Green Coriander Seeds

During the hot summer months, cilantro doesn't stay leafy and lush, it bolts to seed which means that it's life cycle is extremely fast and the plant goes from leafy to seedy real quick. The exciting part about this? You can harvest those seeds, also known as, coriander. 

At the grocery store you will find coriander either whole or in powder form created from the dried seeds. What you will have a hard time finding (except for at a few select farmers markets) is green coriander seeds - fresh off the cilantro plant. 

Here's how to do it:

1. Let your cilantro plant flower (they will be cute little white buds).

2. Once the flowers fall off, little seeds will appear. Leave them until they are large and light green (the larger they are, the more sweet and fragrant they will be)

3. Pick the seeds. Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Note: If you can't use them all fresh, go ahead and leave them out to dry until they are dark brown and then store in a cool place with your other dried spices. 

They taste like a cross between dried coriander and fresh cilantro with a slight citrusy note- really delicious if you are a cilantro fan! You can sprinkle them in salads, add them to a pickle brine,  use for aromatics in a marinade, or to garnish just about anything else.  

Happy harvesting!!