Is it possible to freeze cilantro for the winter?

Content

1 Is it possible to freeze cilantro for the winter in the freezer?
2 Why do you freeze cilantro for the winter?
3 Is frozen cilantro good for you?
4 Selection and preparation for freezing
5 Freezing cilantro for the winter at home
6 Best before date
7 Defrosting and application
8 Conclusion

The best way to provide your family with vitamins all year round is to freeze cilantro for the winter. Green herbs are valued in cooking and cosmetology. It gives dishes a unique piquant flavor and is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. The seasoning is also used to prepare face masks. The second name for the herb is coriander.

Is it possible to freeze cilantro for the winter in the freezer?

Cilantro, like parsley, can be frozen for the winter in the freezer. With this method of preparation, the seasoning retains more than half of the nutritional components, but does not tolerate long-term storage. To prevent the herb from losing its bright, rich taste, you need to know the intricacies of freezing. Otherwise, instead of aromatic spice, it may turn into a tasteless mass.

Why do you freeze cilantro for the winter?

In culinary recipes from Eastern countries, cilantro is often the leading ingredient, but it is not always appropriate to replace it with dried cilantro leaves. Another reason to freeze grass for the winter is to provide yourself and your family with a vitamin complex.

Is frozen cilantro good for you?

When frozen, cilantro herb loses some of its vitamins and microelements, but retains its unique aroma, taste and color. At the same time, much more of them are retained in dried seasoning.

It is better to freeze cilantro for the winter that is grown in your own summer cottage

Some valuable components still remain in the frozen product. Benefits of frozen cilantro:

works as a diuretic, helps remove excess fluid and cleanse the kidneys;
prevents the development of heart and vascular diseases;
regulates cholesterol levels in the blood;
restores hormonal levels in women, improves thyroid function;
normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, helps digest fatty, heavy foods;
It is a natural antibacterial agent and prevents catarrhal processes.

The body benefits from cilantro grown not with mineral fertilizers and artificial growth stimulants, but under natural conditions.

Selection and preparation for freezing

It is recommended to cut cilantro for freezing before it throws out its umbrellas and begins to bloom. During this period, coriander leaves become hard and begin to taste bitter. If it is not possible to grow cilantro for freezing on your own plot, it is better to purchase it on the market from private traders.

Cilantro, which goes on sale in supermarkets, does not have half the beneficial properties

Stages of preparing cilantro for freezing:

Sort through, remove yellowed, limp branches.
Collect the grass into bunches and rinse them several times until the water runs clear. There should be no insects, sand or dirt left on the coriander.
Place the frozen greens on a paper towel and drain. This procedure should take no more than 20-30 minutes, otherwise the greens will begin to wither.

In some cases, it is not necessary to dry cilantro. For example, when freezing seasoning in cubes or purees, you can simply shake off the water.

Freezing cilantro for the winter at home

Coriander is best preserved at a temperature of -18ᵒC, the minimum temperature is -12ᵒC. Metal containers, parchment, paper, and thin cellophane are not suitable for freezing green cilantro when harvesting for the winter. Prepare food containers, freezer bags or vacuum sealed bags.

Some recipes require the use of silicone or ice molds. When the cilantro freezes, it is removed and stored for long-term storage in hermetically sealed containers or bags.

Twigs

The traditional method of freezing green cilantro is with sprigs

It is recommended to use vacuum or regular tight bags. Thin cellophane is not suitable for freezing.

You can freeze coriander using this algorithm:

Prepared, sorted, dried cilantro is collected into bunches, the stems are cut so that they are the same length.
The greens are placed in bags, the air is pumped out or squeezed out.

Cilantro is placed in film in neat bunches, then there will be no problems during use. It is not recommended to freeze coriander in containers. It will be inconvenient to remove branches from the total mass.

Shredded

Depending on the quality of the raw materials, the housewife decides whether to chop only the leaves of the grass or do it together with the stems

How to freeze cilantro for the winter:

Coriander greens are finely chopped, as for making soup or salad.
Place the product in portioned bags or small containers so that the contents are enough for 1-2 dishes.
The bags are tightly closed and placed in the freezer.

