Have you ever bought a bunch of fresh cilantro, put it in a plastic bag at the produce aisle only to pull a rotting soggy wad out of the fridge when it comes time to use it? If so, then you know that storing fresh cilantro can prove challenging.
I use cilantro every couple of days, so I like to have it on hand fresh. After trying all sorts of techniques for preserving fresh cilantro, I stumbled upon this solution that keeps the cilantro absolutely perfect for weeks. No rotting, no problem.
After buying a bunch of fresh cilantro, do this when you get home from the store: Rinse the bunch gently under cool water, shake it dry in a loose paper towel wrap, cut the stems off just below the leaves and above the twist tie, and put the bunch – cut-stems down – in a wide mouth clamp-style mason jar with a folded paper towel at the bottom. Now, clamp the jar closed without the rubber sealing ring and that’s it.
It turns out that the clamped jar without the rubber seal lets just enough air exchange happen to keep the cilantro protected and fresh for weeks while preventing any moisture from building up. It’s the lack of air circulation and moisture that typically rots the cilantro in a bag or fully sealed container before you have a chance to use it.
So whether Taco Tuesday is today, next week or even the week after, you’ll have fresh cilantro on hand.