliage of the plant should be harvested and stored.
Tip: Always use a sharp and clean cutting tool to prevent coriander plants from becoming infected with fungal spores or viruses.
Preserving and storing coriander
Freshly harvested coriander leaves can be stored for a few days if the cut sprouts are placed in a glass of water in the refrigerator. If you cannot use the fresh cilantro within a few days or have a surplus crop, you can preserve the leaves in a number of ways. Coriander seeds can also be made storable with little effort.
Freeze cilantro
Coriander leaves can be chopped up and deep-frozen after harvesting. This means that freshly harvested coriander leaves are available for cooking at any time and as required. The herb can be frozen for about a year.
Dry coriander leaves
Alternatively, the coriander greens can be dried after harvesting. The shoots are hung up to dry for about two weeks. Due to the drying process, the usability can be extended to about six months. However, this reduces the intensity of the aroma somewhat.
Pick the coriander in oil
A third way to preserve coriander leaves is to soak them in oil. For example, olive oil or another high-quality vegetable oil is suitable for this. The leaves are placed whole or chopped up in a tightly sealable container. Then it will be like thisenough oil so that the coriander is covered with oil by about 1 to 2 cm. Since the oil usually takes on the aroma of the herb, it can also be used wonderfully to refine dishes.
Dry Coriander Seeds
Drying and storing coriander seeds is very easy. After the umbels have been harvested, they are hung on a string or spread out in a dry place and left to dry for about two weeks. The coriander seeds are ripe when they are dark brown in color and easily detached from the seed heads. The coriander seeds can be stored in an airtight container for up to three years. So the harvest can also be used to sow the bugweed again next year.
Tip: The aroma of the green coriander improves by using a nutrient-poor herbal soil and slow-acting, organic fertilization. Our peat-free Plantura organic herb and seed soil is ideal for sowing coriander seeds in the garden or on the balcony.
You can find out when and how to sow cilantro correctly in our special article on the topic of propagating cilantro.