How to prepare tarragon for the winter at home: drying and freezing, is it possible

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "tarragon" is lemonade. But it is also a useful plant that is common in cooking. Tarragon is especially popular in French and Oriental cuisine. Tarragon is also called tarragon. There are various ways to prepare tarragon grass for the winter.

When to start harvesting tarragon?

You can start harvesting a plant for the winter as early as June. The bushes grow rapidly, and as soon as the weather is warm outside, they actively increase the deciduous mass. You can cut stems for harvesting for the winter all summer until autumn. The most optimal time for harvesting raw materials is the period of plant budding.

In the first year after planting, it is recommended to cut the grass in August. In subsequent years, the period of collection of stems is delayed from April (in the southern regions) to October. It is best to cut the greens in the morning on a dry, warm day. The stems are cut 15 cm from the rhizome.

How to choose tarragon for harvesting?

The correct choice of raw materials for preparations for the winter depends on how long they will be stored. For harvesting, juicy stems are used without signs of damage. There should be no yellow and dry leaves, as well as traces of insects. Give preference to only he althy stems.

Damaged leaves should be thrown away immediately. You also need to pay attention to the fact that insects often lay eggs on tarragon. Therefore, you need to carefully examine the raw materials before starting to prepare blanks for the winter.

Methods of harvesting tarragon for the winter

There are many ways to store tarragon greens for the winter. It is not difficult to save blanks for cooking in winter. The main thing is to choose which method is most suitable and for what purpose the tarragon grass is harvested.

Drying

One of the easiest ways to prepare tarragon for the winter is to dry it. In home urban conditions, this is easiest to do. Drying tarragon for the winter is as follows:

Cut the tarragon stalks and inspect them so that there are no insect eggs on the back of the leaf.
Rinse stems thoroughly under running water.
Chop the leaves finely and spread a thin layer on the newspaper.
Dry out of sunlight in a cool and well ventilated area.
You need to collect the workpiece after the leaves are completely dry.

It is recommended to store seasoning in a glass jar. With this method, it will be possible to preserve all the useful properties and aroma of the spice.

Freeze

Another way to save tarragon for the winter is to freeze it fresh. Many spicy herbs are harvested this way for the winter. Preparing to freeze the spice will not take long.

As in the previous method, cut tarragon stalks are inspected and washed in cool water. Then the tarragon must be dried so that all the water evaporates. It won't take more than an hour. The main thing is not to forget about the spices, otherwise the leaves will become withered. After that, cut the tarragon and pack it in bags. Remove to freezer.

You need to store the spice for no more than a year. The sooner the blank is used, the better.

Syrup

An unusual way to prepare tarragon for winter is to make syrup from it. Cooking syrup is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. To prepare the syrup you will need:

300g fresh tarragon herb;
1L cold water;
3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
1 small spoonful of citric acid;
lemon.

In order to prepare the syrup, you need to wash the greens. The leaves are torn off the stems, and the branches themselves need to be cut. Lemon cut into circles. Place the workpiece in a saucepan and fill with water. Put in a water bath and cook the syrup for 1 hour over low heat.When the hour has passed, the syrup is filtered, and the cake is squeezed out.

Add sugar and citric acid. Put the syrup back on the fire. Cook until the liquid begins to thicken. Ready syrup is poured into glass jars. If the syrup is prepared for the winter, then it should be twisted and put into the basement.

Ready syrup is used to make lemonade. It is enough to dilute a few tablespoons of syrup in mineral water. It will turn out a delicious refreshing drink that will not contain harmful substances in its composition. Unlike store-bought lemonades.

Jam

And another way to prepare tarragon for the winter is to make jam from it. Making tarragon jam is simple, but the process will take a long time. Fresh tarragon greens are washed and cut with scissors. You need to crush it with your hands or a pusher so that the leaves give juice. Then the greens are poured into 1 liter of boiling water.

Cover the tarragon with a lid and remove for 8-12 hours in a warm place. The next day, pour 1 kg of sugar into the water, put the container with the future jam on the fire. It will take a long time to cook, at least two hours. If the jam does not thicken during cooking, no need to be upset. After a while, when it is ready, it will thicken by itself.