Most modern housewives refusepreserve foods with added salt or sugar and try to freeze foods. Moreover, freezing mushrooms, vegetables, berries or fruits is considered the easiest way to prepare for future use. No exception and greens, which we so lack in the cold months of the year.
However, is it possible to freeze sorrel - an earlyvegetable culture? After all, the fresh and juicy leaves of this plant are quite fragile and tender. They require careful handling and do not like exposure to cold. How do they behave after long-term storage at low temperatures?
Keeping useful
As you know, in the leaves of this green plantcontains a large amount of oxalic acid, organic substances and vitamins. Traditional medicine describes sorrel as a fortifying agent that helps normalize the digestive process, and recommends its use all year round. Therefore, many people ask themselves the questions: “Is it possible to freeze fresh sorrel? Will all its beneficial properties be preserved? ”
In fact, beneficial trace elements are completelysaved in properly prepared leaves. Low temperatures will not affect the change in the composition of the plant and its taste properties. When carrying out the right technological process of preparing leaves and their adequate storage, you can enjoy dishes from fresh sorrel all year round.
Is it possible to freeze leaves: technology of preparation
Как только не замораживают щавель хозяйки!It is cut and laid out in bags in fresh or blanched form, placed in different containers and containers, sprinkled with salt or sugar, twisted and frozen leaves completely. However, whatever method of freezing is chosen, there are certain rules for preparing fresh leaves.
- First, the sorrel is carefully picked and separated inflorescences, faded leaves and sprouts of other plants.
- Secondly, the grass cleared of impurity carefullywashed To do this, the sorrel is soaked in a shallow container so that lumps of earth and dust settle at the bottom of the dish. If the dirt remains on the leaves at the preparatory stage, after defrosting the product, it will not be possible to get rid of it, but the cooked dish will be spoiled.
- Third, after thoroughly washing the water from the leavesmust be completely removed. For this, the prepared grass is left for some time in a colander, and then laid out in a thin layer on a towel and dried a little.
Is it possible to freeze sorrel in the freezerthe camera if some of the water has not evaporated from the leaves? The answer is quite simple: as a result of defrosting wet grass, you can get unappetizing watery mass. Undoubtedly, this may affect the appearance of the cooked dish.
Ways of preservation in the freezer
In people who first encountered suchthe procedure, not knowing how best to freeze the leaves of sorrel, whether it can be done without much effort and how to get a good product at the same time, the problem of optimal preservation may appear - too many freezing options exist today. Someone is laying whole leaves in the freezer, and someone is chopping the grass with a knife or using a meat grinder, a blender and other devices. Some use regular cellophane bags, and some use special containers, jars or ice packs.
We cut, we blanch and we store
Many hostesses after carrying out the standardprocedures for preparing fresh leaves chop them with a sharp knife. Usually, sorrel is cut across in small strips, and if necessary, if the sheet is large, it is cut along. Then the crushed mass is dipped for a few seconds in boiling water. Do not be afraid that after heat treatment, the plant will acquire a completely different color - a darker color does not affect the taste characteristics of the grass.
Now take some time to sorrelcool, unnecessary moisture is gone, and the leaves themselves are a bit dry. Then the resulting mass is laid out in plastic bags in small portions. By releasing excess air from the bag, the grass is tamped and evenly distributed.
Keep the sorrel entirely
Some lovers of all sorts of pies withthe sorrel store the prepared leaves of the grass entirely. However, this method of preparation has a clear drawback, which the owners of small freezers will probably notice - the bags with leaves take up quite a lot of space. In addition, frozen grass is difficult to cut, as the leaves begin to crumble strongly, and in the thawed form they have a completely unappetizing appearance.
Grind with a blender
Recently, more and more recipes are found inwhich greens are recommended to be frozen in special ice tins. Interestingly, with the help of such attributes, is it possible to freeze sorrel in the freezer? Guest housewives who have experienced this method of freezing, indicate that the pre-formed cubes are much easier and more convenient to use in the cooking process.
To prepare for long-term storagesimilar portioned briquettes, prepared sorrel must be crushed with a blender or a conventional meat grinder. The resulting puree is laid out in special molds, poured a small amount of cold boiled water and straightened in the freezer. When you need to add a sour seasoning to the soup, salad or make a filling for the pies, you do not need to get the whole batch of frozen food and otkovyrivat the necessary amount of it. It is enough to make simple manipulations - and the finished piece of crushed sorrel will instantly move into the prepared dish.
Fragrant ensemble
Is it possible to freeze sorrel for the winter along withother green herbs and seasonings? Sure you may. In the cold season, when our diet is sorely lacking in fresh vegetables and greens, a tasty and flavorful supplement will be very helpful. That is why many people are laying on long-term storage of not one plant culture, but immediately a mixture of different green leaves. A portion of the harvested ensemble of fresh herbs - onion, dill, parsley and sorrel - can be an excellent seasoning for various broths, soups, vegetable stews and salads.
In conclusion…
Here is the answer to the question:“Is it possible to freeze sorrel?” Now we know for sure that it is possible to enjoy the spring freshness of juicy grass all year round - it does not lose its taste characteristics. Using frozen seasoning, you can give the dish a unique taste and aroma. Moreover, this early green is very useful and partially compensates for the deficiency of trace elements necessary for the body.
However, it is worth noting that all good things shouldbe in moderation. This also applies to the use of sorrel. An excessive amount of oxalic acid present in the plant can adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract. Therefore, nutritionists recommend eating sorrel in your diet no more than 2-3 times a week.
