Unsung gems: Cilantro and Coriander

Cilantro is one of the first plants up in Spring and appropriate as the subject for our May article. They flower quickly, so you need to harvest the leaves as soon as they appear and enjoy their fresh flavor in foods right away.

Dried cilantro leaves are not as tasty, so to preserve that fresh taste, freeze them in ice cubes. Then, in the dead of winter, melt a cilantro ice cube into your favorite dish.

For those who don’t like the taste of cilantro, the seeds have a warm, subtle flavor. Known as coriander, the cilantro seed also has a greater nutritional impact and is used dried, so is easier to use in home remedies.

Stop cutting the flowers when you are done harvesting the leaves and let the plant go to seed. When the seeds appear, harvest by drawing your hand along the stem. Most of the seeds will be in your hand and others will fall to the ground, which will provide next year’s plants. After they go to seed, the plants are done, so pull them out and cover with mulch.

Topically, coriander helps boost collagen production with its high levels of vitamins A and C. I infuse coriander into jojoba oil and add it to my wrinkle reducer oil.

Coriander also has vitamin K, folate, potassium, and maanese which contribute to its anti-inflammatory and antioxident properties. Include it as part of a daily tincture* for system-wide benefits.

*See earlier articles on infusing oils and tinctures.

How to Deal with Bug Bites

The best thing you can do for a bee sting or mosquito bite is to grab a couple leaves of plantain, mush them up (some people chew them up), and apply it to the bite immediately. It takes away the pain and soothes the injury, helping it heal.

The problem is that we can’t find a plantain plant when we need it.

A plantain-infused oil is the next best thing. You can easily infuse plantain leaves into the oil of your choosing. Just stuff as much fresh plantain into a jar, fill it with the oil of your choice, and leave it for 2 weeks, shaking it every so often. If you are using dried plantain, fill the jar only halfway.

Where do you find plantain? It’s a common weed in the Midwest, often found in driveway or sidewalk cracks. Select leaves that are in good shape, and if the leaves are dirty (which they often are because the plant grows so close to the ground), wash them before you pick them and allow them to dry so that you don’t introduce water to the oil.

At Golden Age Wellness I mix plantain oil with yarrow liniment for our Stop the Sting bug bite formula. Yarrow is an herb that has been used for centuries to stop bleeding while it heals open skin. With yarrow included in the formula, Stop the Sting can be used as a general first aid ointment as well as a bug bite reliever. A splash of lavender essential oil enhances the antimicrobial action.

Stop the Sting is sold in a small bottle (10 ml) with a roller ball applicator, so you can take it with you on the go.