We are currently closed while we propagate and grow plants for fall.
We’ll reopen on October 1 for the next planting season
Cilantro is a winter crop in the desert, and I sow the seed thickly, almost like grass seed. When it's ready to harvest, I gather a handful like a ponytail and cut it back to about an inch above the ground. It grows back, allowing me to harvest from the same plants repeatedly throughout the season.
That usually gives me far more cilantro than I can use fresh, but I cook with cilantro all year, so the extra goes straight into the freezer.
I wash the cilantro, dry it well in a salad spinner, remove the stems and put the leaves directly into a freezer bag. No blanching or other preparation. I keep adding to the bag after each harvest, and when it's full, I start another.
When I need cilantro for cooking, I simply break off what I need and put the rest back in the freezer.
Freezing Cilantro
One thing to know:
Frozen cilantro won't have the texture of fresh cilantro when it thaws, so this isn't the cilantro to use as a fresh garnish. But for soups, sauces and other cooked dishes, it works beautifully.
If I have part of an onion left after cooking, or I've harvested more than I can use, I chop it and put it directly into a freezer bag. No blanching or other preparation is needed. When I need onion for cooking, I simply break off however much I need and return the rest to the freezer.
Tip: I also keep bags of cilantro and onion mixed together because I frequently use both in the same dishes. Mix them together well before freezing so you don't end up breaking off a chunk that's mostly onion or mostly cilantro.
Freezing Onion
Freezing Herbs in Cubes
Another easy way to freeze herbs is in ice cube trays. Wash and dry the herbs, chop them, and pack them into the tray. Cover with either oil or water, depending on how you plan to use them later.
Use oil for herbs you'll add to a pan where you would normally use cooking oil. Water works well for herbs you'll use in soups, stews, sauces, or other dishes where you don't need the extra oil.
You can freeze herbs individually or combine ones you frequently use together, such as lemon thyme and oregano. Combining them means you can use one cube instead of several, especially important with oil so you don't end up adding more oil than you need.
Once frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in labeled freezer bags.
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