Fresh coriander

have you tried freezing it? you should be able to put it in a plastic
bag, freeze it and them use it straight from the freezer. I think this
would probably work better if you chopped it first. Maybe you should
try it with a bunch that you would otherwise waste? It's worth a try i
think because you can buy frozen fresh herbs so you'd just be making
your own. Hope this helps!

cathyxyz said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big
bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it
all up. I hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it
fresh in the fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the appearance will
suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.

Jill

"peach" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

have you tried freezing it? you should be able to put it in a plastic
bag, freeze it and them use it straight from the freezer. I think this
would probably work better if you chopped it first. Maybe you should
try it with a bunch that you would otherwise waste? It's worth a try i
think because you can buy frozen fresh herbs so you'd just be making
your own. Hope this helps!

Coriander, sort of like basil, looks bad when chopped first and let sit. I
don't know whether it would make it look and act worse after freezing, but
it is worth a try; but I think I'll try this on the full herb. I get it
with roots on the bottom if I buy organic, usually. I'll try freezing
complete with roots next time I buy it.

What I usually do to keep it for longer than normally is that I put it in a
glass of water with a zip lock over the top (unzipped) and keep it in the
frig. It keeps a long time that way, too.
Dee

jmcquown said:

cathyxyz said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big
bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it
all up. I hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it
fresh in the fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the appearance will
suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.

Jill

Ok, will give it a try. Thanks
Cathy

--
I don't suffer from insanity - I enjoy every minute of it

Dog3 said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

cathyxyz said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to
grow our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the
supermarket about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in
rather big bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the
appearance will suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.

Jill

This brings up a question. How exactly do you freeze herbs? I have
sage, dill and rosemary I can just about harvest. I also have chive
snippings I would like to freeze due to an over abundance. Do you
just stick them in baggies and plop them into the freezer or is there
another method used to ensure the maximum amount of freshness when
used or thawed?

Michael <- is going to have a ton of chiles this year also but will
dehydrate the unused peppers.

I put herbs in baggies and freeze them. Some folks chop them and freeze
them in ice cube trays for adding a Tbs or so to soups; the ice melts, the
herbs are in. I haven't tried this but then, my freezer is very small. I
reserve my ice cube trays for other stuff 😉

Jill

Dog3 said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dog3 said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

> cathyxyz wrote:
>> We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to
>> grow our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the
>> supermarket about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in
>> rather big bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days

Quoted message said:

> Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the
> appearance will suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.
>
> Jill

This brings up a question. How exactly do you freeze herbs? I have
sage, dill and rosemary I can just about harvest. I also have chive
snippings I would like to freeze due to an over abundance. Do you
just stick them in baggies and plop them into the freezer or is
there another method used to ensure the maximum amount of freshness
when used or thawed?

Michael <- is going to have a ton of chiles this year also but will
dehydrate the unused peppers.

I put herbs in baggies and freeze them. Some folks chop them and
freeze them in ice cube trays for adding a Tbs or so to soups; the
ice melts, the herbs are in. I haven't tried this but then, my
freezer is very small. I reserve my ice cube trays for other stuff
😉

Jill

What do you save the ice cube trays for? Vodka slushies <EG>

Michael

Ice water <G>

Jill

jmcquown said:

Dog3 said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dog3 wrote:

>"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
>news:[email hidden]:
>
>
>>cathyxyz wrote:
>>
>>>We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to
>>>grow our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the
>>>supermarket about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in
>>>rather big bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days

>>Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the
>>appearance will suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.
>>
>>Jill
>
>This brings up a question. How exactly do you freeze herbs? I have
>sage, dill and rosemary I can just about harvest. I also have chive
>snippings I would like to freeze due to an over abundance. Do you
>just stick them in baggies and plop them into the freezer or is
>there another method used to ensure the maximum amount of freshness
>when used or thawed?
>
>Michael <- is going to have a ton of chiles this year also but will
>dehydrate the unused peppers.

I put herbs in baggies and freeze them. Some folks chop them and
freeze them in ice cube trays for adding a Tbs or so to soups; the
ice melts, the herbs are in. I haven't tried this but then, my
freezer is very small. I reserve my ice cube trays for other stuff
😉

Jill

What do you save the ice cube trays for? Vodka slushies <EG>

Michael

Ice water <G>

Jill

Really, you two!!! I try to keep the topic to food and you guys start
talking about booze!! Shame on you <snigger> 🙂
Cathy

--
I don't suffer from insanity - I enjoy every minute of it

In article <[email hidden]>, cathyxyz <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches,
so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I
hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the
fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Seriously. A Tilia food saver.....
--
K.

