Harvesting fennel for the winter: cooking recipes and expiration dates

Fennel is an umbrella-shaped evergreen, unfairly rarely grown. Its properties have been known for a long time: fennel contains important trace elements and minerals. Harvesting fennel for the winter includes recipes that are chosen carefully. To preserve the taste and benefits, you need to be able to properly prepare it. The plant can be dried, s alted or pickled. For lovers of freshness, freezing fennel is used at any time of the year.

Features of the workpiece

Fennel harvesting is a process that requires theoretical knowledge. First of all, a plant variety is selected: there are 10 species and many specially bred varieties.Wild fennel contains poison, so it must be collected and harvested very carefully. It is easier to grow on your own plot, having decided on the bred variety:

Corvette - 60 cm tall, powerful branches and large fleshy roots. Takes about 120 days to fully mature, suitable for warmer areas.
Leader is an early ripe variety that differs from Corvette in height. The branches can reach 170 cm, a choice for those who are primarily interested in seeds and umbrellas. Suitable for cold latitudes.
Soprano - mid-season variety, about 115 days to mature. Combines 150 cm of branches and powerful onions. A versatile fennel variety on demand.

The main feature important for a person getting acquainted with the culture is the usefulness of each part of the plant. Bulbs, stems, and umbrellas with seeds on them are used as food. It is important to remember that the ripening time for these parts is different.

Collection and preparation of the main ingredient

The collection of stems and bulbs is carried out closer to late autumn. Fennel, with the exception of early-ripening varieties, ripens for a long time, gaining color and taste. Seeds are ready to be harvested between late August and early September.

The readiness for further use is indicated by the brown color appearing on the lower parts of the plant and ashen on the umbrellas. The color first appears on the upper parts of the stems and on the umbels. After a few days, the color appears on the bulbs.

Bulbs are used only in the second year after planting. The plant is perennial, the lower part is dug out only after the stem reaches a centimeter diameter. The gardener decides for himself what he grows fennel for, it depends on when the crop will be harvested and how it will be used in the future.

To prepare for harvesting, the stems and umbrellas are dried for several days in a dry, unventilated room. In order to avoid mold during drying, it is recommended to mix the prepared raw materials. Storage requires glass or other tightly sealed seed containers such as paper or cloth bags. Stems and bulbs are stored in the form of preservation. Umbrellas are an ingredient for s alting other fruits, giving a characteristic taste and aroma.

Fennel recipes for the winter

The variety of harvesting methods is explained by the versatility of the plant in use: from seasoning and medicine to snacks and independent dishes. Cooking for the winter allows you to enjoy fennel all year round.

Drying

The purpose of drying is to get fragrant greens that change the taste of many dishes. In order to get the best version of dried fennel, you need to follow a few rules:

You should take only soft, young and most tender leaves. Stems and umbrellas for drying are used less often. Leaves can be plucked during ripening all summer, thus collecting raw materials for drying.
Leaves are not recommended to be washed, depriving most of the aromatic properties. It is better to shake gently.
As with other crops, drying requires a dry and well-ventilated area. The wind allows the moisture released by the raw material to escape into the air. It is desirable that sunlight does not fall on the leaves, destroying the color pigment.
A universal sign that the leaves are sufficiently dried is the fragility of the raw material. If the leaves break at the slightest touch, then it's time to mash and store in airtight jars for later use.

The fennel obtained in this way is used for one year, further storage is impractical.

S alting

Used to preserve all useful properties. S alt is a natural preservative. The classic proportion for s alting: a kilogram of plant per glass of s alt. Greens should be washed, chopped and mixed with s alt. Then the mass is placed in jars with a tightly closed lid and stored in the refrigerator. In order to prevent mold from forming, it is appropriate to pour sunflower oil on top. The resulting film will deprive the mass of access to oxygen and prolong storage.

Fennel is used to make flavored oil and vinegar. To do this, the greens must be washed, cut and combined in a storage container with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar.Then 2 cloves of garlic and cloves are added there. The resulting product will add freshness and characteristic aroma of the plant to the first and second courses.

Marinating

Most often pickle the lower part - powerful tubers. The marinade recipe includes the root itself, olive oil, sugar, wine vinegar, mustard seeds, and s alt and pepper to taste.

Jars for storage are sterilized in the oven. The tubers are cut in a convenient way for consumption - in small cubes or as you like. Half a teaspoon of black pepper and the same amount of mustard are heated together in a frying pan until a characteristic aroma appears, then ground into powder in a mortar. Pour into the pot:

water;
half a cup of sugar;
3 tablespoons of butter;
1 glass of vinegar;
and spices.

The marinade is brought to a boil, then removed from the stove and evenly distributed over jars of chopped tubers. Banks are sterilized in a water bath and then closed with a lid. Best thing is to roll up the cans.

Can I freeze fennel

Yes, you can, using one of several methods. The greens are sorted out, small parts are selected, washed and frozen in a plastic bag, from which air is removed. Defrosting is best done in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature.

It is convenient to freeze fennel in food containers. Thus, the plant retains its appearance and is easier to get frozen.There is a liquid freezing method: the greens are frozen in ice cubes, which are then wrapped in foil. The result is a plant that looks like it has just been plucked from the garden.

Expiration date

Depending on tightness, the shelf life ranges from 9 months to 2 years. Pickled tubers keep the longest, provided that the sterilization of jars and products has been carried out correctly. S alting and drying are stored for no more than a year, losing useful and taste properties after this period. Frozen fennel is stored for several years at the right temperature, best of all - in frozen water.