HOW TO: Store Cilantro

Often cilantro acts as a fresh garnish and it's only necessary to use about 20% of the bunch. That means the potential for 5 meals! Only, it's cilantro. A soggy mess literally seconds after placing the produce bag in the refrigerator. Like, you close the door and bam! Grossness.

But wait. The most magical thing . . . pretend your cilantro is fresh cut flowers . . .

Here are easy steps that guarantee your cilantro will stay fresh and delicious for 1 or 2 or even 3 weeks!! For serious.

Remove from produce bag - save the bag
Check bunch, removing any leaves showing signs of degrading
Trim stems, removing about 1/2"
Fill a jelly or pint jar about half full with cool water (cleaned yogurt container works great too)
Place cilantro stems into the jar, with the ends submerged
Use that produce bag as a cap over the leaves, extending down over the top of the jar
Loosely knot the corner of the bag to keep it in place, allowing some airflow
Store in the refrigerator
Refresh the water every 2-4 days, removing any suspicious leaves at that time
Enjoy many meals out of one bunch of fresh cilantro!

Try it out. Brenda has, more than once, stopped strangers purchasing cilantro in the grocery store to share this tip. I guess we all do what we can to make the world a better place.