Last updated on December 20th, 2023 at 02:58 pm
Growing cilantro in the garden is so easy! But what do you do with it all? In the growing region, we live in it's often ready to harvest well before the tomatoes in late summer so having fresh cilantro from the garden for making and canning salsa is usually not an option.
I set out to see if cilantro would freeze well so I could use it all year long for making 5 Minute Blender Salsa, Canning Quick & Simple Salsa, and so I always have it on hand for Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
This was inspired by my FAVORITE kitchen tool SOUPER CUBES! Read my Souper Cubes Review and check out Where to Buy Souper Cubes. You won't be disappointed.
How To Freeze Cilantro in Olive Oil
Ingrdients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
Freezing cilantro is really easy and now it's even simpler with the Tablespoon Souper Cubs to freeze it in perfect portions. Follow these simple steps whether you have a few cups or a few pounds of cilantro you need to preserve.
Equipment
To start rinse the cilantro under cold water if needed and air dry on towels or in a salad spinner.
Remove the main part of the stem, but don't worry about removing it all. Working in batches place a few cups of cilantro in the food processor at a time. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO and pulse the mixture until it becomes a thick paste-like mixture.
Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the food processor and pulse until the cilantro and EVOO and totally combined.
Spoon the cilantro into the Tablespoon Souper Cube Tray. Place the lid on the tray and place it into the freezer.
Once the cubes are frozen, remove them from the tray and place them in a resealable freezer bag. Use in any recipe that calls for fresh cilantro.
Some of my favorite ways to these frozen cilantro cubes are in 5 Minute Blender Salsa, Canning Quick & Simple Salsa, and Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
Other Herbs To Freeze In Souper Cubes
Follow these same simple steps to freeze other herbs like:
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Dill
- Basil
- Ginger
Storage
Freeze cilantro cubes for 3-4 months in Ziploc freezer bags, stasher bags or vacuum seal them for 6-8 months.
How To Freeze Fresh Cilantro
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Cups. Fresh Cilantro
- 1-2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- To start rinse the cilantro under cold water if needed and air dry on towels or in a salad spinner.
- Remove the main part of the stem, but don't worry about removing it all.
- Working in batches place about 2 cups of cilantro in the food processor at a time.
- Add 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO and pulse the mixture until it becomes a thick paste-like mixture.
- Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- Continue to pulse until the cilantro and EVOO and totally combined.
- Spoon the cilantro into the Tablespoon Souper Cube Tray.
- Place the lid on the tray and place it into the freezer.
- Once the cubes are frozen, remove them from the tray and place them in a resealable freezer bag.
- Use in any recipe that calls for fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have fresh cilantro you plan on using in the next few weeks. Trim the ends off of the cilantro like you would fresh flowers and place it in a mason jar with a few inches of water. Refresh/check on the water every 5-6 days if you still have unused fresh cilantro. If your cilantro tends to wilt in your fridge in a mason jar cover it loosely with a plastic Ziploc bag. Fresh cilantro will last for up to two weeks if stored properly.
Don't worry if you haven't invested in a set of Souper Cubes yet and you need to put up cilantro before it goes bad you can place fresh cilantro in a Ziploc freezer bag with a paper towel and freeze it. When you need it for a recipe break off what you need and use it. Cilantro will last for about 2 months this way.
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