06/01/2026
After many harvests from my cilantro patch, the summer heat finally caused the plants to bolt and go to seed. Cilantro isn't a fan of the heat and thrives in cool weather, so once temperatures rise, it naturally shifts its energy from producing leaves to producing seeds, what we know as coriander.
While coriander is usually harvested when the seeds have fully dried and turned tan, I harvested mine while they were still green and was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of seeds the plants produced. Green coriander seeds have a bright, citrusy flavor that's completely different from the warm, earthy spice we're familiar with from dried coriander.
Removing all those tiny seeds from the stems was definitely a labor of love and a surprisingly tedious job, but the reward was worth it. Now I have a beautiful harvest to freeze and enjoy in cooking, where they add a fresh burst of flavor to salsas, marinades, curries, pickles, and vegetable dishes. It's a wonderful reminder that even when a cilantro plant reaches the end of its life cycle, it still has one more delicious gift to give.
