Sorrel is a popular product for preparing many dishes, including everyone’s favorite green borscht with an egg. Its leaves are rich in calcium and vitamin C, but it contains oxalic acid, which is contraindicated for people with kidney and joint problems. There are only 20 calories in 100 grams of sorrel. For storage and eating, it is better to collect young leaves that contain less acid, preferably before the plant begins to bloom. In our article, we will tell you how to store sorrel after harvesting so that you have a supply of this useful green until the next season.
- In fresh form, sorrel will last a maximum of 7 days in the refrigerator.
- The freezer will help preserve these greens for 9-12 months.
- Canned sorrel can be stored under a tight lid for up to 1 year.
Gathering
The cut sorrel should be sorted, remove twigs, damaged leaves and insects. Some sources state that it is not necessary to wash it, as this will shorten its shelf life. However, sand and soil must be removed, so after washing, dry the leaves on a towel in a well-ventilated place.
At room temperature, fresh sorrel will keep for several days if you put a bunch of leaves in a glass of water.
In the fridge
The temperature at which freshly cut sorrel will stay fresh longer is 5 °C. Therefore, fresh sorrel is best stored in the refrigerator.
The humidity inside the refrigerator is usually not higher than 70%, sorrel will be kept fresh for up to 7 days on the middle shelf near the wall.
There are several ways to properly keep sorrel fresh in the refrigerator:
- In the package. Put the prepared and sifted sorrel in a cellophane bag and remove as much air as possible from it. Then you need to tie it tightly and put it in the compartment for vegetables and fruits. Storage temperature is 5 °C. The term is no more than 7 days.
- In a jar with water. Carefully sorted leaves should be folded into a bouquet and placed in a jar with water. Make sure that only the roots are in the water. Place on the middle shelf of the refrigerator against the wall. In this form, sorrel will remain fresh for 3-4 days at a temperature of 5 °C.
- In a towel. Washed and prepared leaves should be wrapped in a wet towel, put on a shelf and stored like this for 2-3 days on the middle shelf at a temperature of 5 °C.
How to save for the winter
Most often, sorrel is harvested so that in winter there is an opportunity to cook soups and other vitamin dishes with it. The following preparation methods are best suited for this:
- freezing;
- drying;
- pickles;
- canning.
In the freezer
Properly frozen sorrel preserves almost all vitamins and trace elements. In this form, it is suitable for pies and first courses. It does not need to be defrosted before adding it to the first dishes, which significantly saves cooking time.
It is most convenient to freeze sorrel cut. For this, the leaves need to be sorted, washed thoroughly and finely chopped. Cover a large flat plate or cutting board with paper, lay out the sorrel in one layer. Keep in the freezer at a temperature of -18 ° C and below for 2 hours. Then pour into a polyethylene bag or into small bags in portions.
Store at a temperature of -18 °C and below for 1 year, until the next harvest.
The second convenient way is to freeze stock in cubes. To do this, put the chopped sorrel in ice molds, fill with water and freeze at a temperature of -18 °C and below for 5-6 hours. Then shake gently, put in a bag and use for first courses.
How to dry
Drying is the most convenient method of preparation if you need to save space in the freezer. The drying process removes moisture from the sorrel, but preserves the vitamins as much as possible. First, the leaves are sorted and washed thoroughly. Then they need to be either tied into bundles or finely chopped. You can use a vegetable dryer or dry in the fresh air in the shade. It is important to choose a period with warm, even hot weather for drying. If this is not possible, we offer the following methods:
- Satisfied. Put the chopped sorrel in a sieve and put it on the balcony or loggia. If the kitchen is dry and warm enough, you can lay paper and place the sieve on the cabinet. It is necessary to stir the greens 2 times a day until they dry. Properly dried sorrel should not crumble.
- In bunches. The tied bundles should be hung on a thread on the balcony or loggia so that direct sunlight does not fall on them. In this form, after 7-10 days they will completely dry and will be ready for storage.
- On parchment. Spread parchment on the balcony or in the kitchen and lay out the cut and dried sorrel. Stirring it 2 times a day, bring it to a dry state. It will take 7-10 days.
Dried sorrel should be stored by pouring it into dry jars and tightly closing the lid. The shelf life is 1 year in a dry, dark place at a temperature of about 20 °C.
How to salt
Salting allows you to preserve sorrel for a long time. Salt acts as a preservative and prevents it from spoiling. You can salt in this way, both sorrel itself, and assorted with 50% sorrel and 50% other greens.
Carefully washed, dried and cut leaves are placed in a large dish, salt is added at the rate of 3 tablespoons per 1 kilogram of product and mixed thoroughly. The resulting mixture should be compacted tightly in dry, sterilized jars and closed with lids. Store in the cellar or refrigerator. It is better to take such preparations within 6 months.
It should be remembered that salting the dish during preparation will be necessary carefully!
How to preserve
The most convenient way to store sorrel for the winter is canning. It is convenient because in this form it is stored in banks for up to 2 years. It is already ready to use, just add it to the first dish 5-7 minutes before it is ready. Some housewives make an assortment of sorrel, parsley and dill.
Before you start harvesting, you should remember the number of cans. If you like to often cook green borscht in winter, do not forget about the proportions: a 0.5-liter jar for a 3-liter pot of the first course.
Recipes:
- For canning, prepare pre-sterilized jars, boiling water and boiled lids. Then put the washed and chopped sorrel tightly in the container, pour boiling water over it and roll up the lids. Turn upside down and leave to cool at room temperature. You can store them both in the cellar and simply in the kitchen under the table or in a cupboard, where the temperature does not rise above 25 °C.
- With salt. This option is identical to the previous one, but you need to pour sorrel with salty boiling water, at the rate of 2 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water.
- assorted Prepare a mixture of washed and chopped leaves of sorrel, parsley and dill in a ratio of 50% sorrel and 50% other greens. Pour the greens packed in jars with boiling brine and immediately roll up. Turn the finished jars over, and when they cool down, store them together with other preserves.
- In cold water. You can also preserve sorrel in cold water. To do this, you need to dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in 1 liter of water. Place the washed and chopped greens in jars, fill with brine and cover with lids. Sterilize the jars for 20 minutes, twist and turn the jars. After complete cooling, take them to a place where you will store them until next year.
- Scalding. Put the washed and cut (or whole) leaves in a pan, and pour boiling water so that it slightly covers them. Stirring, boil for 5-7 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars, close with lids and store until next year.
Vacuum packaging
The vacuum cleaner gives housewives ample opportunities to store various products for a longer period of time. On various forums, you can meet the question of whether it is possible to store sorrel in a vacuum in the freezer. We answer – of course, you can. Moreover, such a bag extends the shelf life of greens for a long time, as the possibility of air ingress is completely excluded. This preserves the useful properties and color of sorrel as much as possible.
Sort the leaves, remove the drooping and debris, thoroughly wash and dry. Then either cut or leave whole and vacuum. Keep in mind that whole leaves will break when compressing the package.
You can store sorrel in this form:
- in the refrigerator at a temperature of 5 °C in the vegetable compartment for 2 weeks;
- in the freezer at a temperature of -18 °C and below for up to 1.5 years.