Cilantro
Bright, citrusy, and slightly peppery herb with tender leaves and flavorful stems
Storage
Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Keeping cilantro in water or wrapped in a damp paper towel increases shelf life, but we find fresh cilantro keeps 5–7 days in the crisper without the fuss. Don't wash until ready to use—wet cilantro slimes fast.
Keeps For
Farm-fresh cilantro lasts up to two weeks in a bag in the crisper — just pull out any slimy leaves as you go. Grocery store cilantro is a different story; expect three to four days. Wilted cilantro can be revived in ice water for 15 minutes, though once it starts yellowing it's done.
Flavor Profile
Bright, citrusy, and a little peppery — and noticeably more so when farm-fresh. Grocery cilantro grown in nutrient-poor soils tends toward bland; fresh local cilantro has real punch. Some people taste it as soapy (it's a genetic thing). The leaves are tender and delicate; the stems are just as flavorful and totally usable.
How to Prep
Farm-fresh cilantro can go straight to the cutting board — we usually chop it right out of the field. If you're using commercial cilantro, always rinse it first; you never know what's on it. If you do wash it, shake or spin dry before using. Chop leaves and stems together for more flavor, or pick just the leaves if you want a softer touch. Add at the end of cooking or use raw.
Ways to Cook
- 1 Sprinkle over soups, curries, tacos, or stir-fries
- 2 Stir into yogurt, chutney, salsa, or salad dressing
- 3 Blend into herb sauces like chimichurri or green chutney
- 4 Mix into slaws, grain bowls, or guacamole
- 5 Scatter over pho, banh mi, or Thai curries
- 6 Toss into tabbouleh, falafel, or chermoula
Pairs Well With
Good to Know
Don't cook it too long—heat dulls its flavor and color. Add at the end or use raw for best results.
Did You Know?
You can eat the entire cilantro plant. In the US, 'cilantro' refers to the fresh leaves; the dried seeds are what we call coriander. The roots are less well-known here but widely used in Southeast Asian cooking — pounded with garlic and ginger as a base for curries and soups.
Recipe Inspiration
Common Questions About Cilantro
Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people?
It's genetic. Some people have a variation in olfactory receptor genes that makes them sensitive to aldehydes in cilantro — the same compounds found in soap. About 4-14% of the population has this trait. There's no fix, but some soap-tasters find that crushing or cooking cilantro reduces the effect.
Are cilantro and coriander the same thing?
They come from the same plant. In the US, 'cilantro' refers to the fresh leaves and stems; 'coriander' refers to the dried seeds. In other countries, the whole plant is often called coriander. The leaves and seeds taste completely different — cilantro is bright and citrusy; coriander seeds are warm and earthy. And it doesn't stop there — the roots are also edible and prized in Southeast Asian cooking, particularly Thai cuisine.
Can you eat cilantro stems?
Yes, and you should — a lot of people throw them away thinking there's not much flavor there, but they're wrong. The stems have just as much flavor as the leaves, sometimes more. Chop them right along with the leaves. They're a bit more fibrous, so dice them finer than you would the leaves if texture matters in your dish. A tip we picked up from chef David Chang: dice the stems very fine, almost like chives, and sprinkle them over a finished dish for a nice cilantro punch.
Can you freeze cilantro?
Yes, but it won't be the same as fresh. Frozen cilantro works in cooked dishes, sauces, and blended applications — not as a garnish. Compared to dried cilantro, it actually keeps a lot of its flavor. Chop it first and freeze in ice cube trays with water or oil, or blend into a paste before freezing. Don't expect perky leaves after thawing.
What's the difference between cilantro and parsley?
They look similar but taste completely different. Cilantro is bright, citrusy, and polarizing — some people love it, some can't stand it. Parsley is milder and grassy, and shows up more in European and Middle Eastern cooking. Cilantro is a staple of Latin American, South Asian, and Southeast Asian cuisines. Flat-leaf parsley looks most like cilantro — smell them if you're unsure. Cilantro has a strong, distinctive aroma; parsley smells green and mild.
Can I substitute parsley for cilantro?
In general, no — and we wouldn't recommend it. The flavors are quite different. They both bring freshness to a dish, but cilantro has a bright, citrusy punch that parsley simply doesn't deliver. That said, there are dishes where either works beautifully — falafel and some Middle Eastern recipes are great with cilantro, parsley, or a mix of both.
Are cilantro flowers edible?
Yes — they taste like a milder version of the leaves with a slightly floral note. A lot of people panic when cilantro starts to bolt, but don't — it still tastes good. The leaves may be a touch more bitter, but it's marginal, and you get those floral notes from the flowers that are genuinely nice. As the flowers mature, they take on a more citrusy, coriander-like punch. Let some go all the way to seed if you want to harvest coriander.
How do you keep cilantro fresh longer?
For most people, the real answer is: buy less at a time and store what you have in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Cilantro is a tender herb; it wilts fast no matter what you do, and elaborate storage tricks buy you a couple of extra days at best. If you've brought home a big pile and want to stretch it, see our guide on maximizing herb shelf life for the jar-of-water-and-bag routine and other options.
