How to Trim Cilantro
Cilantro, grown from coriander seeds, is a richly flavored herb that can change the way salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo taste as well as Mexican and Asian inspired dishes. Being a tender annual that prefers average temperatures to extreme cold or heat, you can grow cilantro outdoors from spring to fall, or inside during winter. Once your plants are growing, it isn't hard to trim cilantro to harvest the leaves for meals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Leave the cilantro stems to grow at least 6 inches tall before you consider harvesting. Inspect the leaves for a rich, deep green coloring. Fertilize with an all purpose feed only if the leaves appear pale, following the manufacturer's instructions for the size pot or ground space your cilantro is growing.
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2
Trace the outer stems downward until you find where they grow out from the soil. Clip the stems an inch above the soil level to remove both the stem and the leaves attached to it. Collect all of the long outer stems you see, leaving behind the shorter growth at the center of the plant.
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3
Allow your cilantro to grow undisturbed for three to four weeks until you see more 6-inch long outer stems. Collect them as in Step 2 to make up a second harvest. Continue to leave the plants to grow and harvest stems one to two more times while the plant is actively growing.
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4
Observe when the center of the plant sprouts a stalk, which may contain buds as temperatures exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim off the stalk as soon as you notice it by cutting it to within an inch from the soil.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to collect coriander, then leave the stalks mentioned in Step 4 alone and allow the cilantro plant to flower and set seed. Once the flowers have dried out, collect the seeds, lightly toast them on a dry skillet and store for future cooking.
Store excess cilantro in a glass of water in the fridge or chop the leaves and place them into ice cube trays. Add water to the tray, filling each well halfway, and then freeze.
References
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