How to freeze parsley for the winter?

Summer is a time not only for relaxation and staying near water bodies, but also for preparing for autumn and winter. It was at this time that all the housewives gradually began to make various preparations. Traditionally, a large number of different goodies are prepared for the winter. Today we’ll talk about how to prepare parsley for the winter, because this ingredient is often used not only in cooking, but also to create decoctions and tinctures, as well as face masks. Of course, parsley can also be dried or salted, however, the taste of such greens will be completely different.

In winter, the presence of frozen greens comes in handy, dishes sprinkled with parsley look very nice on the festive table, and not only. Recipes for freezing greens have been around for quite some time, today we will look at some of them. Not everyone imagines how it is possible to keep it fresh in the winter, but in reality everything is quite simple.

Methods for harvesting greens

Parsley can be frozen in three different ways. These methods are the simplest and most common, you can choose any of those that are more to your taste:

1. Parsley can be frozen in bunches. To do this, you need to collect greens in several bunches, and then put them in ordinary plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Parsley is often frozen in the form of strips. In this case, the greens are first cut into strips, and then laid out on a plastic wrap. Next, you just need to wrap the greens in a sausage and put in the freezer.
2. Greens can easily be stored for the winter in the form of ice cubes. To do this, chop the parsley, but not too finely so that it fits in the ice tins. After that, put into cells and fill with water. Next, the mold is placed in the refrigerator for freezing. Once the cubes are ready, they can also be poured into a plastic bag and put in the freezer for safekeeping. Cubes can be prepared not only with water, but also with melted butter. The cooking mechanism is the same as in the first case, only the mold is poured with oil.
3. Parsley can also be frozen in crushed form. The method mainly does not differ from the first, only in that the greens are crushed.

The second way to freeze greens today is very popular among housewives, they consider ice cubes the most convenient method. It is very convenient to get ice cubes and add them to the first courses, for example, when preparing soup.

In general, it is recommended to use all methods of freezing at once, or choose a method depending on how you plan to use greens in the future. For example, ice cubes are best for preparing first courses. If you use parsley solely to add to the chips or sprinkle any snacks, it is best to freeze the parsley chopped. If greens in your kitchen is used only for decorating dishes, frosts in the form of twigs or bunches are perfect.

How to keep parsley fresh?

Today we will take a closer look at the third method of freezing greens. For the whole process we need:

• parsley;
• plastic bags, zip-type bags or trays for storing greens;
• cutting board and a good sharp knife;
• paper napkins or towels to dry parsley;
• water for washing greens.

To better preserve greenery in the winter, it is best to freeze it, because it does not lose its color and aroma, and after defrosting it looks quite fresh.You can take two varieties of parsley for freezing: regular and curly. Both species have a bright and very saturated color, as well as a pronounced aroma.

To properly prepare the greens, it is imperative to follow some rules:

1. It is very important to freeze fresh parsley. If possible, it is best to take freshly picked parsley for the blanks.
2. Before freezing, greens must be sorted out. It is important to remove all spoiled or dry leaves, such as flaccid and yellow leaves, as well as leaves with any spots.
3. It is very important to rinse the greens well before freezing. It is recommended to pre-fill the parsley with water, placing it in a deep bowl and leave it for a while, then rinse thoroughly with water again under the tap.
4. Also, do not forget that parsley must be well dried before freezing, since excess liquid in parsley is completely unnecessary. An ordinary kitchen towel or paper napkins are suitable for this purpose. We most often use thick paper towels to dry the leaves.

Surely many have heard that in factories that produce various semi-prepared dishes, a special technique of shock freezing is used. This method allows you to maximize the preservation of nutrients and vitamins in the composition of products. If the freezer of your refrigerator has the option of quick freezing, it is better to use it so that the parsley quickly freezes and remains at the same time as fresh and useful.

For harvesting, we will use chopped greens. It is better to take only green leaves, but solid stems are better to cut. It is convenient to cut parsley, collecting it in small bunches, this saves time. If desired, you can chop the greens in a blender, but it’s better to use a knife as usual. It should not be chopped too finely, it is enough to do it in the usual way, as you usually chop in the cooking process. It is better to put chopped herbs in a specially prepared bowl.

After all the greens are cut, you must place it in a storage container. We will use ordinary plastic bags for this. We form small bags with greens, we have a bag. Before tying the bags and putting them in the freezer, you must release all the air from the bag. This will significantly reduce the occupied space in the freezer, as well as save the whole package.

You can also store seasonings in trays, and in this way you can harvest not only parsley, but also other greens, for example, sorrel. You can also freeze parsley in small bags with a zip fastener. Such placement is very convenient, since the billets are obtained in portions. All greens will not need to be taken out of the freezer, it is enough to take only one bag for one-time use.

If you are going to store greens in a tray, it is better to mash it by hand first, so that more greens fit into the container. When freezing in trays, you can still additionally use cling film, first covering it, and then closing the lid. After the parsley is carefully packed, the trays are also cleaned in the freezer. The convenience of the workpieces in the trays is that the greens in them are dry, which makes it very convenient to take a teaspoon or tablespoon in the future. It is important not to forget after eating the right amount of parsley to put the tray back in the refrigerator.

What dishes is frozen parsley suitable for?

Now it’s very convenient to freeze greens, as each house has a refrigerator with a freezer. Previously, the housewives had to pack the parsley in jars, and then put it away to the cellar. As a rule, in such cases, parsley is either ground or very finely chopped.

In modern housewives, it is generally customary to freeze not only greens, but also many vegetables, since this is a great way to preserve foods for a long time and in the winter please yourself with goodies.

Video: how to freeze parsley for the winter