Sorrel for the winter: how to prepare fresh and tasty at home

Sorrel is considered a source of many micronutrients needed to strengthen the body in winter. The herb has a pleasant taste. Therefore, greens are used in various recipes. The main disadvantage is that the plant quickly loses micronutrients. In this regard, sorrel for the winter is harvested by freezing, drying or s alting.

Features of harvesting sorrel for the winter

The traditional way of preserving for the winter, which involves turning the cans over after spinning, does not help to preserve sorrel preparations. This is explained by the fact that the plant contains the acid of the same name, which corrodes the lids of containers.

At room temperature, greens begin to dry within 1-2 days. Therefore, it is necessary to make preparations for the winter immediately after harvesting the plant.

If it is not possible to immediately start conservation, a refrigerator helps to keep the plant at home. Pre-dried leaves placed in the vegetable compartment will remain usable for up to two weeks.

How to choose and prepare a product?

For preparations for the winter, it is recommended to collect sorrel in early May and until mid-July, in dry and sunny weather. During this period, the plant contains a minimum amount of acid harmful to the body. However, grass harvested at a later time (until September) is suitable for harvesting for the winter.

It is recommended to cut the plant carefully, trying not to damage the stem.Sorrel 4 cm long is suitable for conservation. For storage, it is recommended to take whole leaves without visible defects and traces of diseases. Plants that have turned yellow or have been eaten by insects should also not be collected.

After assembly, the leaves are washed in water (under running water or in a bowl). Dry the grass on a towel. If the sorrel is planned to be used later, then the plant must be placed in water.

S alting methods

You can harvest greens through conservation or freezing. S alting methods are considered traditional, thanks to which the grass retains its nutritional properties for a long time.

If one of the above methods is used, it is recommended that after adding sorrel to the dish, use 3 times less s alt. When adding spinach or dill to this preservation, the grass should be taken in equal proportions.

In own juice

For preservation for the winter, it is necessary to sterilize the containers. Greens are laid out in jars and rammed. Then the container is placed in a saucepan, where water is poured, and heated over low heat.

As it warms up, the grass will begin to release juice. During this period, the sorrel gradually settles, so you need to periodically lay the leaves so that the plant completely fills the glass container. As soon as the juice reaches the neck, the jar can be removed from the pan. Silicone lids are used for seaming.

When preparing greens for the winter according to this recipe, it is recommended to take containers with a volume of 250 or 500 milliliters. The advantage of this preservation method is that the product does not turn sour over time.

In brine

The product is tasty if brine is used for harvesting for the winter. For conservation use:

sorrel leaves (the quantity is determined by the volume of the workpiece);
teaspoon of s alt (calculated per 500ml jar);
boiling water.

To prepare a snack for the winter, the leaves are cut into strips and stacked (tamped) in 500-ml jars. S alt is poured into the container and boiling water is poured so that the water completely covers the plant. The jet should go strictly in the center of the can, without touching the walls.

At the end, the containers are rolled up and stored.

There is another recipe for cooking greens for the winter. In this case, a tablespoon of s alt and 100 milliliters of vinegar are used, and instead of boiling water, warm or cool water is used. The resulting blank is not suitable for people who cannot tolerate acidic foods.

As a vitamin puree

To prepare vitamin puree for the winter, 50 grams of s alt will be required for every kilogram of sorrel. The latter ensures the safety of the product.

The leaves are ground in a meat grinder (combine) and then mixed with s alt. The resulting mass is infused for one hour. Next, the puree is laid out in jars. Containers are recommended to be closed with tin lids.

If necessary, you can refuse s alt. The absence of this component will not significantly affect the taste of the finished product.

Cold s alting

There are two recipes for cold pickling for the winter. For the first, you will need a kilogram of sorrel and 30 grams of s alt. The ingredients are ground together and left for 30 minutes until the leaves give juice. After the allotted time, the resulting mixture is transferred to half-liter jars and closed with plastic lids.

For the second s alting recipe for the winter you will need:

kilogram leaves;
glass of water;
microwave;
2 cans of 500 ml.

This recipe is convenient because the preparation of the product is carried out without cooking the original ingredients.

The leaves are cut and placed on a plate. A glass of water is added to the mixture. The plate is placed for 4 minutes in a microwave oven, turned on at a power of 900 watts. After that, the ingredients are mixed and reheated. The third time the plate is placed in the microwave for one minute.

After this treatment, the leaves acquire a dark marsh hue. At the end, the sorrel is transferred to jars, tightly packed and rolled up for the winter.

Drying sorrel

Drying is carried out naturally (in the air) or in special equipment. The resulting product is used as a seasoning for various dishes. The plant, before starting the process, is recommended to be sorted out by removing rotten leaves, but not washed.

Natural

There are three ways to dry sorrel for the winter. For the first, it is necessary to tie the plant into loose bundles with a diameter of 5-7 centimeters, making sure that air passes freely between the leaves. The grass is hung out in a well-ventilated area or outside, in the shade, for 1-2 weeks.

During the specified period, it is recommended to stir the bundles periodically. This prevents the formation of mold.

The second option involves laying sorrel on sheets of paper or other dry surface with a layer up to 5 centimeters thick.The plant should be stored indoors or outdoors, away from sunlight. Leaves are turned over daily to ensure proper drying.

For the last option, you need to sort out and wash the collected grass. The latter is then cut into strips of medium length and laid out in a thin layer on a natural fabric or paper towels.

Expedited

To preserve sorrel, you can prepare the plant for the winter in an electric vegetable dryer. This process takes less time than the previous ones. Sorrel dried in this way changes the taste a little. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare a small batch of plants first. And if you like the taste of the product, you can start harvesting the remaining leaves.

Before you put the plants in the electric dryer, you need to thoroughly rinse the leaves, letting the water drain on its own. The hydration process takes place in the "Herbs" mode or at a temperature of 40 degrees. Drying for the winter in this way takes about 5-7 hours.

A similar effect can be obtained if you put the leaves on a baking sheet and put the latter in the oven. This option requires constant monitoring of the state of the plant.

Freezing methods

To achieve proper harvesting and freeze sorrel for the winter, you need to rinse the collected greens under water and leave to dry on a paper or cloth towel. The plant must remain moist, as the grass wilts quickly under the influence of the environment.

Whole leaves

Thanks to freezing in this way, sorrel stays fresh for a long time in the refrigerator, preserving not only taste, but also useful microelements. There are two options for preparing the product.

For the first method, you need to tie the leaves into small bunches. The bottom of the freezer or the board is wrapped with cling film. The beams are laid out on a prepared surface. After freezing, the plant is placed in storage containers and left for the winter.

The second way involves using both containers and packages. The leaves are also first tied into small bunches. Next, the plants are placed in containers. Parchment is laid out between the bundles.

Freezing crushed sorrel in separate bags and containers

Freezing this way allows you to immediately use the plant in winter, without wasting time cutting. Grass harvesting is carried out in several stages:

The leaves are washed, dried and finely chopped.
The resulting mass is distributed into portions and laid out in packages or containers.
The containers are placed in the quick freeze compartment.

The blank is stored in the freezer during the winter.

Freeze blanched sorrel

Freezing blanched greens is suitable for cases where the product is used later for pies. This limitation is explained by the fact that the grass is subjected to repeated processing. As a result, greens lose micronutrients.

Before freezing for the winter, the plant is cut into small pieces. Then the mass is laid out in a pan, where a small amount of water is added. Greens are cooked for several minutes over low heat. The product is ready to be frozen when the leaves become soft and the juice is released.