Sprout the MungBean to reply

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell‹you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow our
own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket about
once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches, so
often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I hate
wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the fridge a
bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

As soon as you get it home, treat it like a bunch of fresh flowers. Snip off
the bottom 1/2" of stems, or more if some look bruised or unhealthy. Stick
the bunch in a big glass or vase and put a little water in. As with cut
flowers, it's always best if any leaves are NOT in water, so you may have to
break off the lowest leaves. Because the stems are green, as opposed to
bark-covered like some flowers, they'll tend to make the water yukky much
faster. Use a clear container so you can keep an eye on this. When it
reaches that point (looking cloudy), don't pour it out without removing the
whole bunch first. Otherwise, you'll contaminate the greens with water
that'll cause rotting up top.

This also works with parsley. I've kept it for up to two weeks this way, if
I paid attention to the water.

Doug Kanter said:

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow our
own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket about
once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches, so
often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I hate
wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the fridge a
bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

As soon as you get it home, treat it like a bunch of fresh flowers. Snip off
the bottom 1/2" of stems, or more if some look bruised or unhealthy. Stick
the bunch in a big glass or vase and put a little water in. As with cut
flowers, it's always best if any leaves are NOT in water, so you may have to
break off the lowest leaves. Because the stems are green, as opposed to
bark-covered like some flowers, they'll tend to make the water yukky much
faster. Use a clear container so you can keep an eye on this. When it
reaches that point (looking cloudy), don't pour it out without removing the
whole bunch first. Otherwise, you'll contaminate the greens with water
that'll cause rotting up top.

This also works with parsley. I've kept it for up to two weeks this way, if
I paid attention to the water.

Good idea. I'll try that, thanks.
Cathy

--
I don't suffer from insanity - I enjoy every minute of it

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow our
own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket about
once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches, so
often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I hate
wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the fridge a
bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

As soon as you get it home, treat it like a bunch of fresh flowers. Snip
off the bottom 1/2" of stems, or more if some look bruised or unhealthy.
Stick the bunch in a big glass or vase and put a little water in. As with
cut flowers, it's always best if any leaves are NOT in water, so you may
have to break off the lowest leaves. Because the stems are green, as
opposed to bark-covered like some flowers, they'll tend to make the water
yukky much faster. Use a clear container so you can keep an eye on this.
When it reaches that point (looking cloudy), don't pour it out without
removing the whole bunch first. Otherwise, you'll contaminate the greens
with water that'll cause rotting up top.

This also works with parsley. I've kept it for up to two weeks this way,
if I paid attention to the water.

Good idea. I'll try that, thanks.
Cathy

I have had the same problem, coriander going off really quickly. Then I
bought some at the farmer's market and it has lasted a really long time.
This tells me that the supermarket coriander is already rather old when you
buy it.

It's rather depressing when I see how long farmer's market produce lasts
compared with the supermarket stuff. I forgot some farmer's market beet
greens in the back of the fridge for 2 weeks. When I found them they were
every bit as good, if not better, as what I could buy at the supermarket.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches,
so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I
hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the
fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Sure! Same problem here, but we get it in HUGE bunches from the Asian
grocer's.

I've had success with drying it slowly - just hang by the stalks somewhere
dry until done and put in a sealed container - loses some flavour, but
retains a surprising amount.

Another is, first make sure it is totally dry then chop it very finely, put
into a dry tub (leave space too) and freeze. The day after, shake the tub
vigorously and return to the freezer - it should stay fairly loose this way
and is every bit as good as fresh for cooking with. Chopping it less finely
is OK, but it doesn't tend to stay as loose.

Laying it flat on a piece of baking paper, rolling it up and freezing means
it turns less soft when it's defrosted, making it more usable raw for
uncooked foods.

Chop it up very finely. Dig out all your ice cube trays, fill each hole with
it, packed as tight as you can, add water to each hole until they're filled
to the top. Freeze. Empty out all the trays 8quickly* and bag or place in a
tub, return to freezer immediately so they don't become wet and all glue
together. Convenient sized individual portions - works for lots of things,
herbs, garlic, chiles, stock etc.

Chop or mince finely, add some neutral tasting oil, put into a jar and
refrigerate (you can do this in a blender if you wish but it will be more
green mush like of course) - use the oil in whatever dish you wish to use
fresh coriander but it won't substitute for ripped up fresh leaves. Also
won't last as long IME as the freezing or drying methods.

Hope TH some!

Shaun aRe
--
I have that exquisite feeling, the feeling that I was born
a thousand years ago, and yet have experienced every *minute* moment of that
thousand years,
as if through the senses of an enchanted child.
This is the source of my love of life, my enjoyment of others, the very seed
of my happiness.

"Dog3" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

cathyxyz said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big
bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it
all up. I hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it
fresh in the fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the appearance
will suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.

Jill

This brings up a question. How exactly do you freeze herbs? I have sage,
dill and rosemary I can just about harvest. I also have chive snippings I
would like to freeze due to an over abundance. Do you just stick them in
baggies and plop them into the freezer or is there another method used to
ensure the maximum amount of freshness when used or thawed?

