Culantro Failure

Failure times two.  I had 2 culantro plants going at the same time and neither one made it.   They were both in pots which is where I typically grow all of our herbs. Herbs tend to be invasive so I don't let them loose in the raised beds.   Both of the plants immediately went to seed when I potted them and then they stayed in a perpetual state of seeding until they turned black and dried up.

One of these plants was rescued from a neighbors pathway! I can't believe that I killed something that literally was walked on repeatedly.  My basil and oregano that are also in pots are still alive and doing well, so I'm concluding the culantro just doesn't like to be contained.  Next time I'll plop it into the main bed since it didn't seem to be aggressive.

Culantro After Some Chilly Nights

The culantro plants that made it through the frost OK, did not make it through the chilly nights so well. We recently had a string of nights in the 40s and I never once thought that any of the plants were in danger.  Note to self - bring in the culantro next time it goes below 50.  

Though these fellas look pretty beat up, I think they'll make it, at least the big one will. I clipped off the damaged leaves and gave them a little water. The bigger one cleaned up just fine, jury's still out on the little one.

Culantro AKA Recao

Close up of the seed pod

A few long leaves  with stems going to seed

Meet my culantro plant, he also likes to be called recao. I never heard of this guy until I came to Florida where I started to eat and make foods with Puerto Rican flavors. The scent and flavor are like a strong cilantro. To me, they are very similar but clearly not the same plant. Cilantro has delicate little fan shaped leaves similar to parsley. Culantro has long, serrated leaves and it's more hardy.

Though the flavors are nearly the same, I use culantro and cilantro in different ways. Because cilantro has delicate leaves, it's good in tacos, salsa and guacamole.  I like culantro in my sofrito and beans since the tougher leaves get well chopped in the food processor. It's also excellent in Vietnamese noodle soup, where you would break the leaves and let it steep in  the broth. So yum!

These pics on top and down below are of 2 different plants. I bought the one on top from the flea market and the other is rescued from a neighbors lawn. He had some growing on the side of the house that wandered into a pathway. We dug it up and put it in a pot so it wouldn't get trampled. They're definitely at different stages, which is cool to watch. The flea market one is tiny and has gone almost straight to seed. The rescued one is much larger and ready for harvest. I'm not sure how to store it, so I'm just letting it grow right now and pick off a few leaves as i need it.

close up of a mature culantro leaf

Adult culantro herb plant