SC - Fwd: Cooking Help

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Olwen the Odd wrote:
> 
> I'm forwarding this along to the list for input.  Anyone?
> Thanks,
> Olwen
> 
> >From: JulianaHir at aol.com
> >Subject: Cooking Help
> >Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 06:26:03 EST
> >
> >Greetings Everyone,
> >I have a simple question (hopefully, it has a simple answer).  How do I
> >make
> >juice by crushing fresh leaves (corriander/cilantro)?  Do I use a food
> >processor or add water or what?
> >Thanks for any help,
> >Juliana

This would depend on how much juice you need, and what you're using it
for; I used to have to make, and use, a quart of parsley juice daily. I
would think if it's for seasoning purposes, you wouldn't want to add
water, but then you wouldn't get all that much except from a pretty
enormous amount of cilantro, even though it's fairly high in water content.

Yes, you could puree it in a food processor or blender with just a bit
of water, then strain. If you're using it for a sauce where the
appearance matters, you could blanch the cilantro for just a second or
two in salted boiling water, then drain and immediately plunge into ice
water, then when cold drain well and do the puree thing. 

Alternately, if you just want a powerfully-cilantro-flavored juice, and
don't care what it looks like (as it will blacken like mint, etc.), chop
very finely either by hand or in a food processor, then place in the
center of a kitchen towel, wrap up like a drawstring bag, then twist
until the shrinking cloth exerts enough pressure to release the juice.
You won't get a lot, but it will taste the best out of the methods I've
described. You'll also probably have a permanent stain on your towel,
but then that can become your cilantro-squeezing towel; I have several
of those, mostly from parsley.

Hope this helps... 

Adamantius/Phil
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com