See my reply to the OP - thee's diferent ways with different merrits, and no
doubt way more than I know! FAST is best BTW - if you have a fast/*blast
freeze (*misnomer really on domestic apps.) setting hit that ong enough
before younfreeze the herbs to speed things up - the faster you feeze,
generally the better the apperance of the vegetation when defrosted,
although this does work more for non-tender vegetation.

Quoted message said:

Michael <- is going to have a ton of chiles this year also but will
dehydrate the unused peppers.

Hey - the ice cube freezing method I mentioned earlier is great for finely
chopped chiles IME. Also, hot smoked until dry makes for some deliciously
well preserved Pods!

I hope I have MANY excess pods this ear, but so far it could go either way
due to atrocious germination...

Shaun aRe

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jmcquown said:

Dog3 said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

>Dog3 wrote:
>
>>"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in
>>news:[email hidden]:
>>
>>
>>>cathyxyz wrote:
>>>
>>>>We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to
>>>>grow our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the
>>>>supermarket about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in
>>>>rather big bunches, so often it goes "off" after a few days
>
>>>Herbs freeze just fine. If you're using it for garnish the
>>>appearance will suffer a bit but for taste it works just fine.
>>>
>>>Jill
>>
>>This brings up a question. How exactly do you freeze herbs? I have
>>sage, dill and rosemary I can just about harvest. I also have chive
>>snippings I would like to freeze due to an over abundance. Do you
>>just stick them in baggies and plop them into the freezer or is
>>there another method used to ensure the maximum amount of freshness
>>when used or thawed?
>>
>>Michael <- is going to have a ton of chiles this year also but will
>>dehydrate the unused peppers.
>
>I put herbs in baggies and freeze them. Some folks chop them and
>freeze them in ice cube trays for adding a Tbs or so to soups; the
>ice melts, the herbs are in. I haven't tried this but then, my
>freezer is very small. I reserve my ice cube trays for other stuff
>😉
>
>Jill
>
>
>

What do you save the ice cube trays for? Vodka slushies <EG>

Michael

Ice water <G>

Jill

Really, you two!!! I try to keep the topic to food and you guys start
talking about booze!! Shame on you <snigger> 🙂
Cathy

Boozshe? Di' sshomeone szhay BOOZSHE?!?!?!? Gimme shum... <Hic!>

',&~}~

Shaun aRe

"Shaun aRe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches,
so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I
hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the
fridge a bit longer?
Cheers
Cathy

Sure! Same problem here, but we get it in HUGE bunches from the Asian
grocer's.

I've had success with drying it slowly - just hang by the stalks somewhere
dry until done and put in a sealed container - loses some flavour, but
retains a surprising amount.

Another is, first make sure it is totally dry then chop it very finely,
put
into a dry tub (leave space too) and freeze. The day after, shake the tub
vigorously and return to the freezer - it should stay fairly loose this
way
and is every bit as good as fresh for cooking with. Chopping it less
finely
is OK, but it doesn't tend to stay as loose.

Laying it flat on a piece of baking paper, rolling it up and freezing
means
it turns less soft when it's defrosted, making it more usable raw for
uncooked foods.

Chop it up very finely. Dig out all your ice cube trays, fill each hole
with
it, packed as tight as you can, add water to each hole until they're
filled
to the top. Freeze. Empty out all the trays 8quickly* and bag or place in
a
tub, return to freezer immediately so they don't become wet and all glue
together. Convenient sized individual portions - works for lots of things,
herbs, garlic, chiles, stock etc.

Chop or mince finely, add some neutral tasting oil, put into a jar and
refrigerate (you can do this in a blender if you wish but it will be more
green mush like of course) - use the oil in whatever dish you wish to use
fresh coriander but it won't substitute for ripped up fresh leaves. Also
won't last as long IME as the freezing or drying methods.

Hope TH some!

Shaun aRe

Shaun aRe, I've used fresh coriander for many years now, but I am always at
a loss when I use it to know whether to use the stems, so all these years
I've stood at the sink meditatively pulling off the leaves. Sometimes if I
use it in a dish where I will be food processing it, I will not be as
meticulous in pulling the leaves off and will process some of the stems in
(very few), but not all of the stems. What is your way of doing the
leaves/stems?
Thanks,
Dee

Shaun aRe said:

Sure! Same problem here, but we get it in HUGE bunches from the Asian
grocer's.

I've had success with drying it slowly - just hang by the stalks

somewhere

Quoted message said:

dry until done and put in a sealed container - loses some flavour,

but

Quoted message said:

retains a surprising amount.

