How Long Does Cilantro Last? Freshness Tips and Storage Tricks

How long fresh cilantro lasts all depends on how you store it. When stored incorrectly, your bunch of cilantro may only last for 2-3 days, but with proper storage, fresh cilantro lasts 7-10 days. Luckily, there are some easy hacks to extend the life of fresh cilantro and give you tasty food for longer.

How Long Does Cilantro Last in the Fridge?

Cilantro lasts anywhere from 2 to 10 days in the fridge, depending on how fresh the cilantro was when you bought it and on how you store it. When shopping for cilantro, look for crisp, bright green looking bunches that don't have a lot of yellow and/or brown leaves.

Instead of asking "how long does cilantro last in the refrigerator," people should ask how they can maximize the freshness they get out of cilantro.

In the refrigerator, fresh cilantro can last up to 10 days when correctly stored. Dry air, excess moisture, too much exposure to light and things being stored on top of cilantro can all cause it to last less than 10 days.

How to Store Fresh Cilantro

We've probably all known the disappointment of opening the fridge for a bunch of cilantro only to find it sad and wilted or slimy and smelly. If this kind of food waste has ever happened to you, it was probably due to not storing your cilantro correctly.

The biggest mistake people make when storing cilantro is bringing it home from the grocery store and throwing it right into the fridge while it's still in the produce bag. It's easy to then forget about that cilantro, and in the meantime, the dry air of the fridge will quickly wilt the leaves, or the water in the bag will turn them slimy.

Another common pitfall is storing other ingredients on top of cilantro. Cilantro is a soft, delicate herb that bruises easily. So if the cilantro is at the bottom of the produce drawer, it could get crushed by other foods and start to turn brown.

When it comes to storing cilantro to make it last longer, there are two main methods that work: storing cilantro upright in cold water and storing cilantro in damp paper towels. These easy methods also work well for other soft herbs like fresh mint, parsley and dill. With either method, there are a few quick and easy steps to take beforehand to get your cilantro ready to store.

First, take the cilantro out of produce bag and remove the rubber band or twist tie that's holding it together so that the herbs can breathe. Then, pick out any brown, yellow, or slimy leaves, as these can make the whole bunch go bad faster.

Next, gently rinse the cilantro under some cold water to remove excess dirt and wash away any bacteria that may be on the leaves. Finally, spin the leaves dry in a salad spinner or thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels before storing.

Too much moisture can cause the leaves to decay faster, so this is an important final step. After doing those four things, you can store your cilantro.

To Store Cilantro in Cold Water

With a sharp knife, trim off the very bottom brown bits of the cilantro stems. Fill a glass mason jar, water glass or quart container with an inch of cold, clean water. Then, place your cilantro upright, stem-side down into the water.

If the container has a lid and you can easily fold the leaves under the lid, do so. If not, put a loose-fitting plastic bag (it can be a produce bag or a Ziploc) over the jar to create an air-tight seal. It's important not to crush the leaves, so if a lid doesn't easily fit on the container, opt for a plastic bag.

Store the container of upright cilantro in the fridge, ideally on a middle or lower shelf away from the refrigerator light. This method can keep cilantro fresh for up to 10 days. The one major downside is that it takes up a lot of vertical space and can be easy to accidentally knock over.

To Store Cilantro in Damp Paper Towels

After washing and drying cilantro, lay out of the bunch on top of 2 or 3 cool, damp paper towels. Then, tightly roll the bunch of cilantro in the paper towels to create a cylindrical roll with the paper towels on the outside and the cilantro inside.

Make sure all the leaves and stems are covered by the paper towels. Also ensure that the paper towels are damp, not wet, as too much moisture can cause the leaves to decay quicker. If the towels are starting to tear because of the moisture, they're too wet.

Finally, take your roll of cilantro and refrigerate it in a sealed Ziploc bag or airtight container. Again, try to store it away from the fridge light and without anything on top of it.

Should You Wash Fresh Cilantro Before Storing?

Yes. Washing bunches of cilantro before storing is an important step. Between shipping it from the producer and storing it at the grocery store, that bunch of cilantro likely has been handled a lot and gathered some bacteria and/or dirt.

A quick rinse under cold water can remove some of that debris and keep it fresher longer. Just be sure to get the cilantro dry before refrigerating it.

How Long Does a Cilantro Plant Last?

Of course, an alternative method to buying bunches of cilantro is to grow your own! Cilantro right from the plant will definitely taste better than any you buy from the store.

The trouble is that cilantro is not a very long-lived plant. Typically, a cilantro plant goes to seed and stops producing edible leaves after 6-7 weeks.

If you buy a cilantro plant to store inside, try to keep it in a pot with good drainage and in a high-quality potting soil. The soil should always feel moist, which means you may need to water every other day or so.

Cilantro plants do best in a moderately warm environment, between 55F and 75F (13C to 24C) with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. A sunny windowsill is usually a good spot for your plant.

These plants also do well under a grow light, which is a good option for winter growing. Cilantro is very heat sensitive: any lasting exposure to temperatures above 85F (30C) will cause the plant to bolt. Once the cilantro plant starts to flower and produce seeds, the flavor quickly starts to fade and it's time for a new plant.

How Long Does Chopped Cilantro Last?

Like any herb, chopped cilantro does not last nearly as long as the whole herb. When you chop herbs, the slices expose the insides of the leaves to more oxygen, making them oxidize (turn brown) quicker.

Chopped cilantro lasts for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You'll know the cilantro is still good when it's dry, bright green and has its distinctive flowery smell. Chopped cilantro has gone bad when it's dark brown, wet, slimy, or has an off odor.

Even if chopped cilantro has not gone bad yet, the flavor of cilantro begins to degrade as soon as you cut it, so if you can, it's always best to cut cilantro right before you need to use it.

To help the cilantro last for the whole three days, be sure the cilantro is dry when you chop it. After chopping, store it in an airtight container with a damp paper towel folded under the lid.

Alternative Ways to Preserve Cilantro

If you want to cook with cilantro all year round, or simply have too much cilantro on hand to use all at once, here are some longer-term methods to preserve cilantro beyond the 10 days or so it will last in the fridge.

Drying Cilantro

To dry cilantro, take the leaves off the stems and lay the leaves onto a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Bake the leaves in a low oven, about 250F for 25 to 30 minutes or until they're dry and crumbly.

Let the leaves cool, then store in an airtight container. Dried cilantro will last indefinitely and is useful in both dry and cooked recipes.

Frozen Cilantro Puree

To make a cilantro puree, wash a bunch of cilantro and then prepare a pot of boiling water and a large bowl of ice water.

You then blanch the cilantro by putting the bunch into the boiling water for 15 to 20 seconds, fishing it out, and then immediately plunging it into the ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve the color.

You can then blend the blanched cilantro in a blender or food processor with a touch of water or olive oil to make a smooth puree.

Freeze the puree in ice cubes or small containers for up to 6 months and add it to soups, stews, sauces, rice or other cooked dishes. The blanching does take a little of the flavor away but is the best way to keep frozen cilantro bright green.