• about us
  • Books
  • Merchandise

cabinorganic

~ For people who are passionate about respecting the earth, walking in nature, observing wildlife, local diet, making do, repurposing, organic gardening, foraging for wild plants and fungi, natural health, scrumptious healthy cooking, renovations, DIY, crafting, raising children simply and mindfully, taking time for stillness, and living in harmony with the seasons.

cabinorganic

Tag Archives: coriander

harvesting coriander seed for the kitchen

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in cook, garden

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cilantro, coriander, coriander seeds, Coriandrum sativum, dried cilantro, harvest, spice, tea

I have always grown cilantro in my garden but have never harvested the seeds until this year. Two weeks ago, I cut all of the seed heads off of the plants in the garden and placed them in a large brown paper bag. Then I hung the bag in a cool, dark place and allowed the seeds to dry out even further. Today, I found a sunny spot on the dining room floor and spent an hour gently rubbing all of the seed heads to release the fragrant brown little seeds into a basket. Finally, I removed the remaining stems and put the seeds in a glass jar. I will use these all year in my Asian and Indian dishes as well as in some medicinal teas to enhance digestion.

Coriander seeds come from cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), a hardy annual native to southern Europe and western Asia. This popular herb has lobed dark green leaves, which tend to become more finely divided as the stems elongate and form flowers. Also known as ‘Chinese parsley’, all parts of this plant can be used. The leaves have a very distinct oily or soapy smell and in my experience people either really love it or strongly dislike it.

Coriander is one of the world’s oldest herbs. Seeds were found in ancient Egyptian tombs and though introduced to China in about AD600, coriander is still known as hu, ‘foreign’. It is also mentioned several times in the Old Testament and is included among bitter Passover herbs. ~Brown

Cilantro’s tiny flowers eventually form spherical brown seeds, called coriander. The seeds smell sweet and almost citrus (lemon-orange) when ripe (and more so when roasted). Coriander is closely related to caraway, fennel, dill and anise. Harvest the seeds as soon as they harden and turn brown in late summer. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. The dried seeds keep for about a year.

Medicinal Uses:

The essential oil extracted from the seeds is used in flavoring, in the making of perfumes and medicinally. Here are some of the medicinal benefits to incorporating coriander in your diet:

• anti-rheumatic and eases joint pains

• promotes digestion and relives indigestion and gas

• reduces abdominal swelling

• reduce fever

• aids colds

• induces perspiration

• seed extracts are added to laxatives

• as an ingredient of gripe water for babies

• chew the seeds to neutralize the smell of garlic

Put 1 tablespoon of just-roasted freshly ground coriander seeds with two pieces of dried orange peel, three slices of fresh ginger and three cups of water into a pot. Boil for five minutes then allow to steep for an additional ten minutes. Strain into teacups. Add honey if you like your tea sweet. This soothing tea is perfect when enjoyed after dinner as it aids digestion.

Culinary Uses:

Coriander seeds are more flavorful if you roast them just before grinding in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. According to Fortin, “Whole or ground coriander add flavor to a wide range of foods, including seafood, fish, rice, meats, omelets, potatoes, cheeses, curries, marinades, chutneys, cookies, cakes and gingerbread. They go well with parsley, lemon and ginger, and are included in curry powder and garam masala (essential spice mixture in Indian cuisine). Coriander is used to make balm water and liquors such as Chartreuse and Izarra, and is an ingredient of inferior-quality cocoa (1996: p. 490).”

Coriander seeds go very well with apples. Try the freshly roasted crushed seeds in the topping for apple crumble to give an age-old dessert new life. ~Brown

For generations, British children have been rewarded with “comfits”. These sugar-coated pink or white candies withstood sucking for a long time. When the sugar coating was gone, what remained in the middle was a coriander seed. Coriander seeds is also found in the middle of jaw breakers. ~Lois Hole

One of my nosy neighbors peeking in to see what I was up to today…

Resources:

Brown, D. (2001). Herbal: The Essential Guide to Herbs for Living. Pavilion Books: London.

Creasy, R. (2000). The Edible Asian Garden. Periplus Enterprises Ltd.: Boston, MA.

Fortin, J. (1996). The Visual Food Encyclopedia. Les Editions: Quebec.

Hole, L. (2000). Herbs & Edible Flowers: Gardening for the Kitchen. Hole’s: St. Alberta, Alberta.

