Parsley for the winter: preparation using simple methods. Parsley for the winter: recipes for preparations Is parsley salted for the winter

Preparing parsley for the winter and storing it is the topic of my recipe today. More precisely, recipes, since in fact there will be six of them here! 😀 They are just very light and have the same initial basis of action - thorough rinsing and no less thorough drying.

I’ll say right away that these cooking options are suitable not only for parsley, but also for dill and other herbs. I just had a lot of this particular herb. By the way, it is not necessary to make mono blanks of this kind. You can collect and prepare together absolutely any greens that you like.

Making parsley for the winter at home is a great thing, I tell you! I say this with knowledge of the matter, since I don’t have fresh greens in stock right now, but I’m already using the supplies that will be discussed in the topic today! 😉

Yesterday I added it to the soup, and now I’m thinking about how good it would be to bake with such greens or... mmm!

It all started when a neighbor brought me parsley from her garden. Yes, not a bun, but... a bag! Yes, yes, without exaggeration. After that, a neighbor pulled up, also with parsley, and also with a bag! 😀 But he has curly hair, I love it more! In my opinion, its taste is not much different from the usual one, but its appearance is significantly different. She seems prettier to me 😉 What about you?..

In addition, it stays fresh longer (or is it my glitch?) and retains its presentable appearance for a long time, which is very helpful when serving dishes!

There are a variety of recipes for preparing parsley. You can choose from them the one that suits your taste best and suits the type of storage - in the refrigerator or freezer, in bags or molds, with or without oil...

To salt or not to salt parsley for the winter?

So, today I offer you 5 options for preparations from parsley leaves and 1 from stems. But among these recipes there is no pickling of parsley. Why? I came across some interesting information on the Internet. Many articles write that under no circumstances should you pickle greens (especially parsley) for the winter. This position is explained by this. It seems that when frozen, nitrates are activated in greens, and salt provokes the release of harmful substances from them - carcinogens and nitrosamines with carcinogenic effects. That is, the consequences for human health are the formation of malignant tumors, fetal abnormalities in pregnant women, and liver damage. 🙁

Believe it or not? After all, several years and decades ago, everyone salted parsley and did not think about it... Of course, it is not possible to determine whether the use of salted parsley in the diet caused damage to health or not. By the way, we are also talking about other types of greens, such as dill, celery, lettuce, spinach.

Moreover, all these scare articles refer to research from the Research Institute of Healthy Nutrition. I admit, I still haven’t figured out whether this means the clinic of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences or the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology. Or maybe neither one nor the other? But I was on their websites, searched for similar information and found nothing. What do you think about this, dear readers? It would be interesting to hear the opinions of people with a chemical background! 😉

Harvesting parsley for the winter - ingredients:

• parsley - in any quantity
• filtered water (optional)
• vegetable oil (if desired)

Additionally, I used when preparing:

• colander for washing greens
• tray and clean cotton cloth for drying
• packaging bags (the smallest size available)
• silicone and plastic molds for cannelé and ice
• clean dry small jars

General stage for all blanks:

So, I started by sorting out the greens. Since there was a lot of parsley and little time, I did not have time to process the greens right away. That's why some of it turned yellow.
I took out a large colander and two plastic hearts, which I often use when cooking - they are convenient and... left over from my grandmother, which warms my soul. Every time I look at them and think about her...
The yellowed greenery (as well as any debris) was immediately selected for discarding into one heart. I did the following with the good one - I tore off the stems and put them into the second heart (we will need them later!), and good healthy parsley leaves into a colander.

Then I thoroughly washed the selected greens under cool running water.

I prepared a tray of suitable size and covered it with a clean and dry cotton cloth.
A portion of the washed parsley that fits in the palm of your hand was carefully squeezed out of excess water and laid out on a towel. And so with all the greens.
I spread it out not in a mountain, but in one layer and not tightly, so that the air could pass through unhindered and the parsley was ventilated.

It is better to dry it for 2-3 hours. With less time, water droplets may remain, especially in the foliage of curly parsley. This retained moisture will negatively affect the quality of the greens when frozen or otherwise stored. Is this what we need? That's right - no need! Therefore, we will not rush, we will do everything conscientiously! ;)

Recipe No. 1 - Leaf parsley preparations in food bags.

