If you are wondering how to freeze cilantro you are in the right place. Freezing cilantro is incredibly quick and easy and a great way to keep them fresh all year round.
Cilantro is an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean and is one of the most widely used world cuisines.
It is pretty easy to grow if you want to plant it in a pot or your home garden!.
Also, this herb is a source of vitamins A and K and provides very few calories.
Cilantro is an essential ingredient in every dish, which adds a zing to all your favorite recipes! Be it Thai, Mexican, Indian, or any other cuisine.
However, it tends to get slightly overpowering if you use it in the bunch. Hence, you end up using just a few leaves every time.
This way, your stock of cilantro might get stale over time if you store it in your refrigerator with multiple different veggies by the side.
If you want to keep your cilantro fresh for months, check out this full-proof way which will keep this herb fresh and colorful, even if you store them for the most prolonged duration!
Can you freeze cilantro?
Yes. Most people tend to resort to freezing cilantro to avoid wasting the leftovers and use their stash for months without compromising quality.
Freezing ensures that its qualities are locked, and you get the perfect flavor every time, even if you are using month-old cilantro in your dishes.
How to freeze cilantro? [Step by Step]
You can quickly freeze cilantro in some simple ways. Let’s go through each one of them gradually.
For whole cilantro leaves
Ingredients:
- Cilantro
- Ziplock bag or airtight container
Instructions:
Step 1: Take your cilantro to wash them in normal water until you get rid of any dirt present in them.
Step 2: Add the washed cilantro into the freezer zip lock bag or airtight container.
Step 3: Place the zip lock bag or airtight container in the freezer and let it freeze.
For unchopped cilantro leaves
Ingredients:
- Cilantro
- Ziplock bag or airtight container
- Cling film
Instructions:
Step 1: Trim out the leaves and the stalks.
Step 2: Add the chopped cilantro leaves into an ice tray and fill up at least two-thirds of the entire space.
Step 3: Add some water on top of the chopped leaves and wrap the entire whole with a cling film.
Step 4: Place it one the freezer to freeze overnight.
Step 5: After freezing overnight, pop the cilantro cubes into a zip lock bag and add them back into the freezer and let it freeze.
Cilantro pesto
Another way to freeze cilantro is to make cilantro pesto, which freezes wonderfully.
You have to prepare the pesto as you usually do: cilantro, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and almonds.
Then you can freeze it in an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are frozen, you transfer them to plastic bags and return them to the freezer until you are ready to use them.
FAQ about freezing cilantro
For how long can you store the frozen cilantro leaves?
You can easily keep the frozen cilantro leaves for four months or less.
Can you freeze cooked cilantro?
No. You can only freeze raw cilantro.
Can you refreeze the frozen cilantro after use?
No, just like any other herb, if you refreeze the cilantro after thawing it, its texture and flavor might degrade.
Can you freeze the yellow cilantro leaves too?
You can freeze yellow cilantro leaves too. However, they won’t improve much and have better chances of getting stale even if you put them in the freezer.
How to thaw cilantro?
There is no particular procedure for thawing cilantro before use. Just take out the zip lock bag or airtight container from the freezer and let it stay at room temperature for a couple of minutes. Add it directly to your dish, and you are good to go!
What can you make with frozen cilantro?
You can use frozen cilantro:
- To enhance the flavor of meat, chicken, and fish.
- Soups: You can prepare spinach and cilantro cream with an intense flavor. Or a carrot cream with carrots that you have frozen and cilantro.
- Sauces. You can drizzle cilantro sauce over almost anything, especially in tacos or nachos, for a perfect taco night!
Want to learn more about freezing your favorites?
- Check this post about how to freeze cauliflower
- Read how to freeze asparagus easily and in no time
- Save this post about how to freeze kale easily and in no time
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