Lu, H. C. (1996). The Chinese System of Using Foods to Stay Young. Sterling Publishing: New York.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Shop our Online Store

cabinorganic logo

Visit our Youtube Channels

Visit our other blogs

Delena Rose

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

RSS Links

RSS Feed RSS - Posts

RSS Feed RSS - Comments

categories

  • Alberta Mycological Society (1)
  • appreciate the seasons (48)
    • Autumn (3)
    • Easter (1)
    • Halloween (1)
    • winter fun (1)
  • art (3)
    • book making (1)
    • pottery (1)
  • babe and child (1)
  • barn (1)
  • be mindful (4)
  • bellybabechild (5)
  • birds (3)
  • butterflies (1)
  • buy local (13)
  • cabin living (26)
  • Chayton (4)
  • chickens (7)
  • chocolate-making (1)
  • cook (156)
    • ancient grains (3)
    • breads (4)
    • breakfast (1)
    • cakes and brownies (1)
    • cheese (3)
    • Chinese (1)
    • cookies (2)
    • curry (2)
    • gluten-free (2)
    • Jamaican (1)
    • Mexican (2)
    • muffins (2)
    • oil & vinegar (1)
    • pastry (1)
    • preserve (17)
    • rice (1)
    • salads (1)
    • vegetables (1)
    • wheat-free (2)
    • whole grains (21)
  • Devonian Botanical Garden (2)
  • DIY (1)
  • drum (2)
  • eco-living (6)
  • explore (5)
  • family (2)
  • for the body (2)
    • Wizard Lake Soap & Body (1)
  • forage (25)
  • garden (20)
    • bird butterfly bee (1)
    • greenhouse (1)
    • herb & tea (1)
    • medicine wheel (2)
  • handmade (24)
    • bent wood furniture (1)
    • books (1)
    • labels (1)
  • healing (3)
  • Indian (1)
  • Indigenous teachings (1)
  • juice (3)
  • kids (1)
  • lake living (4)
  • local events (2)
  • Lucy (10)
  • make it (14)
    • knit (3)
  • mindfulness (4)
  • more about us (9)
  • Mother's Day (1)
  • mushrooms & fungi (3)
  • Native flute (1)
  • online store (1)
  • photography (1)
  • Pigeon Lake (17)
  • play (4)
  • raw foods (2)
  • read (6)
  • refinish (4)
  • reflections (3)
  • repurpose (7)
  • restaurants (1)
  • restore (10)
  • reuse (5)
    • thrift store finds (1)
  • seeds and nuts (1)
  • sweets (3)
  • tea (9)
    • Dragonfly Lane Teas (1)
  • thrift store finds (1)
  • Uncategorized (1)
  • wild berries (21)
  • wild flowers (6)
  • wild life (2)
  • wild mushrooms (2)
  • wild plant (2)
  • wild women (5)
  • Winter Solstice (1)
  • Worms (1)
  • write (3)

archives

  • May 2022 (1)
  • March 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (3)
  • December 2021 (2)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (3)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • April 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (3)
  • November 2014 (3)
  • July 2014 (1)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (3)
  • February 2014 (2)
  • January 2014 (2)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • November 2013 (5)
  • October 2013 (4)
  • September 2013 (10)
  • August 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (1)
  • April 2013 (2)
  • March 2013 (5)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (5)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (5)
  • October 2012 (6)
  • September 2012 (8)
  • August 2012 (6)
  • July 2012 (8)
  • June 2012 (9)
  • May 2012 (19)
  • April 2012 (18)
  • March 2012 (15)
  • February 2012 (17)
  • January 2012 (19)
  • December 2011 (20)
  • November 2011 (18)
  • October 2011 (17)
  • September 2011 (22)
  • August 2011 (27)
  • July 2011 (9)

food for thought

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” ~Michael Pollan

Blogroll

  • Alberta Lamb Producers
  • Alberta Mycological Society
  • Alberta Plant Watch
  • Arctic Chalet
  • Aroma Borealis
  • Baking Beauties
  • Becoming Minimalist
  • Blue Heron Artists and Artisans
  • blue roof cabin
  • Bulk Herb Store
  • Cedar Spirit Flutes
  • Chris Martenson
  • Daily Health Boost
  • delightfullysimple
  • Devonian Botanical Garden
  • ECOcafe
  • Elm Cafe
  • Etsy
  • Gold Forest Farms
  • Grainworks
  • Happy Wrap
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • Michael Pollan
  • Mindsprings
  • Mother Earth News
  • Mountain Rose Herbs
  • My Repurposed Life
  • Noorish
  • Northern Alberta Society for Animal Protection
  • Pigeon Lake Nordic Ski Club
  • Pigeon Lake Provincial Park
  • Rundle Mission
  • Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center
  • TED
  • The Spirit Books
  • The Story of Stuff
  • The Village at Pigeon Lake

ECOcafe

Blog Stats

  • 308,269 hits

  • Follow Following
    • cabinorganic
    • Join 194 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • cabinorganic
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: