How to store coriander: fresh leaves, fridge and freezer

Each form of coriander keeps a different way, and mixing the methods up is where bunches die. Fresh coriander leaves like cold, dry air: wrap them in paper, not plastic, and keep them in the fridge at 0 to 5°C, the temperature the UK Food Standards Agency gives for chilled food, and the same cool end the Dietary Guidelines for Indians point to when they direct that perishable foods be refrigerated below 5°C. Use the leaves soon, because no printed keeping time exists for cut herbs; judge by how the leaves look and smell.

Whole dhania seeds are the easy form: dry and hard, they keep for many months in an airtight jar in a cool, dry cupboard. Ground coriander powder keeps the same way, with a shorter window of full aroma. Frozen leaves are for cooking, not for garnish. In the US the same leaves are called cilantro, and the naming split is covered on the coriander vs cilantro page.

The bunch keeps best when the leaves stay dry and the air around them moves. Start with clean, dry coriander: if you washed it, dry it well on a cloth first, because wet leaves rot fast. Wrap the bunch loosely in a dry paper towel or newspaper, put the parcel in the fridge at 0 to 5°C, and use the leaves soon.

Two details make the method work. Loose wrapping matters more than tight packing; the paper takes up the moisture that would otherwise pool on the leaves. And the fridge shelf is the right spot, not the door, which warms a little every time it opens. Check the bunch when you use it; leaves that have gone slimy or smell off get thrown out, and the rest get used the same day.

Hara dhaniya with its roots still on suits another method: stand the bunch in a small jar with a centimetre of water, cover the leaves loosely with a cloth, and keep the jar in the fridge, changing the water daily. It is the same idea as cut flowers in a vase.

Freezing is for coriander you will cook with, because thawed leaves lose their fresh bite. The UK Food Standards Agency's rules for freezing are to do it as soon as possible, at a freezer temperature around -18°C, and to defrost in the fridge, not on the counter. Use the defrosted leaves within 24 hours of full defrosting, in a curry, dal or chutney where a soft texture does not matter.

Two easy ways to freeze:

• Chopped and packed. Wash and dry the leaves well, chop them, and press the chop into an ice-cube tray or a small airtight box. Freeze solid, then tip the cubes into a bag. A cube of frozen coriander goes straight into a simmering dal.
• Whole leaves flat. Spread dry leaves in a single layer on a tray, freeze until firm, then pack them into a bag so they pour out like flakes.

Frozen dhania is for the pot, and it works because the flavour survives even when the crunch does not.

Dry coriander is a different problem: no rot, only fading. Whole seeds keep for many months in an airtight jar in a cool, dry cupboard away from the hob, and the jar is the whole trick; air and light are what dull the aroma. Buy or grind in amounts you will finish within a few months, and date the jar when you open it.

Coriander powder fades faster than whole seeds because grinding opens up the surface. The same airtight jar in the same cool, dry cupboard is the method; smell the powder before use, and if it has gone flat, it is time for a fresh pack. Keep the spoon dry, and never hold the open jar over a steaming pot. The sambar powder recipe is a good reason to keep a fresh jar of seeds on hand.

Every number below comes from the UK Food Standards Agency's chilling and freezing guidance, or is the plain observation of an Indian kitchen.

The fridge figure of 0 to 5°C and the freezer figure of around -18°C are the temperatures at which the guidance says chilled and frozen food should be kept. The defrosting rule is to defrost in the fridge and use the food within 24 hours of full defrosting. For the full picture on the seed itself, the coriander seeds hub has it.

Trust your eyes and nose; they are the whole test. Throw out leaves that are slimy, yellowed or smell off, and cut away any stems that have rotted at the base before using the rest. Damp is the enemy, so a bunch that went into the fridge wet will fail earlier than a dry one.

For dry spices, the sign of age is a flat smell where a warm, citrusy one used to be. Seeds and powder last a long time, but a faded spice is not worth the space in the pot. If the powder has clumped, moisture got in; use the clump-free part quickly or start fresh.

Can you freeze dhania?

Yes, for cooking. Wash and dry the leaves, then either chop them into an ice-cube tray or freeze whole leaves flat on a tray and bag them. Freeze as soon as possible after buying, and defrost in the fridge, using the leaves within 24 hours of full defrosting. Thawed dhania goes into dals and curries, not into garnish.

How to store dhania in the fridge?

Wrap a dry bunch loosely in a paper towel or newspaper and keep the parcel in the fridge at 0 to 5°C; the paper soaks up the moisture that makes leaves rot. With roots still on, stand the bunch in a small jar of water and cover the leaves with a cloth instead. Use the leaves soon.

How to store dhaniya in freezer?

Chop washed, dried leaves and press them into an ice-cube tray, or freeze whole leaves flat on a tray first and then bag them. Keep the freezer around -18°C, and defrost in the fridge rather than on the counter. The leaves are then for cooking: dals, curries and chutneys.

How to store coriander powder for long time?

In an airtight jar, in a cool, dry cupboard away from the hob, with a dry spoon every time. Ground coriander fades faster than whole seeds because grinding opens the surface, so buy or grind amounts you will finish within a few months, and smell the powder before each use.

How to store hara dhaniya?

Hara dhaniya means the fresh green leaves. Keep them dry, wrapped loosely in paper, in the fridge at 0 to 5°C, and use them soon; no printed figure exists for how long cut herbs keep, so judge by look and smell. A bunch with roots stands in a small jar of water in the fridge, with the water changed daily.

How long do coriander seeds last?

Whole coriander seeds keep for many months in an airtight jar in a cool, dry cupboard; that is an approximate, practical figure rather than a printed one. The aroma fades slowly, and when a crushed seed no longer smells warm and citrusy, it is time for a fresh jar.