|
|
Growing cilantro is not difficult. And in a way, growing cilantro is a "two for one" kind of deal. When you grow cilantro, you are also growing coriander since they both come from the same plant. Coriander is the seed and cilantro is the leaf. Whether we knew it or not, we all grew up enjoying the taste of coriander seeds, which flavor the center of the famous jawbreaker candies and are used in dishes ranging from apple pie to pickles. The mature seeds are aromatic and have a mildly spicy flavor, but unless you are growing a lot of cilantro, the seeds are too few to bother harvesting.
Cilantro is supposedly the most widely used herb on earth. It's certainly an essential ingredient in the cuisine of the American southwest, as well as Chinese, Caribbean and Indian cooking. And don't forget its importance to Mexican dishes. For many Americans, though, cilantro is definitely an acquired taste. Some describe it as a strong, aromatic parsley, which it does resemble somewhat. Use it as a fresh herb. Drying dulls the flavor and in spite of salsa makers' best attempts, it doesn't can well, either. Since growing cilantro isn't difficult, you can have a constant supply all summer long.
Cilantro grows best in cool weather and will quickly go to seed when the temperatures warm up. It closely resembles the flat, Italian parsley but is more aromatic and a lighter shade of green. Grow cilantro seeds at frequent intervals to keep the fresh herb on hand. There are newer varieties arriving on the market now that are slower to bolt (set seed).
To use cilantro, pick the leaves any time. There's nothing special to harvesting them and they are tasty at any stage of growth. If you want to collect the seeds, otherwise known as coriander, be sure to gather them as soon as they turn brown, before they drop from the plant. Spread them in a single layer in a shallow pan and allow them to dry for a few days inside before packing them up in an airtight container. They will keep for several months that way.
Another way of growing cilantro is to plant it in a fairly shallow (maybe 4 or 5 inches deep), wide-mouthed pot, near your kitchen door for easy access. Plant it by sprinkling the seed over the surface and then cover it lightly, much the same way you would grow lettuce. Then when the cilantro is tall enough to have recognizable leaves, you can start clipping off a section of your growing cilantro for use. Rotate your container a bit so that the clipped off area is moved out of easy reach and next time, clip a section of the growing cilantro and then rotate the container a bit further. As you use and rotate your container of cilantro, it will be growing back so that by the time you get to where you started, you will have a second growth of cilantro leaves. Growing your cilantro this way will keep it growing vigorously and help to hold off its bloom cycle. If you use cilantro heavily, you may need a bigger container or more than one to keep enough cilantro growing.
|