Cilantro or Coriander?
Cilantro and Coriander often cause confusion, but they refer to different parts of the same plant, Coriandrum sativum. In the United States, “cilantro” typically refers to the fresh green leaves and stems, while “coriander” describes the dried seeds harvested from the plant. However, in many other parts of the world, especially in Europe and Asia, “coriander” is used for both the fresh leaves and the seeds. Despite the name differences, it’s important to remember they come from the same plant but offer distinct flavors—cilantro leaves have a bright, citrusy, and sometimes soapy taste, while coriander seeds are warm, nutty, and slightly spicy when dried.
Fun fact, some people have the “soap gene” where cilantro tastes like soap to them and is very off putting. It seems people either love it hate it, there’s rarely an in-between.
I used to love it until after getting sick in 2020. Now it tastes like soap to me, but we won’t go down that rabbit hole here. Still I’ll eat it in small quantities so I grow it every year. This year when my cilantro bolted I let it go in hopes I can harvest the seeds for coriander and next year’s harvest.
Coriander seeds start out green, then change to red and then brown with ribbed lines once dried.
Once your plant and the seeds are down and positively dead looking, it’s time to harvest. I found the easiest way is to grab a large bowl, sit outside where you can make a mess, and start plucking seeds. It went a lot faster to rub the stems and seeds together to help separate them and then pick out the stems that will inevitably fall into the bowl.
Once the seeds are separated you’ll want to make sure they are completely dry. I put mine in the freeze dryer but you can leave them put flat on a towel or baking sheet to dry for a few days. Store in airtight containers or mylar bags and don’t forget to label with the date! These should last 6-12 months if properly stored in a cool, dark place.
