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Sunday, October 10, 2010

My Mother is a Genius!

She told me how she stores her cilantro in the fridge to get it to last more than a few days.  I finally tried it, even though previously I always thought it was too much commotion.  My cilantro lasted for over four weeks without getting slimy and turning brown! If you are like me, you've probably read this before but blew it off but I promise it is worth the effort.  It is so nice now that I make my own salsa every week to know that my cilantro will be fit to use whenever I need it. 

Here is what you do.  Unbind and wash the cilantro.  Trim the bottom off the stems.  Fill a glass with about an inch of water in the bottom.  Put the cilantro in and cover it with the plastic bag from the grocery store.  Store in the fridge until needed.  Whenever you use some cilantro change the water in the glass.  If the inside of the bag gets too wet, stuff a paper towel in the top of the bag before you put it back over the cilantro.  That's it.

And here is my Salsa recipe.

Fresh Salsa

All measurements are approximate as I don't actually measure anything.  I just throw it in.

3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 jalapeno, coarsely sliced with seeds in 
1/2 medium white onion coarsly chopped
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar or lime juice

Add garlic and salt and pepper to food processor and pulse until garlic is finely minced.  Add jalapeno and onion and process until as coarse or fine as you like.  Add tomato and cilantro and process to desired coarseness.  Add tomato juice and vinegar or lime juice and pulse to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Makes 6 cups 

Some weeks I make it with the red wine vinegar, some with the lime juice.  It gives it a different flavor.  Some weeks it is spicier than others depending on the size and spiciness of the jalapeno.

Enjoy,
Jenn

1 comment:

  1. Thanks so much for posting this Jenn and thanks to your mom. I love cilantro and homemade salsa and I hate how quickly it goes bad in my fridge. Any idea how this works on other fresh herbs?

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