How long does cilantro last in the fridge?
Farm-fresh cilantro can easily last two weeks in a bag in the crisper — just pull out any slimy leaves as you go. Grocery store cilantro is a different story; expect three to four days. Wilted cilantro can be revived in ice water for 15 minutes, though once the leaves start yellowing or sliming consistently, it's done.
Can you eat cilantro raw?
Cilantro leaves are eaten both raw and cooked, but they really shine raw. The bright, citrusy, herbaceous flavor they're known for comes through most when fresh — cooking dulls it. That's why cilantro leaves are usually added at the end of a dish or stirred in off the heat rather than simmered through. The roots and seeds (coriander) are a different story — they're almost always cooked, but that's more a matter of texture than flavor.
Can cilantro be cooked?
It can, but most of its flavor is volatile and gets dulled by heat. If you're making a dish with a long simmer (curries, stews), it's usually better to add cilantro at the end or as a garnish. Some Mexican dishes do cook cilantro into salsas and sauces, but the stems usually take the cooking better than the leaves.
Why does my cilantro turn yellow?
Age, heat, or ethylene exposure. Cilantro is a tender herb that wilts and yellows quickly — any time in a too-warm fridge, near ethylene producers like apples and tomatoes, or past its peak will do it. Older leaves turn yellow, and some leaves in a bunch were simply further along before they were picked — those tend to show up toward the outside. A few yellow leaves can be pulled; wholesale yellowing means the bunch is done.
How do you chop cilantro?
Wash, shake dry, gather into a tight pile, and run a sharp knife through it. Chop both the leaves and stems together — stems have just as much flavor and it's faster than picking leaves. For a finer chop, rock the knife through the pile a few times. Don't use a food processor unless you want paste; cilantro bruises and turns dark fast under mechanical force.
Why does cilantro bolt so fast?
It's a cool-weather herb that triggers flowering when days get long or temperatures rise. Spring-planted cilantro often bolts within 3-4 weeks. Once it bolts, the leaves turn small, sparse, and slightly bitter; the plant is focused on producing seeds (coriander). For a longer harvest, succession-plant every couple of weeks, or grow in partial shade. This is a gardening answer more than a CSA one, but it explains why cilantro is often available in bursts.
When is cilantro in season?
Cool weather — spring and fall in the Pacific Northwest. Summer cilantro bolts fast because of the heat and long days. Grocery cilantro is available year-round from warmer regions (Mexico, California), but quality is best when it's grown locally in spring (April-June) and fall (September-October). One key to slowing bolting is regular harvesting — at least once a week. Variety matters most though; even varieties marketed as slow-to-bolt will bolt, but we've found a few that are genuinely bolt-resistant, sometimes giving us six to eight weeks of production in the spring.
How do you dry cilantro?
To dry cilantro safely, use a dehydrator at low temperature (around 95-115°F) — air drying is easy, but food safety experts flag it as a risk for pathogens. That said, dried cilantro isn't really worth the effort; it loses most of its volatile aromatic compounds and ends up tasting like mildly grassy dust. If you want to preserve cilantro, freezing is a much better option — just chop it and freeze it. Ice cube trays are handy for portioning if you want to grab small amounts at a time. Either way, use frozen cilantro in cooked dishes; the texture won't survive thawing.
How much cilantro is in a bunch?
About a cup chopped from a typical grocery bunch, but farm-fresh cilantro is a different story. Grocery cilantro is often older, hydroponically grown, or field-grown in nutrient-poor soils with a lot of water — all recipes for bland herb. Farm-fresh cilantro is noticeably punchier, so we recommend starting with less than the recipe calls for and adjusting from there.
What do you do with leftover cilantro?
Just chop it and throw it in a bag in the freezer — that's the easiest option and the one we'd recommend. You almost always want it chopped anyway since frozen cilantro goes into dishes, not on top of them. Portioning in ice cube trays is handy if you want small grab-and-go amounts. Blend into green chutney, chermoula, or chimichurri before freezing if you want it ready to go as a sauce. Cilantro stems are great in stocks and braises. Don't feel obligated to use it all in one go — having a bag in the freezer makes the leftover problem go away.
Can cilantro lime rice use dried cilantro?
Not really. Cilantro lime rice depends on the bright, fresh flavor of the herb — dried cilantro doesn't deliver it. If dried is all you have, it can work in a pinch but you'll need to use a lot more of it to get any flavor at all.
Does cilantro go in guacamole?
Traditionally, yes — it's a key ingredient in most Mexican guacamole recipes. But it's not mandatory. If you're a soap-taster or just don't like it, leave it out. Some people add parsley or just extra lime instead. The avocado police won't come for you.
What is culantro and is it the same as cilantro?
Different plant entirely, despite the similar name. Culantro has long, serrated leaves and a stronger flavor than cilantro. It's common in Caribbean and Southeast Asian cooking. You can substitute one for the other, but use less culantro — it's more potent.