I never cared for the taste of cilantro until a lady at work started bringing in fresh guacamole. At first, I tried to pick out the pieces, that was near impossible of course. After the second or third time of nibbling on her guacamole I discovered I actually liked the taste of the herb. The flavor of cilantro really lends itself to tomatoes, avocados, and onions.
After that I decided I’d try to grow it in my garden. My first planting was a huge success. In fact, the plants do so well that I often have them reseed and come up the next year as volunteers.
No one else likes the taste in my family, but I continue to grow it for myself.
To plant cilantro, sow the seeds in a well tilled bed and cover lightly with soil. The germination process can be aided by keeping the bed damp until the plants sprout. Most folks say to thin your plants once they get to be about three inches tall, but I never do and mine do just fine. Cilantro can handle light shade, so that gives you more options on where to plant it in your garden.
Harvest cilantro leaves often to prevent the plant from flowering, unless, you’d also like to harvest some coriander.
A lot of folks may be surprised to learn cilantro and coriander are the exact same plant. The leaves are cilantro, but after the plant blooms the dried seed heads are coriander.
One common complaint about cilantro is that it has a short growing season. I’ve found you can prolong the growing season by snipping the plant off near the bottom as you harvest, taking the top portion in to use and leaving the bottom portion of the plant in the garden to continue to grow.
Many Mediterranean, Asian, and Mexican recipes call for cilantro and most folks associate the herb with those tastes. But the plant can be very versatile and can be used in many different foods. A simple way to utilize cilantro is to throw it in a salad, put it on a sandwich, or blend it in a smoothie.
A plus to eating cilantro is the health benefits the plant offers. It is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Some folks even believe it is therapeutic and can aid or heal digestive issues. The herb is sometimes used to treat folks who have been exposed to large quantities of metal or who have received metal toxicity. Cilantro can also be applied topically to the skin for the relief of hot itchy rashes and sunburn.
If you’re a cilantro lover you don’t need any encouraging when it comes to consuming the herb, but if you’re a hater just know that you might switch sides one day like I did :).
Last night’s video: Aunt Arie 15.
Tipper
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