The cilantro plant, which will grow up to 3 feet high, has been gaining in popularity for years in Tex-Mex cooking. If you take a quick look at cilantro you might belive that it is parsley, but its sweet and musky flavor will verify it’s certainly unlike any parsley I know of. It may surprise you to know that cilantro (the foliage which has awesome pink flowers) and coriander (the plant that comes from the seeds) are from the same plant.

You can pick-up your cilantro from your local nursery, but I like to start mine from seeds. Because it’s an annual, you can be starting fresh with new plants each year. I like to germinate my seeds in late winter and line the containers up on my kitchen windowsill so I don’t miss the small sprouts that will pop up in 7 to 10 days.

Cilantro herbs prefer moist, rich dirt, so it is best to grow them in a raised bed after the weather gets sunny. If you live in a hot climate, make sure you provide some shade for your cilantro. Don’t forget that if your cilantro gets too much sun or too much heat it will go bitter.

It can take about nine weeks for your cilantro herb to go from seed to its beautiful white, pale pink or lavender blooms. If you want to skip growing in containers, just wait until it gets warmer and plant the seeds outside. With clear skies, nice temperatures and some rain you’ll have cilantro sprouts in about 2 weeks.

You’ll get the strongest flavor from your cilantro in the summer. You can lop off a couple of leaves and either add them whole or chop them and add to your favorite Mexican meal.

Don’t forget to dry some cilantro for the fall, winter and spring dinners. Try to lop off the foliage just before the plant blooms so that the foliage can have a heavy concentration of oils. Use a drying rack for really good outcomes. Remember that you will need more of the dried cilantro than you will the fresh because the taste won’t be as concentrated.

The very best way to cure the coriander seed is by hanging it upside down in a paper bag to dry. Once the seeds have dried, you can release them from the pod by rolling them between your hands. Next freeze the seeds for a minimum of 2 days before storing the seeds in a cool, dark place.

Because it is one of the curry spices, you can use the crushed coriander seeds as a powder in baking, stews, soups and casseroles.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Plants. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.