Tasty, juicy, bright and sweet carrots are an incredibly useful root crop, which is very popular in the kitchen of any housewife. In addition, that carrots are very useful, it is an indispensable ingredient in many dishes.
Methods of harvesting carrots for the winter:
- Salting
- Drying
- Marinating
- Preserving
- Mashed potatoes
- Caviar
- Carrot salads for the winter
In the late summer and early autumn, the shelves of the markets and shops literally fall from the abundance of different vegetables, but with the advent of winter it's hard to find on salecarrots of good quality, it can not be kept by everyone. And the prices are much higher than in the season.
If you do not want to overpay for this useful vegetable in winter, then you should prepare carrots for the winter. Moreover, you will be sure that you are eating a quality product.
Salted carrots
For salads and vinaigrettes salted carrots are perfect. It can be salted as a whole, and shredded.
Earlier, our grandmothers salted vegetables in wooden barrels, but now rarely does anyone use such containers. Whole carrots can be salted in liter jars, and sliced or grated - in any glass containers, suitable for volume.
To pickle the crushed carrots, thoroughly wash the root vegetables and peel them. Rub carrots on a grater and rub it with salt( 100-200 grams of salt per kilogram of carrots).Must stand out juice. Then tamp in glass jars and cover with plastic covers.
To diversify the taste, you can add additional ingredients in carrots in a small amount: dill( finely chopped), horseradish( grated on a small grater), onions and others.
This method of harvesting carrots does not require much time and some special ingredients. But the carrots harvested in this way should be stored only in the refrigerator, otherwise it can deteriorate. If carrots are too salty, then before using it, you must first soak it in water.
Dried carrots
Another unusual way to prepare carrots for the winter is to dry it. Dried carrots can also be used for making first, second courses and sauces, and also as snacks. It is very convenient that such a carrot is very light, almost weightless, so it is convenient to take it with you on a trip.
To prepare a dried carrot, wash it, remove the peel and cut into thin strips, then cook for 12-15 minutes. Leave the carrots for about 3-4 hours at room temperature, and then dry in the oven at a temperature of about 75gr.
The disadvantage of this method is that before cooking carrots must be soaked in water. You can store such carrots in a dry dark place at room temperature.
Pickled carrots
If you are fond of savory snacks, try to pickle the carrots. This is a very unusual dish that can be enjoyed by everyone, because using different marinades, you can get completely different products to taste.
Peel the carrots in a container of boiling water for 5 minutes. Then cut it and put it in sterilized jars. Beforehand, you can put greens or garlic to taste on the bottom of the jar. Finally, fill the carrots with a freshly boiled marinade and roll up the jars. At your request, you can add various spices: cloves, sweet pepper, oregano, etc.
The simplest carrot pickle recipe: take 100 ml of vinegar( 9%) per liter of water and a tablespoon with a slide of salt and sugar. Boil water, sprinkle salt and sugar, boil for 10 minutes, add vinegar, bring back to a boil and immediately turn off.
This method does not suit everyone, tk.marinades usually contain vinegar and sugar, and they can not be used by people with certain diseases, for example, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Canned carrots
In order to prepare carrots without using sugar and vinegar, you can preserve it. You can do it with seasonings and spices, or you can do it without them. Such a preparation is useful for preparing a variety of dishes. Also recommend canned carrots for dietary nutrition.
It is not difficult to preserve carrots. It is necessary to wash and clean root crops well. Put them in sterilized jars, pour hot brine( 1 tablespoon salt per liter of water) and sterilize in a container of boiling water for 45-50 minutes. At the end of this time, roll up the cans with metal covers.
Before sending canned carrots to a cellar or other dark cool place, it is necessary to turn the cans downside down and keep them in this position for a day. Store canned carrots in a cellar or any other cool place, as well as all the conservation.
Carrot puree
If there are small children in the house, it is very important to prepare carrots for winter in the form of puree. For the preparation of carrot puree it is desirable to choose sweet varieties of carrots.
It is necessary to wash root crops well, clean and cut them into several parts. Then prepare the carrots in a convenient way for you: boil, bake in foil, cook on steam, multivark or microwave.
Cut the carrot into a homogeneous consistency with a food processor or blender. Place mashed potatoes in clean glass jars and sterilize them for about 20 minutes. Seal the cans with metal covers.
You can store this workpiece at room temperature. Shelf life - not more than one year.
Carrot caviar
Fans of spicy and spicy snacks can enjoy carrot caviar. Although it can be done and completely unrelated, it all depends on your taste. It is convenient to take caviar with you on the road, have a snack, smeared on a slice of fresh bread. And to treat unexpected guests is also an excellent option.
The basic recipe for carrot caviar for the winter:
- In a deep frying pan pour 100 ml of vegetable oil.
- Place 0.5 kg in the preheated oil.chopped onions and fry until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- To the onion add 200 g of tomato paste and 2-3 bay leaves, mix.
- Stew onions with tomato paste for 5-7 minutes. Do not forget to get in the way!
- Then add 1 kg to the pan.grated carrot and 500 ml.water, and remove the bay leaf. Simmer the vegetable mass for about 30 minutes until soft.
- Grind caviar with a blender.
- Add 50 ml.table vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Stir thoroughly. Put the dishes with caviar on the fire and boil it for 2 minutes.
- Place the prepared caviar in clean, sterilized jars and cover with lids.
- Turn the jars with their lids down and soak them in this position for 24 hours. Then send the caviar to storage in a cellar or other cool dark place.
Salads with carrots
If your family likes salads, then salads with carrots can diversify the diet of your family in the winter season. It is very convenient to get a jar, open and serve a tasty bright snack to the table. Salads can be either with the addition of other vegetables, or with carrots as the main component. Carrot salad recipe for winter. Ingredients:
- carrots - 1 kg;
- garlic - 10 denticles;Sunflower oil
- - 1 item;
- water - 250 ml;
- table vinegar 9% - 3 tablespoons;
- salt - 4 tablespoons;
- sugar - 6 tbsp.
- Wash the washed, peeled, grated carrots with chopped garlic.
- Place it in clean, sterilized jars, pour boiling water into the jars with carrots for about 15 minutes. Carrots should soften.
- At this time, prepare the marinade. In water, dissolve salt and sugar, pour in there vinegar and vegetable oil. Stir well and boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Change the water in the cans with the marinade. It must be hot. Roll the jars, turn them over and let them cool down. Then store, as well as all home preservation.
Having prepared carrots for the winter in any way, you can enjoy its taste and benefit throughout the year. These preparations will help you save time and vary the diet.