Sorrel has been known for its beneficial properties since the times of ancient Rome. Even then it was used both as a flavoring additive and as a medicine. In Russia, this useful plant was appreciated and began to be specially grown just a couple of centuries ago. Maybe our ancestors knew how to freeze sorrel, preserving it for a long time, but such information did not reach us. Modern housewives often practice this type of preparation. We will discuss in detail what you need to pay attention to when freezing sorrel in the article.
There are many different recipes in which healthy and tasty sorrel plays an important role.
The plant accumulates and releases vitamins and beneficial microelements from May to June. Since July, it is not recommended to eat it, because there is too much oxalic acid, and in high concentrations it can be harmful to health.
Sorrel leaves are added to various dishes, such as soups, salads or pies. The question arises: how to preserve the beneficial properties of greenery throughout the winter until the next harvest, if it can only be harvested until the beginning of July? There are several traditional methods: canning, drying and freezing. When drying and canning, some of the vitamins and microelements are destroyed, so we suggest paying special attention to freezing.
Freezing various berries, vegetables, fruits and herbs has recently become very popular, so good housewives try and come up with different options, choosing the most convenient ones.
How to keep sorrel fresh in the refrigerator?
There are many ways to preserve sorrel in the refrigerator while keeping the plant fresh. So, let's take a closer look at several options.
Method 1
To preserve not only the freshness of the greens, but also the beneficial substances, you must do the following:
- Rinse the sorrel thoroughly in cold water.
- Pat the leaves dry with a paper towel.
- Lay out the cloth on a flat surface and place the washed sorrel.
- Leave the greens for 20 minutes to allow all the remaining water to drain.
- Carefully collect the leaves, place in a glass jar and close the lid tightly.
- It is recommended to store the container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
This method will allow you to preserve fresh sorrel for 30 days. If freezing is necessary for longer storage, then you need to use other methods.
Method 2
- Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
- Leave on the counter for 15–20 minutes so that the greens dry out a little.
- Place it in a plastic bag, tie it and make small holes in the bag.
- Place the bag on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
This method helps preserve the freshness of sorrel for 2-3 weeks.
Method 3
Canned sorrel
- Place clean leaves in glass jars.
- Place the jars in an iron container filled with water.
- Place the container on low heat.
- Hold until the leaves sink to the bottom of the jar.
- Gradually add more leaves until the jar is completely full.
- Remove jars from heat.
- Cover with plastic lids.
- Place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
With this method, you can keep the leaves fresh, while the greens are obtained in their own juice. To prepare it, you do not need to process the sorrel or add any additional ingredients.
Freezing methods
There are several ways to freeze sorrel for the winter in the freezer.
Whole leaves
A product frozen in this way remains as fresh as possible and retains the greatest number of useful properties, but the preparation takes up a lot of space and will be convenient primarily for those who have a separate freezer or chest.
Leaves should be divided into small, single-use bundles. Young thin petioles do not need to be cut off. Each bunch is wrapped in cling film or laid out on a flat surface and placed in the freezer. After some time, they can be transferred to bags or containers.
Stems that are too long, thick or coarse should be trimmed first.
Chopped greens
To begin with, the petioles of washed and dried fresh leaves are cut off, which can later be crushed in a blender and frozen in the form of a puree. Then the green mass is chopped with a knife or cut with kitchen scissors. The crushed product is placed in bags or containers. When packaging, the raw materials are compacted quite tightly and they try to squeeze the air out of the packaging in order to save space and avoid withering. It is better to freeze chopped greens in compact portions, so that there is enough for one or two times. If you spread it out in large volumes, then when you frequently open the bag or container with the preparation, the color of the crushed leaves will change, darkening and becoming less appetizing, although this will not affect the taste and healthiness.
Many housewives consider special tight bags with a zipper to be the most convenient container for storing herbs.
In some cases, crushed sorrel leaves are frozen in the form of small briquettes, which are convenient to add to soup or borscht, or to use for making sauces. To do this, chopped greens are distributed into ice or baking molds (as in the photo), poured with a small amount of drinking water and placed in the freezer. The frozen cubes are then transferred to a bag or container to save space in the freezer.
To enhance the flavor, meat or vegetable broth is a good choice.
According to reviews, many housewives prefer to freeze sorrel with butter. This method is convenient for further use in preparing pies, omelettes, purees, etc.
Step by step recipe:
- Remove the butter from the refrigerator in advance so that it becomes soft (no need to melt it).
- Finely chop the washed and dried leaves or cut them with scissors.
- In a container of sufficient volume, mix softened butter with finely chopped herbs.
