The beginning of summer - the perfect time to prepare for winter greens, it is at this time a young and very flavorful. How best to preserve the beneficial properties of dill, parsley, cilantro and other herbs, dried or freeze?
Greeneryindispensable in the kitchen, it makes fragrant and rich first meal, adorns and complements the taste of meat. There are several proven ways to help you stock up for the winter vitamin supplements.
How to choose the "correct" the greens? Try to choose the green rich green color with a rich aroma and a young thin stems. Do not take podvyavshie beams and those who stood in the water, so the greens soggy and not suitable for drying or freezing.
How to prepare your greens?Herbs purchased should be rinsed immediately under running water and dried on paper towel to evaporate excess moisture. Dried herbs need to go through and remove the thick stems.
There are three main ways that will help to prepare for the winter herbs: drying, salting and freezing.
Drying. Washed and dried dill or parsley to join in small bundles and tie the thread. Delight is not too thick bundles of greens will be a very long time to dry and odor may appear in the middle. Hang the bunches on the rope leaves down. Greens should hang in a cool place in the draft, avoid sunlight, the sun destroys chlorophyllin and evaporated greens essential oils, it will turn yellow and is not as useful.
In the right conditions, dried herbs from a week to two, depending on temperature and climate. Once dry twigs easily are broken up in the hands, herbs can be removed. Dried herbs should be separated from the stems, crumble in his hands and clean with glass jar with a lid. Hranitee possible in a dark place for a year.
If there are no suitable conditions to dry herbs in the fresh air, do it in the oven. Drying is necessary at a temperature of 45-50 degrees, turning periodically, until dry.
Pickling.Dill pickle is very simple, and the washed-dried dill need to finely chop. Dill salted 1: 1, ie 1 kg of dill you need 1 kg of salt. Chopped dill well grind with salt and fold into clean, dry jars and close the lid. Keep jars of dill need in a cool place, in the refrigerator or cellar. Note that adding pickled fennel in a dish, it is not necessary to pre-salt!
Freeze.Freezing the washed and dried by branches need to finely chop and put in a container or zip-bag for freezing. Make sure that the greens were dry, otherwise it is in the process of freezing slipnetsya and will not be as loose. This way of harvesting the fastest, it allows you to keep fresh flavor, color and useful properties.
Alternatively you can freeze herbs in butter. Take dill, parsley, chives, finely grind and distribute vitamin mix into molds for ice, pour the melted butter and freeze. This is a great addition to the soup, mashed potatoes or spaghetti!
Think about the preparations for the winter in advance so that during the cold season to delight your family with tasty dishes vitamin.
Also be sure to ask about how to freeze strawberries and raspberries, to keep all the vitamins
