Have you ever thought of saving some herbs such as cilantro from being rotten? Have you tried all possible ways to keep cilantro's fresh smell and able to use it for longer?
Yes, it might amaze you that cilantro can smell fresh and taste good for a longer time. The trick to make that happen is a special technique that I learned from my mother-in-law. I have been exhausted seeing a part of cilantro that I buy get rotten in the refrigerator. For some time, I decided to avoid using cilantro in my cooking. Although the food tasted good, it would have been more delicious with the aroma of cilantro. We had to either buy limited cilantro and use most of it at once or not to choose to buy it at all. I am glad to be aware of the procedure and happy that I am still following it. Especially, if you do groceries at a big store like Costco and wouldn't want to go to multiple places for herbs, this tip is a money saver.
Here is the procedure:
Put the cilantro into cold water in a large bowl. I recommend only using cold water, it will help keep the freshness of the herb
Soak in the water for 2-3 hours, if you have time. Otherwise, you can soak them and wash it twice (similar to washing rice)
Take the cilantro and chop it into one inch long
Place them spread on the kitchen towel or any cotton cloth on your counter.
Keep them rested until cilantro becomes dry. (I usually prefer keeping overnight)
Check to see if they are dry. Transfer them into ziplock bags
Now, freeze them and you may use in any recipes
You can follow this same procedure for any herbs whether it is mint, parsley, or green onions. In this way, you can avoid some herbs which you waste in the refrigerator from being rotten. Once you store these herbs it can be tossed into your dishes for months (at least a year). I use these herbs in soups and other dishes regularly.
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