- Distribute the resulting mass into molds (it is better to use silicone ones) or form a sausage and wrap it in cling film.
As a puree
This method is based on the principles of waste-free processing, as it allows you to use all the “substandard” greens and petioles left after other types of harvesting.
The washed and dried raw materials are crushed in a blender to a homogeneous puree. If the leaves are not too juicy, you can add a little water or vegetable oil. The finished mass is laid out in small portions in plastic or silicone molds (for ice, sweets, cupcakes), and then sent to the freezer. After complete freezing, the briquettes are transferred to a common bag or plastic container.
The semi-finished product in the form of a homogeneous mass is excellent for adding to puree soups, smoothies, sauces
With any freezing method, you can safely add other herbs to the sorrel, for example, dill, parsley, basil, onions - whoever likes what you like best.
Is it possible to freeze sorrel in the freezer?
Of course, you can freeze sorrel in the freezer. However, for this it is necessary to prepare preparations. And then, you will be able to preserve healthy and fresh greens for a long time. In order for sorrel to retain its appearance and beneficial properties, you must follow the rules for preparing for freezing. Sorrel is prepared in different ways. The easiest way is freezing. Some housewives boil the greens before freezing, others blanch, and still others use whole leaves.
How and when to defrost food correctly
Any semi-finished vegetable products should be defrosted in the refrigerator. At low temperatures (slightly above zero), products retain a maximum of vitamins, characteristic taste, color, and lose less juice.
Options for canning and freezing sorrel
Complete thawing is required when using sorrel preparations in desserts, fillings, cold soups, and sauces. When adding hot borscht, cabbage soup, or sauces, you do not need to defrost anything. We immediately take it out and put it in boiling water. We don't cook for a long time. Plant fibers have already become much softer. In most cases, the dish is only allowed to boil, then brew.
There is also no need to defrost leafy vegetables for smoothies. It is only important to use a powerful food processor or blender. Weak household appliances may not be able to cope with the ice lump; let the semi-finished product melt slightly.
Shelf life
This plant should be stored in the freezer for no more than 3 years. Further period depends on storage conditions:
- refrigerator – 10-12 months;
- dark, cool place – up to 8 months.
If greens are stored at room conditions, then humidity conditions must be observed. The optimal figure is 60-70%. To achieve this parameter, you need to thoroughly ventilate the room.
Sunlight can also lead to the loss of beneficial properties of the plant, as it activates side chemical processes.
Do not use after expiration date! It is also not recommended to re-freeze the product, as this will lead to loss of beneficial properties.
Selecting and preparing greens for freezing
For freezing, sorrel is usually harvested between May and early July. It is at this moment that the leaves of the plant are young, have reached their limit in growth and are filled with the maximum amount of vitamins. If you collect it closer to autumn, most likely the greens will be sour, due to a gradual increase in acid concentration.
Note! All housewives know that the plant contains oxalic acid; if its content in the leaves is high, sorrel cannot be eaten frozen or fresh.
It is also worth noting that all people with impaired stomach acidity, gout, as well as pregnant women, should be especially careful when eating all dishes with the addition of this plant.
To make winter preparation healthy and tasty, you should consider the following rules:
- Sorrel should be sorted by hand, removing dry and yellowed leaves.
- Sorted greens do not need to be separated from the stem, since it has the same taste as the leaves.
- Only bright green leaves should be left for freezing.
- If possible, for such purposes it is better to use sorrel grown independently.
See also
Is it possible to freeze watermelon in the freezer for the winter and how to do it correctly?
Read
It doesn’t matter how the freezing occurs - the greens will have to be washed well if they were purchased at the market. If it is sorrel from your own garden, this is not necessary. If the plant did have to be washed, it should be dried thoroughly before freezing.
Where can you add blanks?
Frozen sorrel is used in a wide variety of recipes:
- salads;
- soups;
- pies;
- hot appetizers and main courses;
- sauces, dressings and side dishes;
- dietary dishes;
- drinks (smoothies and lemonades).
In some cases, defrosting is required before use. The harvesting technology must be carried out accurately.
Blanched
This method of freezing sorrel for the winter also saves space as the leaves decrease in size after processing. However, the latter contributes to the loss of nutrients and taste. The following work needs to be done.
- Sort, wash, dry and chop the sorrel.
- Blanch over low heat in a saucepan or bowl with a little water until the juices release and the leaves soften.
- Cool and distribute the product into containers along with the released juice.
- To freeze.
We freeze sorrel this way only to save space. If there is more free space in the freezer, then it is better to freeze the sorrel in another way.
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Greens and herbsWays to preserve fresh sorrel leaves
