Grape leaves are loved for their unique taste and aroma. They tolerate the heat treatment well, preserving their color and shape. You can cook a variety of dishes based on leaflets. The most common is dolma. Wrap in sheets you can not only minced meat, but also pieces of fish. Also raw materials are used in cooking pilaf, various vegetable salads. It is necessary to have time to prepare grape leaves for the winter, while they are young and fresh, to enjoy their taste and prepare unusually delicious dishes all year round.
Contents:
- Preparing the leaves for the workpiece
- Ways for harvesting the grape leaves for the winter
- Freezing
- Marinating
- Dry picking
- Wet barrels
Preparing the leaves
Only young, smooth and beautiful leaves of grapes are to be collected. The desired one size. There is an opinion that the most delicious leaves of white grapes.
The best time to harvest is spring, when the flowering period of the vines is coming. Raw materials have nutritious and useful properties. Young leaves last longer, with proper preparation they can be used for a whole year.
After collection, the selected specimens should be washed under running water, and then soaked in a cold for 15 minutes. It is desirable to use bottled water for canning. Tails can be left, holding on to them, it is convenient to get the product out of the jar.
The leaves must be well dried before harvesting. Especially it concerns the way of freezing. Otherwise, they will become very fragile.
Ways of harvesting grape leaves for the winter
To preserve the leaves of the grapes for use for various purposes even in winter, there are various ways:
- freezing;
- marinating;
- salting( including dry method).
Each of the ways has its own nuances. All of them are good and allow you to keep the shape and useful properties of the product.
Freezing
The method is simple, does not require additional ingredients. Takes very little time. Under all conditions, the product can not be distinguished from fresh, the leaves retain their taste and aroma.
- Before freezing, the leaves are not washed, but are gently wiped off with dust by a cloth cloth.
- Young specimens of the same size should be selected.
- Fold in the stacks of 10-15 pieces, wrapped in rolls.
- Further these rolls need to be tightly wrapped in food film.
- The raw material is put into a bag and stored for storage in the freezer.
When the leaves are frozen, they will become very fragile, so it's important to keep them separate from other products. Can be transferred to a container.
Before using the product, it is thawed and lowered for a second into boiling water. Raw materials should completely thaw, otherwise the leaves will break, and use them as an ingredient for dolma will be impossible.
Marinating
With the help of marinating you can save the grape leaves till the end of winter. You just need to carefully prepare the raw materials and make a marinade.
- For a liter can, it's better to choose the palm-sized leaves. They can be folded vertically in a container.
- 10-12 leaves are folded into rolls at once. They are stacked in cans.
- The product is poured twice with boiling water, after 1-2 minutes the liquid is drained.
- Then you need to pour a marinade into the jar. Prepare it is not difficult: 1 liter of water will require 2 tablespoons.vinegar, 1 tbsp.sugar and salt.
The only disadvantage of the way of pickling is the presence of vinegar in the recipe. For people suffering from diseases of the stomach, this method is not recommended. Before use, the leaves should be rinsed under running water.
Adding to the marinade can be various ingredients that will only accentuate the individual taste of the product:
- dry mustard;
- bell pepper;
- sprigs of mint;
- cloves of garlic;
- apple juice.
Technique of fermentation of leaves before pickling, too, has gained popularity.
- Washed in cold water leaves folded a tube of 20 pieces, tied with a thread.
- Then these rolls should be blanched: lowered into boiling water for a couple of seconds, and then immediately into cold water.
- Tubes are placed in cans and poured with brine: 1 liter of water 40 gr.salt.
- Banks are left for 3 days for fermentation.
- After the time has elapsed, pour 1 teaspoon into each container.vinegar. If the brine in the pot is small, you need to top up. Sterilize and roll up.
Before using leaves, rinse well with excess salt.
Salting by dry method
You can salivate the leaf in a dry way. Tara will serve not the usual glass jars, but a 1.5-liter plastic bottle.
- For this method of pickling, you need to select the topmost leaves from the vine. They are wiped with a cloth and rolled into a tube.
- It is necessary to push the tubes through the neck of the bottle. A long wooden stick will help to stoke the product. Raw materials should be tightly packed.
- On top you need to fill the product with salt. It will remain only in the neck of the bottle and will not seep to the bottom.
- The bottle is stored in a cool place.
- When it's time to prepare the dish, you just need to cut the bottom of the bottle, and the leaves themselves drop out of the container.
- They are washed from salt, cook for 5 minutes. The product is ready for use.
Dry canning is also possible with the use of glass jars. The method is simple, cooking takes little time.
- The washed and well-dried leaves must be laid in jars.
- Each layer consisting of 10 leaves must be sprinkled with salt.
- The product must be tightly packed.
- Banks are sterilized, rolled up with lids.
Leaflets prepared with dry salting have excellent taste qualities.
An unusual way of pickling can be done using mint.
- Expand the leaves into 10 pieces. Top with a sprig of mint. Roll into a roll and tie it.
- Rolls can be placed vertically in cans.
- Then you need to boil the brine: 1 liter of water will require 1.5 cups of salt.
- The brine is filtered and poured into a container. Banks are buried in lids and sent to the refrigerator or cellar.
Wet ambassador in barrels
In the East, a simple method of pickling grape raw materials has long been used.
- The leaves are laid in a wooden barrel.
- Fill with a steep solution of salt.
- The barrel is covered with a cloth. The load is set on top.
The container is stored in a cellar. Shelf life of the product is 1 year.