# Snipping Vs. Cutting Cilantro
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Description
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This tender, tangy herb has narrow, fleshy stems and delicate, medium-green leaves with lacy edges. Its names include Mexican parsley, Chinese parsley, dhania, koyendoro, pak chee and yuen-sai. It has a slightly sour, zesty flavor that complements many styles of cuisine. Cilantro will grow indoors or outdoors. Cilantro tends to bolt, meaning that it will become rangy and go to seed quickly, so timely cutting is part of making the most of the herb's potential.
Snipping
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Snipping can refer to harvesting or preparing cilantro for use in food. Snipping cilantro from the plant means clipping the tops of stems individually with a garden shears. Clip the top two or more leaves when the stems reach 3 to 4 inches tall. Growing cilantro in a shallow pot or bowl that's at least a foot and a half in diameter makes it convenient to turn the container and harvest one section of the fresh herbs at a time to create a steady supply. In cooking, snipping refers to cutting cilantro with cooking scissors to create a fine texture, such as to sprinkle over an entree, mix into eggs or use in a sauce.
Cutting
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Bunches of cilantro such as those sold in markets result from cutting all the cilantro stems a similar length, such as 6 to 8 inches long. This method of harvest works well for recipes, such as salsa, that call for a generous amount of the herb. A bunch of cilantro with stems that are as long as possible is convenient to store in the fridge for ongoing use. Sharp garden shears or a knife create clean cuts that allow the stems to take in water after cutting. Avoid using a scissors or dull implement as these will crush the stems.
Considerations
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Harvest cilantro in the morning. During the day the plant can become dehydrated. Store cut cilantro in a container of water with a plastic bag over it. A produce bag or zippered bag over a wide-mouthed jar works well. Put the stems in water as soon as you cut them. Young cilantro stems that are thin and flexible may be snipped in tiny pieces along with the leaves for food use. If you cut mature cilantro, strip the leaves and discard the stems. Mature stems can be bitter.
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