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If you're going to store anything leafy in a plastic bag, I wrap it first in a paper towel, then in the plastic bag, so none of the leaves touch the bag. This prevents the issue where the outer leaves turn to goo. (I'm not sure what the actual biological issue is ... moisture/condensation? poor respiration?) Don't wash it before storage, as the extra ...

Personally I think the best way to store fresh herbs is to use a small herb garden. I just planted one and found it very useful for things like thyme, rosemary, and parsley. If you don't have room for a small herb garden then a plastic bag in the fridge is usually the next best thing. Update: Cool link on popular mechanics on growing a garden in 5 gallon ...

Basil: Make sure the leaves are dry! Use a papertowel to dry them off. Then, trim the end of each stem, and put the basil in a glass of water. Avoid having any leaves below the waterline. Change the water regularly. Keep it at room temperature. Parsley and Cilantro: Same instructions except refrigerate with a baggie loosely over the herbs. Be sure they're ...

StillTasty.com has good instructions for fresh cilantro and parsley. BTW: the advice for these 2 happens to be the same but it's not the same for all herbs. For example, here's their advice for basil. Their site has good advice for other herbs and foods as well. The one thing that they do that drives me crazy is disabling highlighting so I can't ...

Take a cup and fill with water. Put the cilantro in the cup (as if they were flowers) Place a ziploc bag over the top of the cilantro and loosely fit it around the top of the cup Place the cup in the fridge. It should last a VERY long time like this. I learned this from Joel.

I tend to wrap any leafy vegetables/herbs in paper towel or put them in a paper bag when putting them in the crisper. Instead of retaining the moisture, it lets it escape preventing the nasty sludgy rotting effect of dampness. It'll maybe give you a few extra days as the stuff will slowly dry out or wilt, but shouldn't become slimy.

Coriander, the plant, is the one whose leaves are called cilantro in many regions - the Spanish name for the plant. Of course, in some regions, the leaves are called coriander (or coriander leaves) as well. Coriander, the spice, is indeed the dried fruit/seeds of the plant, commonly sold both whole and ground. The seeds have a very different flavor from the ...

These are the seeds: These are the leaves of the more common variety (there are many others): While dried seeds are full of aroma and flavour, dried leaves are not. BTW, it is VERY easy to grow cilantro (as parsley) in a pot, just use the seeds ...

Cilantro is one of the herbs that doesn't retain much flavor when it's dried; it's unlikely to be particularly tasty when made into a tisane. On the other hand, the dried seeds of the plant -- called "coriander (seeds)"* -- have a pleasantly tangy and floral/citrusy taste. They are occasionally used as a flavoring agent in beer, so it's perfectly ...

This writeup suggests substitutes: I've quoted the most promising option. It seems that Vietnamese Coriander is not really from the coriander family and closely mimics the flavor of cilantro. Let me know if this works. Vietnamese coriander or Persicaria odorata is a herb, the leaves of which commonly feature in Southeast Asian cuisine, ...

Freeze it. Most herbs freezes well and do not lose the scent easily. The only caveat is that the color is usually lost. It is rather a trade off. In a way, drying preserves more of the color and presentation of the herb, but freezing preserves more of its flavors. In my opinion, get those resealable bags, put them in, squeeze the air out, put into ...

According to this The Hour For Tea blog entry, cilantro is one of several ingredients in a tisane for which it claims some medical benefits (emphasis added): Catnip tea was used as a sedative, along with lavender, chamomile, coriander or cilantro; peppermint could also be used to loosen phlegm, and a tisane of thyme with honey was used as a sore ...

If you are cooking a curry or Asian dish, perhaps Thai basil or purple basil would work instead. If you are cooking a Mexican style dish, Mexican oregano might also be a good choice. I have also read that celery leaves are a good substitute, but they can be tricky to find as most stores only sell the stalks. Sometimes you can find bunches at the Farmer's ...