<p>BTW, since this is a “beginner” Mexican thread, maybe we should start with clinatro. The stuff invariably is loaded with sand. There is only one way to really wash it.</p>
<p>Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Dump in the cilantro and swoosh it around with your hand. Let it stand for a minute, then lift the floating cilantro out from the top. Dump the bowl of water and accumulated sand than has settled to the bottom. Then repeat with a fresh bowl of water. </p>
<p>There is no other way to get the sand out. Just rinsing the bunch of cilantro under the faucet won’t do it. You’ll end up crunching on sand in whatever you’ve added the cilantro to.</p>