I have purchased dried cilantro and you are right, the flavor is just not there. Fresh is so much better.

This is especially true for commercially dried versions because convection is generally used to dry them faster. The reason is because the essential oils in those herbs evaporate easily through heat or convection.

Whatever I have left over from fresh I will tie into a bunch and hang them stem side up in a cool, dry, and dark place. After a few days they will dry and you can store them in a sealed container in a dark, cool place. They still won't be as good as fresh, but they will be better than commercial versions. Another one of my favorite ways to store them is chopping them in a blender with olive oil and making herb oil which is great in salads. I've heard you can also freeze them, but I've never tried it.

Chopping it up, putting it in an ice cube tray, and freezing. That works well enough to use in cooking, not good for fresh uses.

Thanks, and HNY.

I usually use it for items that are going to be cooked along with fresh food. For fresh salads tho', need the real thing.

I have heard that people with access to liquid nitrogen get pretty good result by "flash freezing" and then keeping in the freezer as normal.

You can grow cilantro in the winter in the south; it will not work after it warms up, bolts to flower and loses it's flavor.