How to Clean Cilantro

Last Updated: December 22, 2022 References

Cilantro is a delicious herb with an aromatic, citrusy flavor. It is often used as a garnish in Mexican and Asian cuisine.^{[1]
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Research source} Whether you harvest your own or buy a bunch of cilantro at the grocery store, the leaves and stalks of the herb can be gritty. However, cleaning cilantro is very easy. With a few fast, simple techniques, your cilantro will be dirt-free and ready to season your favorite meals.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Washing and Drying Cilantro

1
Fill a bowl with water. Choose a bowl that is big enough to dunk your bunch of cilantro in and swirl it around. Use regular cool tap water.^{[2]
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Dunk and swish your cilantro in the water. Hold the herb by the stems, keeping the bunch together. Immerse the leaves in the bowl of water and swish them around to remove grit and dirt.
- Repeat this step as many times as needed until your cilantro is clean. If your herbs are particularly muddy, pour out the bowl and refill it with clean water. Keep dunking and swishing until the water stays mostly clear, indicating that the cilantro is clean.^{[3]
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3
Shake off excess water. Hold onto the bunch by the stems. Shake your cilantro out over the sink to get rid of most of the water.^{[4]
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4
Pat the cilantro dry with paper towel. Place your cilantro bunch onto a piece of paper towel large enough to wrap the herbs in. Pat the leaves dry with the paper towel.
- If the cilantro soaks through the first paper towel, get a fresh, dry piece and repeat the process of wrapping and patting.^{[5]
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5
Use the clean cilantro in your favorite recipes. Cilantro is a versatile herb that can be added to a huge variety of different foods to give them a burst of fresh flavor. Add it to salsa, guacamole, chutney, or even some soups as a tasty garnish.^{[6]
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- Experiment with fun ways to use cilantro. Stir chopped cilantro into your sour cream and then put a dollop of it on top of chilli or stew. Or add it to your salad dressing, particularly citrusy dressings and vinaigrettes.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cutting and Storing Cilantro

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Buy a bunch of cilantro or pick some from a homegrown plant. Choose leaves that are green and aromatic. Don’t pick cilantro with yellow, wilted leaves, since these have less flavor.^{[8]
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- Keep the leaves attached to the stems.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Randall Chambers
  Personal Chef
  Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.}
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Trim the bottoms of the stems. Treat cilantro like fresh-cut flowers. Snip off the bottoms of the stems with a pair of scissors.^{[10]
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- Most people recommend trimming the cilantro this way before storing it, though others have found that leaving the stems untrimmed actually helps the cilantro stay fresh longer.^{[11]
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3
Place your cilantro into a container of water. Fill a jar or glass with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Put the bunch of cilantro into the water, so that the stems are immersed.^{[12]
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Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and put the cilantro in the fridge. The plastic bag preserves the leaves' aroma. You can secure it loosely with an elastic band.^{[13]
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- The cilantro should stay fresh for 2-4 weeks.
- Check the water levels every couple of days and add more water as needed.^{[14]
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5
Freeze cilantro if you've already chopped it. Put 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of chopped cilantro into each section of a freezer tray for ice cubes. Cover the cilantro with water. Place the tray in the freezer.
- Use frozen cilantro within two months.
- Put previously-frozen cilantro in cooked dishes, rather than salads or salsas.