How should I find more info. about Cilantro?, I have a small plant, and I want to have more of them to use in my meals. Do you know if sombody sell it on the web? Ralph.

-- Ralph Roces (rroces1@yahoo.com), February 20, 2002

Answers

Ralph Cilantro is the green leafy part of a variety of the corriander plant. The seeds are available on most seed racks. Another thing you could do is simply let your plant go to seed. Where do you live? If you are far enough south I would think that this plant should reseed itself in your garden (like dill) and then come up every year.

If you do buy a packet of seeds, set aside a row or part of a bed in your garden just for cilantro. Then sow part of your row (bed) every week. this way, as the older plants mature and sometimes bolt, you will always have fresh new plants coming on.

Drying this herb doesn't seem to work as well for me as freezing. I just chop enough for a batch of salsa, and throw it in a zip-lock back and toss in the freezer.

Enjoy

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), February 20, 2002.

Cilantro grows really well for me too...from seedlings or seeds either one. It bolts rather easily here if it gets too hot...so you may want to keep that in mind when you pick a place to plant it. It does like sunshine though. I grow it every year. I freeze it too. It gets a funny flavor IMO when dried. We all just love it.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), February 21, 2002.

Ralph, if you've got one plant, you've got all you will need for the rest of your life if all goes well. I think that it was 1980 that I planted some here in Wisconsin. And although I saved most of the seed for seasoning sausage, enough spilled onto the ground to set up a permanent supply of them. In some years, there will be many sprouting already in the fall and a number will winter over if mulched or with a deep snow cover. However, a problem with ferral cilantro is that the seeds sprout too early. By the time tomatoes are ripe, the plants have become coriander with no more tender leaves for making salsa. If you have a plant now, your hopes of using it for salsa this year are out. But you've got the beginnings of having all the cilantro that you could possibly use in 2003. Let the plant go to seed and virtually dry up. Then save the seeds. In order to have cilantro ready when the tomatoes are ripe, hold off planting until very late May or early June. Then the leaves will be very tender and perfect for salsa and other recipes calling for fresh cilantro. If you want cilantro for this summer, you'll have to get some seed for planting. Virtually every seed company has them and they are not expensive. Better that than paying $3 or $4 for a bunch at your local supermarket!

Happy Gardening,

Martin

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), February 21, 2002.

Hi Ralph!

My family has used cilantro all my life. It can be used in salsa as mentioned above, but also in many other dishes. Cut some up and garnish your chili, or put some in your homeade enchiladas. Cut some up and throw it in your next stirfry ( it is also known as chinese parsley) or in your next curry ( Indians call it dhania). As you can see many Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai etc. dishes call for it. Make an omlet, add onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro and soy sauce, Wa La, you have egg foo young! Leave out the ginger, add salsa, Presto, you have huevos rancheros! Very Yummy! Check out recipies from other countries and I am sure you will find many uses! Good luck! Darlene

-- Darlene in W WA (tomdarsavy@cs.com), February 22, 2002.

ONE PLANT!? just one & it still has leaves? gee, i must not live ANYWHERE near you. LOL!

mr roces, i am on the neverending quest for long leaf prodution on cilantro as well. i have tried slo-bolt & a host of others as well as cultural practices to cool & shade my plants. i will be ordering 'leisure' from www.whiliteseed.com a texas co., so maybe this will help it survive in my hot clime.

i may also luck out & get the large leafed perinial from vietnam, 'rau-ram' this year too! it is available from specialty cataloges but for too much $$$ to make a commercial planting.

ms.darlene, how can you manage 'whey-vos ran-chair-hos' but not voila!? ;)

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), February 22, 2002.

Darlene, do you need a gig cooking? I am getting up right now to make myself an omelet. My ciliantro plants are just big enough to start stealing a few leaves from!

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), February 22, 2002.