It is very convenient to freeze parsley in bags. This is perhaps the most compact way. A lot of greenery is wasted, but in the end it takes up little space. The main thing is to release the air from the bags. And, of course, take food grade ones, clean and dry.
Also, it is best to use the smallest bags possible. Do you know they sell these now for lunch? Just enough to fit a sandwich. I didn’t have any packages of that size at the right time, so I had to take those that were available.
Ideally, you should put as much greens in each bag as you can use at one time. In the end, I laid it out with the expectation that I would take out and use the contents of the bag to prepare two different dishes at once.
So... Just in case, I also blotted the dried greens with a cotton cloth. And I put the parsley in a bag. I didn't cut the leaves.

I distributed the greens at the bottom of the bag over the entire width, wrapped the bag several times, trying to get as much air out of it as possible. You can even put them under a press for a short time so that the bags do not swell while you work on the next ones.
That's all - in this form you can already send it to the freezer. I stacked all the bags on top of each other, and in the freezer I put a bag of frozen grated carrots on them to press them down a little and give them shape before they “set” from the low temperature.
Such greens cannot be defrosted and re-frozen (or stored in the refrigerator after defrosting). That is why it is better to put it in small portions in small bags.
You can store greens prepared in this way in the freezer all winter and even longer. If by then there is something to store ;)

You can also freeze parsley rhizomes in the same way - rinse, dry thoroughly, in this case, chop, and then package in clean, dry bags.

Recipe No. 2 - Preparing parsley for the winter, freezing in silicone molds.

Any greens can be frozen not only in bags, but also in silicone molds. Of course, it is better to use those with small notches. That is, relatively speaking, a mold not for standard cupcakes, but for ice. I used cannelé molds. If you don’t know what it is, I’ll tell you soon - stay tuned for new recipes! ;)

So, the basic steps are the same - I washed and dried the parsley leaves well. When they were completely dry, I crushed them as much as possible with a knife.

I put the greens in the molds. You can freeze it just like that. But the greenery is bristling, does not want to compact and sit quietly and calmly)) So I filled it with cold filtered water, which coped with its “restlessness.”

There is another option - chop the greens not manually with a knife, but with a blender. The mass will turn out to be mushy and will no longer loosen!) It will fit well into the cells of the mold. All that remains is to decide which type of grinding you like best. As you can see, I chose the first option. But this does not mean that I am dissuading you from the second one! ;)

Recipe No. 3 - Preparing parsley with butter in silicone molds.

This option is similar to the second. I sorted through, washed, dried, cut with a knife and arranged the greens into the cells of silicone molds. But this time I filled it not with plain water, but with oil. Under its influence, the parsley mass settles, so you can compact it, add a little more and add oil again.
By the way, in this case, as in the two previous ones, you can use not only parsley or more than one parsley. And, for example, combine it with green onions, cilantro, basil, and so on to taste.
By the way, it’s also not necessary to beat with a blender or chop too much with a knife. Perhaps you want to save whole (or almost whole) leaves? No problem - place it in the molds as is.

What kind of oil should I use? You can have fragrant sunflower/olive, or you can have melted butter! At that moment I only had refined sunflower oil, so I used that.
That's all - you can safely put it in the freezer! I covered these ramekins (the ones with oil, not water) with cling film. It seemed to me that it was better this way.

Recipe No. 4 - Leaf parsley preparations in oil in jars.

This preparation, unlike the previous three, we will store not in the freezer, but in the refrigerator.
For packaging you will need small jars. For example, like from Agusha puree or other similar ones. Maybe a little more. But I do not recommend taking containers with a volume of more than 150 ml for this purpose.
So, the preparation is usual - the greens are washed, dried, chopped with a knife. Next, I placed some of it on the bottom of the jar. Filled it with oil. Then I laid out another part and filled it in again. You may ask - why not put all the parsley into the jar at once? But the point is this: there should be no air bubbles left between the leaves of the greenery, and all the grass should be covered in oil inside and out. If you pour the entire contents of the jar at once, this goal may not be achieved.

