3 ways to freeze cilantro for the winter

Coriander greens, better known as cilantro, is a very controversial seasoning due to the astringent smell. Some housewives buy it only occasionally, while others grow it in large volumes and harvest it in the form of seasonings, marinades and frosts. Cilantro successfully undergoes prolonged storage at low temperatures. How to freeze cilantro for the winter, how to save valuable qualities of greens in a freezer. The three easiest but most delicious ways.

Method 1. Green leaves

Fresh cilantro leaves are stored for no longer than 1 week in the refrigerator. Freezing will extend the shelf life to 1 year. In the process, cilantro, like many types of greenery, loses its saturated green color. To prevent this, you need to subject the plant to quick and strictly one-time freezing. Thawed greens need to be used all.

How to freeze twigs and leaves of cilantro:

1. First pick the beautiful, whole shoots. They should not have yellowness, spots - choose only healthy leaves.
2. Rinse the cilantro under running water, you can soak it briefly so that all the dust goes into the water.
3. Now completely dry the branches on a paper or waffle towel.
4. Prepare plastic containers with lids or bags for freezing.
5. Cilantro is frozen both with twigs and in the form of slices. Choose the most convenient way.
6. Place the greens in portions, squeeze the air out of the bags and tie them tightly.
7. Now quickly freeze cilantro: the lower the temperature in the chamber, the more nutrients will remain in the leaves. Shock-frozen cilantro remains green and fragrant.

There is another trick to preserving color: blanching. After washing, the leaves of cilantro need to be scalded with boiling water or pour everything for a maximum of half a minute. You can’t keep it in boiling water longer: useful properties are lost.

Tip
It will be easier to use frozen slices for ready meals. A whole cilantro is like a spice that is put in the cooking process.

Ice with cilantro

Portioned ice cubes with fragrant herbs will be a beautiful and unusual addition to soups and other hearty dishes, as well as healthy green smoothies. This way of freezing cilantro is not as popular as dry slicing, but a couple of ice containers can be prepared to surprise guests.

Tip
purity.bigbadmole.com/en/ magazine recommends silicone molds that are used for sweets and cookies. In them, the ice cube also hardens well, but it will be much easier and faster to remove it than from ice containers. Just push on the bottom of the form - the portion will pop out.

How to cook:

1. Rinse cilantro, select large leaves and cut them with a knife.
2. Chop very finely or leave whole leaves.
3. Now spread the cilantro in small pinches over the ice cube container.
4. Fill everything with water about 2/3. In the refrigerator, it will expand, and the cubes with cilantro will be smooth and high.
5. Done, now move the workpiece into the freezer and use as needed.

Cilantro in oil

Cilantro with oil is a very beautiful and aromatic additive in salads, soups, sauces, main dishes. It is prepared with both vegetable and creamy. Most delicious are mixtures based on olive oil. If you like cream more to your taste, then find a natural product without herbal additives.

How to cook cilantro in oil for the winter:

1. Chop the washed greens of coriander with a knife, it is not necessary to grind too much. The rest of the work will be done by a blender. Immerse leaves and stems in it and mashed until smooth.
2. Now cilantro needs to be combined with oil. The amount is for your taste, the optimal is 50-100 ml of oil per 50 g of cilantro.Mix everything thoroughly, you can additionally beat with a blender.
3. It remains to distribute the mass in the molds, or in small containers and plastic cups.
4. When the ice tray lays in the freezer for 3-4 hours, take it out, squeeze out all the cubes with cilantro in oil and transfer to a bag. So it will be faster and more convenient to get the sauce.

After removing the cilantro from the freezer, use it for 2-3 days. Billets in oil are not stored for long - 1-3 months, chopped greens are also recommended to be eaten in the first months after harvesting. In any case, this is a great option to preserve the aroma and benefits of coriander greens.