Another is, first make sure it is totally dry then chop it very

finely, put

Quoted message said:

into a dry tub (leave space too) and freeze. The day after, shake the

tub

Quoted message said:

vigorously and return to the freezer - it should stay fairly loose

this way

Quoted message said:

and is every bit as good as fresh for cooking with. Chopping it less

finely

Quoted message said:

is OK, but it doesn't tend to stay as loose.

Laying it flat on a piece of baking paper, rolling it up and freezing

means

Quoted message said:

it turns less soft when it's defrosted, making it more usable raw for
uncooked foods.

Chop it up very finely. Dig out all your ice cube trays, fill each

hole with

Quoted message said:

it, packed as tight as you can, add water to each hole until they're

filled

Quoted message said:

to the top. Freeze. Empty out all the trays 8quickly* and bag or

place in a

Quoted message said:

tub, return to freezer immediately so they don't become wet and all

glue

Quoted message said:

together. Convenient sized individual portions - works for lots of

things,

Quoted message said:

herbs, garlic, chiles, stock etc.

Chop or mince finely, add some neutral tasting oil, put into a jar

and

Quoted message said:

refrigerate (you can do this in a blender if you wish but it will be

more

Quoted message said:

green mush like of course) - use the oil in whatever dish you wish to

use

Quoted message said:

fresh coriander but it won't substitute for ripped up fresh leaves.

Also

Quoted message said:

won't last as long IME as the freezing or drying methods.

Hope TH some!

Shaun aRe

This is one of those print-it-out and stick-on-the-fridge things!!
Thanks a lot Shaun
Cheers
Cathy

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

"cathyxyz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

>We love fresh coriander, especially the leaves. We have tried to grow
>our own, but without much success. So we buy it from the supermarket
>about once a week or so. Problem is, they sell it in rather big bunches,
>so often it goes "off" after a few days, before I can use it all up. I
>hate wasting it, so anybody know a good way to keep it fresh in the
>fridge a bit longer?
>Cheers
>Cathy

As soon as you get it home, treat it like a bunch of fresh flowers. Snip
off the bottom 1/2" of stems, or more if some look bruised or unhealthy.
Stick the bunch in a big glass or vase and put a little water in. As
with cut flowers, it's always best if any leaves are NOT in water, so
you may have to break off the lowest leaves. Because the stems are
green, as opposed to bark-covered like some flowers, they'll tend to
make the water yukky much faster. Use a clear container so you can keep
an eye on this. When it reaches that point (looking cloudy), don't pour
it out without removing the whole bunch first. Otherwise, you'll
contaminate the greens with water that'll cause rotting up top.

This also works with parsley. I've kept it for up to two weeks this way,
if I paid attention to the water.

Good idea. I'll try that, thanks.
Cathy

I have had the same problem, coriander going off really quickly. Then I
bought some at the farmer's market and it has lasted a really long time.
This tells me that the supermarket coriander is already rather old when
you buy it.

It's rather depressing when I see how long farmer's market produce lasts
compared with the supermarket stuff. I forgot some farmer's market beet
greens in the back of the fridge for 2 weeks. When I found them they were
every bit as good, if not better, as what I could buy at the supermarket.

Some supermarkets (including mine) have misting nozzles over some produce,
and I really think they misteth too long - the stuff is soaked instead of
just - you know - slightly dampened. That's gotta lead to rot.

Peter Aitken said:

I have had the same problem, coriander going off really quickly. Then I
bought some at the farmer's market and it has lasted a really long time.
This tells me that the supermarket coriander is already rather old when you
buy it.

It's rather depressing when I see how long farmer's market produce lasts
compared with the supermarket stuff. I forgot some farmer's market beet
greens in the back of the fridge for 2 weeks. When I found them they were
every bit as good, if not better, as what I could buy at the supermarket.

This is also true of which supermarket we buy from. From one in
particular, (Woolies as it is known here), has much, much better quality
fresh veggies, and herbs etc. than some of the other places. I think
they just get supplies from the fresh produce market more regularly and
they are very strict with their "sell by dates". Woolies pulls stuff
from the shelves when they should. This makes a big difference.

Cheers

Cathy

--
I don't suffer from insanity - I enjoy every minute of it

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Dee Randall" <[email hidden]> wrote:
....

Quoted message said:

Shaun aRe, I've used fresh coriander for many years now, but I am always at
a loss when I use it to know whether to use the stems, so all these years
I've stood at the sink meditatively pulling off the leaves. Sometimes if I
use it in a dish where I will be food processing it, I will not be as
meticulous in pulling the leaves off and will process some of the stems in
(very few), but not all of the stems. What is your way of doing the
leaves/stems?
Thanks,
Dee

There's plenty of flavor in the stems. If you are chopping it fine,
use the stems along with the leaves. Even for garnishes a little
stem is no problem. Southeast Asian cooking tends also to use the
roots (well washed, mashed to a paste or finely minced), e.g. in
Thai soups like Tom Yung Goong. Pity that most markets only have
coriander with the roots trimmed off.