So, I filled the whole jar like this and poured oil on top. It should always (!) cover the greens. That is, during use, it needs to be topped up if necessary.
Jars should be clean and dry, with a tight-fitting/screw-on lid.
In this case, it is better to use refined sunflower oil, which is what I did. The greenery will then make it aromatic!
But if you really want to, you can top it with olive oil. But do you remember how high-quality olive oil behaves in the refrigerator? It freezes a little. Therefore, before putting such greens into the finished dish, you will need to put part of the preparation in some small bowl so that it thaws. Of course, in this case you shouldn’t heat the whole jar. Well, if you run greens in olive oil when preparing a dish (during heat treatment), then you don’t have to wait for thawing. Storing jars of such preparations outside the refrigerator is not an option!

All that remains is to figure out what is the shelf life of greens in oil in jars in the refrigerator? If everything is done correctly, then 1 month for sure. They say that even up to three months. But I didn’t last that long, so I can’t vouch for it. If the greens have not been dried well and there are still particles of moisture in them, or if you do not ensure that the oil level is always higher than the level of the parsley, then the greens may sour or become moldy. Therefore, let's do everything in good faith so that our work does not go in vain! ;)

Recipe No. 5 - Parsley for the winter, dried herbs.

One of the simplest and, I think, well-known methods is drying the grass. The algorithm for the initial steps is again the same - sort through, rinse, dry thoroughly. Here you can even let it dry :) Let the greens lie and air in the air until they become crispy. This will take several hours. The exact time depends on the temperature and humidity in the room.

For this preparation, you can chop the leaves with a knife (but not a blender), or you can leave them as is. I cut it.
When the greens begin to crunch in your hands, it means they are ready for packaging. Dried parsley should be stored in clean, dry jars. Volume is at your discretion. But it will hardly be convenient to use large banks. It is advisable to keep dried herbs at a temperature of no more than +25"C and not under direct sunlight.

Recipe No. 6 - Parsley preparations for the winter at home - stems for broths.

And now is just the moment when it becomes clear why I put the parsley stems in a separate bowl and did not throw them away along with the yellowed leaves.
Parsley stems (as well as dill) are a very good and useful thing for flavoring any broth, regardless of the type of dish - whether you are cooking soup or potatoes/pasta/vegetables.
So, I also washed the stems well and left them to dry. If you have time for 2-3 hours, then lay them out on a cloth and in one layer. I left them overnight, that is, they aired for more than 8 hours. Therefore, I simply laid it out on a tray and in two layers.

I chopped the clean and dried stems quite finely with a knife.

I laid it out in the cells of the form. This time I have an ice mold, plastic. But you can also use silicone.
Cut stems are heavier and denser than leaves, so adding water or oil is not necessary. I sent it to the freezer straight like this.
When cooking broths, soups, side dishes and other dishes, you can use them either directly in this form - a frozen cube, or in a tied gauze (like unground spices when cooking sauces), if you want to get only the aroma from them, and then extract from the dish.

All presented types of parsley preparations can be used in the preparation of absolutely any dishes that include greens in their composition - all meat, chicken, fish, vegetable dishes; soups, side dishes, dumplings/manti/dumplings, salads, appetizers, potato pancakes, omelettes, smoothies and so on...

OK it's all over Now! Six recipes for preparing parsley are in front of you - choose any one! Which one did you like best? ;)

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Parsley occupies a special place among spices. Its aroma adds flavor to any dish, making it more beautiful and healthy. You can use parsley in any form. That is why many people use it for cooking all year round. It can be frozen, salted, pickled and used for cooking even in winter.

How to select and prepare raw materials?

Parsley should be beautiful, bright and free of dried stems and damage. Don't forget about freshness. It is very important. If parsley is picked and left for at least three days without pre-treatment, then half of the beneficial elements and vitamins will be lost from it. Also, you should not buy greens in supermarkets, as they use special substances to process them so that the product remains attractive in appearance for a long time.

Before storing, greens must be rinsed well under running water. This can also be done in a container. But it is worth changing the water in it several times. It is not recommended to pour boiling water over the greens, as they will lose their beneficial substances.

After washing, the leaves must be dried and then placed in a container with holes in the bottom. You can use a regular colander. After the mass becomes dry and there are no droplets on it, it is placed on a soft cloth so that moisture is absorbed from the plant. Such greens should be left for an hour and a half, and it is recommended to spread them in one layer so that they dry faster.

Then the parsley should be finely chopped, similar to how it is cut into a salad. Then this composition will be more convenient to use. In winter it can be used for salads, soups and other dishes. It is necessary to place the chopped greens on a soft napkin and let it rest there for 1-2 hours.

