Cilantro

My Cilantro patch has been looking great, but although the weather hasn't really gotten hot yet I could see signs of bolting.

How Cilantro is supposed to look

The ferny leaves are a sign that it is bolting - or actually turning into a Coriander plant

Not needing Coriander and needing the garden space for a tomato plant, I harvested all the cilantro. Some I used fresh, like as a topping on chicken tacos -yummy!

Some was put in the refrigerator for use this week. And some was dried carefully, laid out on a cookie sheet and frozen.

Ready to be frozen

frozen

bagged for the freezer

I also tried a method of freezing it with the stems attached, like a bouquet that you can take from the freezer, hold by the stems and cut into your food.

Frozen cilantro works well for cooking, but you can't use it like you use fresh cilantro. It will not thaw well. I may try making another sowing for summer harvests. I have never had luck with cilantro in warm weather (how do they grow it in Mexico?), but if I harvest as soon as it leafs out, it may work out.

Cilantro fresh from the garden - yummy!

I'm linking this up to the Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage where we learn that the weather in Oregon is similar to New Jersey right now - cool and rainy.