If you sprinkle chopped cilantro with a small amount of salt, the freezing time of the product will increase. Also, salted grass can be packed more tightly into bags. It will take up less space in the camera.

Cubes

The green cilantro in this recipe can be frozen using silicone mini muffin cups.

You don't have to look for a container to make ice cubes. In the absence of such containers, housewives have adapted to freezing in the inserts of candy boxes.

Step-by-step instruction:

Prepared, dried cilantro is finely chopped with a knife.
Place the product tightly into the molds.
To prevent the greens from falling apart, add a few teaspoons of boiled, cooled water.
The molds are sent to the freezer.

After 4-5 hours, the cubes are transferred to a bag or container, labeled, and stored in the freezer.

In butter

If you like cilantro frozen in butter, it is recommended to choose a natural product without herbal additives

How to freeze butter seasoning:

Washed, dried cilantro is finely chopped. The product to be frozen is poured into a bowl.
For 50 g of herb take 100 g of oil. It should be at room temperature, not melted.
Mix both ingredients well. If desired, lemon zest, garlic passed through a press, or other additives are added to the mass.
Stir the mixture quickly until the butter begins to melt. Wrap in foil or parchment paper and place in the refrigerator to allow the butter to harden. Then the workpiece is transferred to the freezer.

When the cilantro with butter is completely frozen, it is packed in tight bags or a container and sent to the freezer.

In vegetable oil

To freeze cilantro, you can use not only vegetable oil, but also olive oil.

A refined product is used for the recipe.

How to prepare greens for freezing:

Cilantro (can be taken along with branches) is cut into three parts.
Pour into a blender bowl and add oil. Calculate according to the following scheme: 80 g per 50 g of grass.
Immerse the blender and beat until the freezing mixture becomes homogeneous.
The resulting puree is laid out in molds for making ice, but do not fill them to the very top. During the freezing process, the product will increase in volume.
The molds are transferred to the freezer. Allow several hours to freeze.
After this, the cubes are removed from the container and placed in tight bags.

The bags are labeled, indicating the freezing date and what kind of greens are inside.

Green mixture

Cilantro goes perfectly with other herbs and spices

Most often it is used in a mix with parsley and dill, less often with lettuce and sorrel.

How to prepare green mixture for freezing:

Herbs for harvesting are taken in any proportion, depending on the preferences of the housewife.
The greens are chopped, mixed, and packaged in small bags or molds for freezing ice. The product is sent to the freezer.

You can prepare the green mixture for freezing by adding water, vegetable oil or butter.

Best before date

Compared to other herbs, coriander does not last as long. Experts do not advise freezing greens “in reserve.” Sometimes it's more cost-effective to go to the market and buy a bunch of fresh cilantro.

Shelf life of frozen products:

twigs, shredded – three months;
in butter – up to 30 days;
in vegetable oil – no more than one quarter.

Thawed cilantro is suitable for consumption within 3-4 days, provided that all this time it was stored in the refrigerator in a hermetically sealed container.

Defrosting and application

Defrost the cilantro preparations in the refrigerator, on a shelf for storing vegetables. It is not recommended to defrost indoors, near heat sources, or when adding it to hot food. The grass becomes tasteless and limp. Especially if it is used for preparing first courses.

In some cases there is no need to defrost the product

Ways to use frozen cilantro:

Freezing with butter is used to make sandwiches and other cold snacks.
Smoothies and other cocktails, common among people on a diet, are prepared from the prepared twigs.
Chopped cilantro and twigs are used for marinating meat. The spicy taste and aroma of coriander goes well with any type of red meat, including lamb.
Whole or chopped branches decorate any culinary dishes.
Frozen coriander greens with vegetable and butter are used to prepare sauces, dressings, and gravies.
Greenery preparations are added to first courses, stews, and stews.

Cilantro is used not only as a seasoning. Its healing properties have been known since time immemorial. Regular consumption prevents the development of diabetes. Coriander is used to prepare skin and eye masks at home.

Conclusion

To understand which recipe is best for freezing cilantro for the winter, you need to try them all, but in small quantities. During storage, the product loses useful components and taste. You should remember about the short shelf life of coriander preparations.