Experienced housewives prefer to cool parsley before freezing. This point is important because the plant must go through a preliminary cooling stage before freezing. Therefore, after drying, it should be laid out on a tray and put in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

Refrigeration is also important because it gives the parsley the opportunity to be stored longer in the freezer. The resulting product will become crumbly, which will make the housewife’s work easier when preparing dishes in winter.

Methods

Experienced housewives say that it is better to freeze parsley. It can also be dried, but freezing in the freezer is the best way to preserve the nutritional properties and elements in the product over a long period. This parsley is then used in winter for various dishes, including salads.

There are certain freezing methods that will help preserve nutrients.

Freezing is carried out using the following methods:

1. in bundles;
2. in molds;
3. in polyethylene.

In bundles

The easiest method for freezing parsley is to place it in bunches in the freezer. This should only be done if the greens are completely pre-dried. The twigs are folded into small bunches, which can then be used once or twice.

Such bundles are wrapped in polyethylene or film. The finished product will form small rolls that can be stored for a long time and do not require additional packaging.

This composition is suitable for preparing various dishes. If necessary, you can use it fresh in winter. The product will be stored until the next harvest.

In molds

To preserve the product in ice trays, it is necessary to prepare a mass. To do this, you need to dry it, grind it, and then fill it with water. It is also recommended to thoroughly rinse the greens before the process and chop them in order to better pack them into molds.

Then the resulting mass is placed in cells and compacted. After this, the containers are filled with chilled water and then placed in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Then these molds are taken out and put into a bag, which is again placed in the freezer for storage.

In polyethylene

If you need to store greens in a bag, you need to pay attention to their preliminary high-quality drying. It is important to ensure that no moisture remains on the leaves. Otherwise, the greens will stick together and look like a solid lump. In this case, before using it, it will be necessary to split this mass, and it will also be difficult to cut it.

Drying

For those who don't have a freezer, there's no need to despair. There is a way out of this situation. The product can be dried. This is a way to help preserve beneficial components in greens. To do this, it must be dried using one of the methods listed below. The resulting product will retain all its beneficial properties and aroma.

Drying parsley is done in the following ways:

• in the microwave;
• on air;
• in the dryer.

If the necessary conditions exist, you can dry the raw materials in air. The stems are cleaned of rotten elements, washed well and dried with a soft cloth. Next, the greens are chopped and laid out in a thin layer on paper. You can cover it with gauze on top to keep insects out.

The raw materials should be dried in this way in places that are protected from direct rays and well ventilated. The composition must be turned over regularly and stirred so that rot and mold do not appear in it.

Storage is carried out in a place that is protected from dust and there are no heating devices nearby. Parsley dried in this way can retain its beneficial properties and taste for 2 years.

Stages of work:

1. checking greens;
2. removal of rotten and damaged leaves;
3. root pruning;
4. washing and listening.

The resulting mass is laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven, the temperature in which is set to 50 degrees. When exposed to heat, it dries and its properties are preserved. In order for the resulting mass to dry evenly, it is necessary to stir it from time to time.

But it is recommended to resort to this method only in extreme cases, when it is not possible to freeze it. The latter method is different in that it helps preserve more useful and nutritious substances in the product, as well as its appearance.

Preparation recipes

There are other ways to process parsley. You can prepare the product with dill, salt, and tomatoes.

In the marinade

In some cases, you can store parsley in a marinade without first freezing it. To do this, take a bunch of parsley, water, sugar, salt, garlic and vinegar. The washed and dried parsley is finely chopped and placed in jars.

The prepared brine is poured into the container and everything is tightly closed with a lid. Ingredients should be taken at the rate of 100 grams of parsley per 5-6 grams of ingredients. All this should be simmered over low heat at 90 degrees for 15 minutes. After this, the jars cool and are placed in the cellar. In this way, parsley can be stored for more than six months.

Pickling

To store the seasoning salted, you need to take jars of any size. It is recommended to use small containers, which will simplify the process of using the product in winter. The amount of parsley salted in this way should be determined by the housewife.

The main thing is to take into account the necessary proportions, which should not be violated, as this may affect the shelf life. The optimal recipe is when there is 5 times more greens in the jar than salt. It is necessary to choose coarse salt for the process.

