Can You Freeze Coriander? Yes! Here's How.... (2024)

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Coriander (also known as cilantro) brings a delightful zing to hundreds of Thai, Mexican, and Indian-inspired dishes. It only takes a few leaves for maximum flavour, but it’s frequently bought in a large bunch. Which probably has you wondering, “Can you freeze fresh coriander?”

How to Freeze Coriander

If you are pushed for time, this is the initial approach you should take to freeze coriander. It’s not the best way to go about it, but it will be the quickest approach to take.

It’s also worth noting that coriander leaves and cilantro are the same things. Cilantro is the term used for coriander leaves in the US so the method below can be used for freezing coriander and for freezing cilantro:

How to Freeze Fresh Coriander (Whole)

1. Clean It
   Start by making sure you’ve cleaned the coriander and removed any dodgy-looking leaves. Yellow leaves won’t improve in the freezer….so remove any you see.

2. Dry It
   Once cleaned, use a papertowel to gently press the coriander dry.
3. Bag it Up
   Place the clean, dry coriander into a labeled freezer-safe bag. Remove as much of the air as possible to prevent freezer burn.

4. Freeze It
Place your labeled bag into the freezer.

If you need to get your coriander frozen quick, then this is the ultimate route to take but it might not be the best approach to follow. Instead, try the approach outlined below:

How to Freeze Chopped Coriander (in Ice Cube Trays)

If you have a little more time on your hands and want to freeze it in the best possible way, then this is the approach you ought to take:

1. Clean and Chop It
   Make sure you have cleaned your coriander and picked out any of the dodgy-looking (yellow) leaves. Trim the stalks from the leaves as you only want to freeze the leaves with this method and chop them up.

2. Add Coriander to Tray
   Place the leaves into the slots of an ice cube tray. You want to fill each slot up around two-thirds of the way. Don’t be afraid of adding other herbs if desired.

3. Cover in Oil or Butter
   Pour olive oil, melted butter or even just water into the slots of the tray until the coriander is completely submerged in the liquid. Wrap the tray in cling film.

4. Initial Freeze
   Place the ice cube tray into the freezer and allow the cubes to freeze solid. Try to keep the tray level during this stage of the freezing process.

5. Final Freeze
   After several hours (or overnight), the cubes should be frozen solid. Remove the tray from the freezer, pop the frozen coriander cubes out and place them into a freezer-safe bag before returning it to the freezer.

Freezing parsley, ginger, lemongrass and chillies have all been covered on Freeze It, and these are all ingredients you can freeze. So why not consider freezing them together in a flavour-packed ice cube?

You could try mixing ginger, lemongrass, green chillies and coriander into one ice cube to give yourself a way of instantly adding a Thai-inspired flavour hit to your cooking.

Another option is to mix parsley, coriander, mint and a small grating of garlic to create a salsa verde style ice cube.

3 Tips for Freezing Fresh Coriander

Here are our Top 3 Tips, which we strongly recommend following, to give you the best results when freezing coriander:

Use a Food Processor
Using a food processor to chop your coriander is a quick and easy way to make sure you have similar sized pieces. This will give you an even flavour when thawed and used.

Consider How You’ll Use It
Will you need entire leaves? Do you need larger amounts or will one ice cube sized amount work? Is it okay that it’s been frozen in butter? By freezing the coriander in different portion sizes you’ll make it easier to use in the recipes you love.

Don’t Over-Pack the Freezer Bags
Removing as much air as possible from the freezer bags is a good way to ensure your coriander remains fresh.

How Long Can You Freeze Coriander?

Your frozen coriander will keep in the freezer for around 4 months. The longer you leave them in the freezer, the greater the chance that the flavour will degrade. That’s why I would advise using them within 4 months.

The advantage of freezing coriander in ice cubes and then surrounding it with water is the minimal risk of freezer burn affecting the coriander.

How Do You Defrost Coriander?

Regardless of which form you have frozen your coriander, it will not need to be defrosted. If you have frozen it as full leaves, you need to stir the leaves into your hot dish.

If you have frozen your coriander as an ice cube, toss it into your stew, curry, stir fry or soup and give it a minute or two to melt completely. That’s all you need to do.

Can You Refreeze Coriander?

We strongly recommend against refreezing coriander.

Additionally, like most soft herbs, coriander is quite delicate and refreezing will drastically degrade both the flavour and texture.

Does Coriander Freeze Well?

In terms of taste, coriander will retain its distinct flavour in the freezer for several months. The only downside to freezing coriander is the texture. It can become quite mushy, so you won’t want to use it for garnishing dishes.

This is the case for most soft herbs and will impact them all in the same way whether you’re freezing parsley, chives or mint.

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