Saving coriander seed?

[leslieann]

Help, wise persons of the garden! I planted cilantro, loved it, and it was great this summer and now has set many many lovely seed pods. But I need to know when/how to harvest. I had some notion that they would turn brown and that would signal the time to grab them before the fell off the plant but they are still green and it is getting cooler, not to say cold, though there is a forecast for frost later this week.:help:

What to do? And while you are offering advice, what do you recommend for a gazillion green tomatoes? The tiny garden went in very late last spring due to circumstances beyond my control, so we've had four tomatoes but there are many that just need a few more weeks.....alas, here in the Maritimes, there are no more weeks to be had.

Thank you!

[puglogic]

Leslieann, cilantro seed has always been a little elusive to me, but I've had success just digging up a couple of the more seed-prolific plants, putting them in pots, and slowly letting them dry out in the garage. Sometimes I'll put them into a bucket so if any drop, I can retrieve them....you also bag the heads to catch the seed.

I'll have a lot of green tomatoes for the same reason you will, and I plan to wrap some in newspaper to slowly ripen, and also pull a couple of the more heavily-laden plants and hang them upside down in the garage. The fruits will slowly ripen and I can go to the garage to pick them. I also have garlic and onions curing out there.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yea I've harvested them although only one year, and then cooked with them. They turn brown and then you can pick the seed pods. I guess if it's already getting cold it may not happen. I kinda gave up on cilantro after that year for the opposite reason, the thing can't wait to bolt and go to seed! I've heard there are slow bolting varieties maybe that's what I needed. Although I was growing it in a container which probably didn't help any.

[leslieann]

Thanks so much, Pug and ANM....I'll get those plants out of the ground and into the basement soon. "Chance of frost" in the forecast for tonight but seems unlikely as it is cloudy and rainy, but who knows? Maybe I can get away with just covering the tomatoes tonight.

[Tussiemussies]

You can also make a green tomato relish and fried green tomatoes! Here is a URL for green tomato relish, which is canned. Not sure if you do canning or not?

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1836,137163-238205,00.html

[Tussiemussies]

Oh and there is also Green Tomato Pie, here is Paula Deen's recipe:


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-tomato-pie-recipe/index.html