Cilantro

Cilantro ready to harvest

Cilantro, also known as coriander and Chinese parsley, is an herb that is commonly associate with Latin American and Asian cuisines, but can be found in traditional dishes from all around the world.

In our opinion, cilantro is the finest of herbs, but many people think it tastes like soap! The reasoning behind this is interesting, but too complicated to dive into in this post. To learn more, check out this New York Times article.

Cilantro is an annual vegetable that grows easily from seed during the late spring and summer months. Cilantro is prone to bolt, so for folks who eat a lot of cilantro, we suggest direct-seeding rows in your garden every other week. This should provide a steady supply of the most tender and flavorful leaves for the entire summer.

All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.

Plant now and it will be ready for your summer salsa, succession plant to have into the fall!

To plant: Direct seed into loosened and fertilized soil. Sow seeds into ½ deep furrow along irrigation lines at a rate of around 3 seeds/ inch. Cover seeds and water. Plant 1-2 row feet per planting.

Seed saving: Cilantro seed is very easy to save. After a few cuttings, your cilantro will start to bolt. Allow the plant to flower and eventually the flower heads will produce seeds. Wait until the majority of the plant and seed heads turns brown before cutting down the plant. Once plant has turned brown, cut off the seed heads (the part the was the flower) and hang them upside down in a brown paper bag. When the seeds are fully dried they will easily fall off the flower head. Place them in a glass jar or paper bag and store them in cool, dark, dry place until spring!

Cilantro seedlings

Flowering cilantro and immature seed heads.