For pickling, you usually take a kilogram of parsley and 200 g of non-iodized kitchen salt. The parsley is chopped, washed well and sorted to remove damaged leaves. And then all this is tapped so that no moisture remains in the greens.

Then the leaves are finely chopped and mixed with salt. The greens must be slightly mashed so that the salt is distributed over the entire surface of the mass. Then the composition is packaged in a jar and a little free space is left under the lid so that the juice can be released there. For sealing, you can use ordinary metal lids or nylon ones.

It is possible to preserve the entire plant. To do this, you need to select young shoots and get rid of large and coarse stems. The components are not chopped, but used entirely. The branches should not be lush or long. Before harvesting in this way, it is necessary to sterilize the jars. Also, greens should be placed in containers in dry form.

With dill

Some housewives pickle parsley with dill. This allows you to get a tasty preparation for the winter. The ratio of components is determined in each specific case individually by the housewife, depending on preferences. The prepared raw materials are washed under running water several times. Next, the leaves are tapped and cut.

The mixture is placed in a large container, sprinkled with salt and thoroughly mixed by hand. Next, the composition is packaged in jars, which do not need to be sterilized.

With vegetables

Parsley is also prepared with vegetables. This mixture will be a good addition to meat dishes, salads, soups and others. The vitamin mixture is usually added at the end of cooking.

To prepare the composition, it is recommended to pre-rinse and chop all ingredients. You can use various vegetables, for example, peppers, celery, tomatoes, carrots, radishes.

Since not only the green stems, but also the roots, are usable in parsley, you can freeze them too. The roots are frozen in the same way as the stems, but they must be blanched.

The peeled roots are cut into pieces and can be added to various dishes in winter. When preparing, blanch the roots for 5 minutes in a small amount of water. They are then dried and frozen. The packaging is placed in the freezer.

Storage rules

To preserve the aroma of parsley for a long time, you can also use other storage methods at home, in addition to those indicated above. In this case, the parsley will always be kept fresh. But the process must be done correctly.

Sometimes vegetable oil is used to fill the leaves. To do this, the product is initially washed and cut, and then placed in jars. The resulting mass is lightly compacted into a jar. Next, melt the butter so that there are no air bubbles in it.

Oil is poured so that it covers all the greens. It is also important to leave a distance of 1 cm from the lid. And the oil should be poured in small doses so that it is evenly distributed among the greens. Next, the jars are closed with plastic lids and stored in a refrigeration unit at 7 degrees.

If you don’t have the opportunity or time to prepare your own parsley and pickle it, you can buy the product in any supermarket if you wish, but it’s worth remembering that such greens will not be of the proper quality, since they were grown in unnatural conditions. Those products that are grown in winter and sold fresh contain nitrates and do more harm than good.

This is the reason that many housewives try to prepare parsley on their own. As you can see, there are many ways to do this, and therefore everyone can choose the most suitable one for him.

Parsley prepared in these ways for the winter is an excellent option to preserve its taste and aroma throughout the winter. To prepare the compositions you do not need to spend a lot of time and effort. Anyone can cope with such a task, the main thing is to carry out all the processes correctly.

How to freeze parsley for the winter, see the video below.

Parsley is one of the most useful and valuable plants.

It has a beneficial effect on human health and not only has a wonderful taste, but is also used in traditional medicine recipes.

Therefore, it is very important to harvest parsley for the winter, and this must be done correctly so that it retains its aroma and nutrients.

Beneficial properties of parsley

Gardeners and gardeners plant the seeds of this type of greenery in early spring and harvest in the summer. Both leaves and root vegetables are used for cooking, but due to their structure they are prepared in different ways.

Even the ancient Egyptians used parsley to prepare medicinal potions, decorate dishes with it and use it as an aromatic spice.

Medicinal properties of the plant:

• parsley strengthens gums and blood vessels;
• helps with the functioning of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland;
• improves metabolic processes in the body, helps with vision-related diseases, and is an antidepressant;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• promotes oxygen metabolism and brain function;
• has a beneficial effect and helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system, menstrual irregularities and menopause in women;
• used for weight loss, as it stimulates food enzymes;
• is part of a complex for restoring the body's strength.

Parsley has many beneficial qualities and therefore it is advisable to consume it fresh, especially greens. If you properly store greens for the winter, that is, pickle, dry or freeze, then all the beneficial substances will remain in them.

Not only the leaves and roots are valued, but also the decoction and freshly squeezed juice, which perfectly helps improve vision and brain function. In addition, parsley is also widely used in cosmetology; lotions, creams and masks are made from it. The decoction is used to wash the hair and add it to baths, and also to treat bruises (using compresses). It helps very well against bee stings, you need to apply a leaf, first knead it.

Stages of preparation and processing of greens

To keep parsley fresh for the winter, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation. If you have a vegetable store or cellar, then parsley can be stored there. This method is only suitable for root varieties, which are placed in wooden boxes and covered with dry sand. All roots must be checked for integrity. Do not cover damaged roots, as they will quickly begin to rot and infect other plants, forming decay products and putrefactive mold.

Sorting and processing stages:

After this treatment, the plants are ready, and you can proceed to the next steps by choosing the appropriate recipe.

Ways to prepare for the winter

You can use one or more methods to store parsley.

There are 4 ways to prepare parsley for the winter to preserve its flavor:

1. Drying.
2. Salting.
3. Storage in oil.
4. Freezing in the freezer (in the refrigerator).

Any of the options can be used in normal home conditions, without special equipment.

Canning and salting

Parsley can be salted using the most accessible and widespread preservative, that is, ordinary table salt, which is found in every home. You can salt with water, using solutions and marinades and without adding it:

Freezing methods

Greens can be frozen in portions or in large containers, these can be plastic bags, cling film, glass jars, containers and other devices. This technique is suitable both for leaves or root vegetables, and in various versions with the addition of other spicy plants.

There are several ways to freeze parsley for the winter in the refrigerator:

Drying technology

This is one of the simplest options. There are also two ways to dry greens and roots: outdoors and in the oven.

Drying options:

Ready parsley is used in any hot dishes, either as a stand-alone seasoning or in combination with other types of herbs. Dried roots can additionally be ground in a coffee grinder.

With vegetable oils

It is advisable to make such preparations from greens and parsley roots separately. Root vegetables need to be chopped and further dried so that the cuts have as little moisture as possible. It is best to chop them finely without using a grater or blender.

Prepare a glass container, it can be an ordinary jar that needs to be sterilized. The easiest way: put cleanly washed dishes in the oven, the temperature should be 100 degrees, and leave for 20 minutes. If the lids are reusable, then you can simply throw them into boiling water and hold for 2-3 minutes, or rinse them thoroughly in a soda solution and rinse with boiling water.

Place the parsley in the prepared bowl and pour in vegetable oil so that there is no access to air. You can use any oil: olive, unrefined and refined sunflower. It is important that there are no air bubbles left in the jar. Parsley should be stored in the refrigerator.

Fresh parsley always has a bright aroma and good taste. It is ideal for a variety of meat and vegetable dishes. It can be used in the preparation of salads, as a spice for many dishes, such as rolls, casseroles. It is also widely used in cooking as a seasoning and combined in various marinades. In addition, with its help you can decorate and diversify your regular diet, the dishes will become even more appetizing and attractive.

Helpful Tips:

You can buy various types of greens in any stores and supermarkets, but when you have them at hand, it is much more convenient.

Attention, TODAY only!

Parsley for the winter, recipe

Bright colors and enchanting aroma are symbols of summer, which is so missing on cold days. Try making simple parsley preparations for the winter, and you will never feel a lack of warmth and sun. Greens add a unique taste to hot dishes and also serve as an excellent decoration.

1. type: seasoning
2. subtype: winter preparation of greens
3. number of servings out: 20.
4. weight: 500-700 g.
5. cooking time:
6. national cuisine: Russian.
7. calorie content:

How to prepare parsley for the winter?

Freezing parsley for the winter in the freezer

Salting and pickling twigs and leaves is a rather complicated process. But if you stock up on a few jars of this delicacy for the winter, your culinary masterpieces will remain in the memory of your household for a long time, and in the future you will have to prepare pickles every year and in very large quantities.

Salting and pickling parsley sprigs and leaves for the winter

Regardless of the method you choose to harvest greens, the plant should be properly collected and processed. How well the seasoning will retain its nutritional properties and taste depends on impeccable adherence to preparation recommendations. Try to collect plants whose leaves are lush and curly. If there are limp, sparse bushes, you can take them, but only as a last resort. It is best to use such branches immediately and not leave them for the winter, even after processing. After collecting the leaves, wash them in a deep container. The water should be changed three times until all sand and other foreign particles are removed. You can remove the greens from the container using a colander. Then it is laid out on towels and allowed to dry for 1-2 hours. Only after this can further processing begin.

Freezing parsley for the winter

Ingredients:

• Parsley sprigs - 500 g or 10 medium bunches.
• Water – 50 g.
• Vegetable oil – 70 g.

To freeze greens, you don't have to chop them. You can leave whole branches and add them to various dishes without any problems. If you like crushed seasoning, but during cooking you have difficulty separating it from a large piece, freeze the plant in portioned molds. We offer a recipe for freezing leaves for sauces. You need to grind fresh herbs in a blender and add a little water to the mixture, then pack it into molds. Some housewives mix the green mass with vegetable oil before freezing. Thus, you get a complete sauce for main courses.

Whole sprigs of parsley for the winter: freezing

How to dry parsley for the winter?

Ingredients:

Parsley – 500 g or 10 standard bunches.

Dried branches are used as a seasoning for soups and main courses. They are practically not used in baking. You need to chop the collected and washed leaves. Slice them and place them in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with paper. Now you can put it in a dehydrator - a special device for drying certain products. The greens are dried at a temperature of no more than 50 degrees for five hours. Instead of a dehydrator, the vast majority of housewives use a conventional oven. The baking tray is placed at the very top. The twigs are dried over maximum heat with the door ajar - “in a free spirit.” After 1.5-2 hours the seasoning will be ripe. All that remains is to cool it and pack it into bags or pack it in paper bags.

Dried parsley for the winter

The most favorite method of gardeners is drying parsley in natural conditions. Place the baking sheets in a dark, dry place, cover with paper, leaving a hole for ventilation, and wait 4-5 days, stirring occasionally. Sometimes parsley takes a week to dry. But you will retain a maximum of vitamins and minerals in the winter preparation.

Parsley roots for the winter: preparation recipes

Ingredients:

• 500 g parsley roots
• Water - to taste.
• Oil - to taste.

Parsley root is used in cooking as much as the leaves. The product has a sweetish taste and bright aroma. The root is added to soups and main dishes as a seasoning. In winter, such a preparation is doubly valuable, because it is a whole storehouse of vitamins. Parsley must be separated from the roots. The latter should be washed and thoroughly cleaned, removing the thin top layer. Then the roots are passed through a meat grinder or tinder on a grater - whichever is more convenient. After this, the mass is laid out on baking sheets and dried. You can pack the chopped roots into bags and freeze them.

Preparation for the winter: parsley roots

Parsley root contains a huge amount of antioxidants. These substances have the ability to reduce blood cholesterol, increase metabolic rate and accelerate the process of burning fat. Therefore, the roots are recommended for use in the diet menu for slimming people. Frozen parsley root preparations are not used as an independent dish. But it can even be added to salads.

How to preserve the beneficial properties of fresh parsley in preparations?

Parsley is prepared for the winter in different ways, but regardless of the chosen method, every housewife should take care to preserve its beneficial properties. What secrets do chefs use for these purposes?

Preserving the beneficial properties of parsley for the winter

Simple vegetable oil perfectly strengthens the nutritional and taste qualities. Mix it with chopped herbs and freeze in molds. After adding this seasoning to a dish, you will feel the real taste of summer. Never salt the leaves and roots before freezing or drying. Otherwise, the greens will release juices, and all the beneficial substances will go away with them.

Of all the aromatic herbs, parsley is used most often. Parsley will fill any hot meat or vegetable dish with the aroma of summer. Unfortunately, our climate does not allow us to grow it all year round, so any housewife will want to know how to keep parsley fresh for the winter at home. I really want to maintain the variety and benefits of my daily diet during the winter months and enrich it with vitamins as much as possible.

The grass remains green and lush until autumn, which is why it is collected throughout the season. You will prepare it for the winter without waiting for the end of autumn; reserves of spices can be made in advance. All beneficial and taste qualities will remain unchanged, the main thing is that the plants are of high quality and healthy, and the leaves have a rich dark green hue. Many varieties of parsley are ready for harvest within 2-3 months after planting. Young first-year parsley is the most fragrant.

When greens and roots are to be harvested, it is better to dig up the plant in the fall, when the maximum amount of elements beneficial to health has accumulated in the rhizome.

When harvesting, the stems should be cut at the root; new branches will grow very soon. If you do this along the edge of the bush, the inner stems will grow better.

So that the greens do not die in winter, and you can expect a harvest next season, it is recommended to cut everything off.

All collected parsley must be divided:

• leaves;
• roots - carefully remove dirt, rinse and dry.

Storing fresh parsley in the refrigerator

Whether you bought parsley at the market or just cut it from the garden, you store it for some time, while protecting it from:

• oxygen access;
• direct rays of the sun;
• excess moisture and its loss.

A few tips won't hurt at all; they are simple but effective:

1. Remove spoiled twigs and soil from the bunch, trim the stems, wrap tightly in parchment paper or a cloth napkin and place in a cool, dark place. Do not wash! 3-4 days of storage guaranteed.
2. Fill the jar a third full with water and put a bouquet of parsley in it, you can cover it with a plastic bag on top and put it in the refrigerator. Change the water periodically. The greens will last up to 2 weeks.
3. Sort through, but do not wash, place for a short time on a paper towel (or simply wrap in a napkin), place in a plastic bag (punch holes in it in advance) and put in the refrigerator.
4. You can also wash it. Then you will have to dry each twig with a paper towel, lay it out on the paper until completely dry, put it in a container, close it and put it in the cold. A month of freshness is guaranteed.

Do not send greens for storage wet.

When storing parsley root in the refrigerator, without freezing it, without pickling it or pickling it, it is best to include it in a soup dressing, for example, bell pepper with the addition of various herbs. This preparation will be perfectly stored in the refrigerator.

Methods for winter storage of parsley

In any case, all the vitamins contained in the spice, its unusual taste and aroma will remain unchanged.

So, the options.

Freezing

Before you start freezing, you first need to untie the bunches and remove limp, yellowed shoots and leaves with spots. After this, keep the greens in water for a while, stir the parsley constantly, and change the water two or three times. Be sure to rinse the gas again under running tap water and drain it in a colander for about 15 minutes.

Place on a towel and roll it up. The spice, as a result, is almost dry and ready for processing.

There are several ways to freeze parsley:

• In packages.

Finely chop the parsley leaves before placing them in bags. To make it more convenient to store in the freezer, it is recommended to roll the pacts.

• Ice trays.

The main difference from the previous method is that the greens do not require drying. Remove the stems, chop the leaves into smaller pieces, place in molds, fill with boiled water to the brim, and then place in the freezer for 4 hours. Remove the frozen cubes from the cells and package them in bags for winter storage.

• With a bunch - this method is the fastest.

Gather the greens into small bunches to use once or twice later. Wrap each bunch tightly in cling film and store it that way.

Frozen parsley will keep in the freezer for at least a year. Freezing it again is undesirable, as this will significantly worsen its taste.

Drying

A simple option that allows you to preserve parsley all winter without freezing. The main condition is to dry in the shade and in a ventilated place; you will not be able to preserve the aroma of greenery under the influence of direct sunlight, and the leaves will turn yellow. It is easy to dry the greens in bunches: tie a few branches with culinary thread and hang them for a week.

Carefully separate the greens from the dried parsley branches and place them in a glass bowl. Should be stored under a closed lid.

Some people prefer to dry chopped greens. It is simply scattered on thick paper and placed in the shade or used in the oven for these purposes (no more than 50 ℃).

Pickling

People used salting as an option for long-term food storage when refrigerators did not yet exist. Salt is a natural preservative. Today it is not used often, but it will perfectly preserve all the properties of greenery and will not allow harmful microorganisms to develop.

Pickle the parsley. It's simple:

1. Grind it (grate the roots).
2. Add table salt 5:1 (spice/salt).
3. Mix and place in glass jars.

Store in the refrigerator or other cool place.

In oil

In the absence of a freezer, it becomes necessary to do without freezing. Sometimes sunflower oil is used. They are poured with greens, dried, chopped and tightly packed in glass jars. And so that there are no air bubbles between the leaves. Keep the jars tightly closed and refrigerated.

The methods proposed above preserve the quality of harvested parsley. On the coldest days, there will always be aromatic dishes with summer seasoning on your table.