How to properly freeze arugula for the winter in the refrigerator

Arugula is a fragrant green that is known in many countries, including those with rather cold climates. It has a nutty flavor and is slightly bitter, which is why many people find it unpalatable. Used for preparing fresh salads, soups, various hot dishes, and also as a decoration. Fans of this healthy and tasty herb are wondering whether it is possible to freeze arugula for the winter, since it cannot be consumed fresh for long. Let's look at ways to prepare this greenery for the winter, as well as other interesting facts about it.

Useful properties of the product

Arugula is one of the most useful herbs. These are greens with a rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains folic acid, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, zinc, iron, manganese, selenium, sodium and other elements.

Arugula has a positive effect on the digestion process, strengthens the immune system, normalizes cholesterol levels and has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels. The positive effect of arugula on the nervous system is known - frequent consumption of this green helps to concentrate and not lose composure in a stressful situation.

Eating arugula is recommended for people prone to swelling. It has a mild diuretic effect and has a positive effect on kidney function. Also, due to its low calorie content, this green can be included in a diet when losing weight - dishes with arugula will get rid of fat deposits and excess fluid in the tissues.

The large amount of folic acid in the composition is a reason to use arugula when planning pregnancy and in the early stages. Other useful components contained in it have a positive effect on the development of the fetus and the health of the expectant mother.

What are the benefits of arugula and its contraindications?

This plant belongs to the Cruciferous family. It is characterized by a nutty-pepper flavor, due to which such greens add piquancy to dishes. You can use it for cooking throughout the year. The plant is also used to maintain and restore health during the cold months. Arugula is prepared for the winter in order to preserve the maximum amount of useful components in such greens.

Compound:

• vitamins A, C, E, K, group B;
• micro- and macroelements: selenium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, calcium, potassium, sodium, iron;
• tocopherols;
• flavonoids;
• phylloquinone.

Thanks to these components, it is possible to maintain the basic functions of the body. As a result, when arugula is consumed, the following processes develop:

• normalization of metabolism;
• slowing down cholesterol synthesis;
• improved blood circulation;
• normalization of the functioning of internal organs: heart, liver, kidneys, genitourinary system, etc.;
• increased mental performance;
• restoration of redox processes;
• slowing down the process of destruction of nutrients in the body;
• improving blood composition, restoring its properties;
• maintaining water-alkaline balance;
• normalization of the condition of soft and hard tissues;
• manifestation of antimicrobial properties;
• strengthening the immune system;
• tonic effect.

Positive qualities appear with varying degrees of intensity, which depends on the concentration of vitamins, minerals and other substances.

If you plan to store arugula for preparing medicines and dishes, you need to take into account that the plant has contraindications:

• hypersensitivity, in which people become dizzy due to the smell of such greenery, and also develop allergies;
• severe liver and kidney diseases;
• gout;
• pregnancy period;
• inflammatory processes in the intestines in the acute phase;
• stomach diseases accompanied by increased acidity;
• erosive processes in the structure of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to store fresh arugula

No matter how much you would like to enjoy the taste of this spice for a long time, fresh herbs have a short shelf life - only about 10 days in the refrigerator, provided that it is placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can put arugula in a bag, the main thing is that no air gets into it, as this will significantly shorten the shelf life.

Another storage method is to arrange the greens in the form of a bunch and place them in a container with water at room temperature. This will extend the shelf life of arugula to 5 days, as is the case with cut flowers. This method is also convenient because greens will always be at hand during cooking if you put them in the kitchen.

There is another option for storing herbs - with salt. But it is worth considering that its taste in this case changes slightly, and some of the beneficial properties are lost. Pickled arugula is great for salads and light snacks.

For this storage method, you must first select elastic and bright green leaves, then wash them under running water, dry them on a paper towel and chop them coarsely. Then place in a jar and add salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. salt per 100 g of product. After mixing the greens with salt, the jar should be closed with a lid and stored in a refrigerator, basement or cellar. In this form, arugula can be stored for up to 1 year.

Preparing arugula in jars

This method is used if you plan to prepare a small amount of greens. In this case, 2 options are used:

• preparation of dry raw materials: after the drying process is completed, the plant is crushed and placed in a glass container;
• fresh herbs are poured with salt brine; It is recommended to store the container in the refrigerator.

Freezing

When exposed to low temperatures, greens do not lose their properties. You can store prepared raw materials in this way for a long time. For ease of use of greens, a crushed plant is prepared and placed in bags. To maintain the shape of the leaves, use plastic containers. The raw materials are first dried, then the arugula will not be frozen as a solid stone.

Greens in oil

This recipe is used for harvesting greens, which will later be used for cooking. The main component is oil: vegetable oil is used (it is better to give preference to olive oil), and butter. To prepare, you will need an ice tray. It is filled with arugula shredded on a grater or in a blender. Top the greens with oil. When the cubes are frozen, you can remove them and transfer them to a container that is more convenient to use, and fill the form with 1 more serving of greens.

Is it possible to freeze arugula?

You can get vitamins and other benefits from arugula during the cold season. To do this, you need to know how to prepare one of the healthiest and most delicious herbs. The most popular of them is freezing.

To prevent greens from losing the vitamins and minerals they contain, certain requirements and rules for their preparation and subsequent storage should be taken into account. If you take into account all the recommendations, you can be sure that arugula will provide the body with a large amount of nutrients that are so lacking during the cold season.

How to choose

Harvesting salad plants follows certain rules. In order for the leaves to last as long as possible, their initial condition must be impeccable, and the color must be bright green. The leaf plate cannot have traces of pests, spoiled and dried areas, or visible foci of disease.

You need to carefully check the quality of arugula not only if it is grown on your own plot. When purchasing at the market or in a store, special attention should be paid to this.

For long-term storage, young leaves of the plant are chosen, having a size of no more than 20 - 30 cm. During this growth period, they contain the whole range of useful substances. At the same time, they have good taste and aroma qualities.

Arugula leaves with a yellowish tint or larger than 30 cm in size are not suitable for storage. They most likely have lost their aromatic and healing properties.

Before storing arugula, do not wash it. This is done so that moisture does not cause rotting of delicate raw materials. Arugula should be washed immediately before use.

Preparing arugula for freezing

Arugula is prepared in the freezer in two ways - dry freezing and in oil.

The first option is the simplest - the greens need to be washed, dried and cut, then put into bags or containers and placed in the freezer.

The second option is liked by housewives who value their time. To freeze arugula in oil, wash it, chop it finely, mix with olive oil and place in an ice tray. Then place in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours, after which remove the frozen cubes from the mold and put them in a bag or container for convenience. At any time of the year, you can take out a cube of aromatic herbs and oil to add to soup, salad or other dish.

Experienced housewives advise blanching arugula for 30 seconds before freezing. This will clear the leaves of microbes that could cause them to spoil. However, it should be borne in mind that with this method of processing, the grass loses some of its beneficial properties.

Freezing arugula

The most common storage method. All useful substances remain. And it can be added to different dishes.

• The grass is washed.
• Drying.
• Large leaves are torn or cut, small ones remain intact.
• Arugula is laid out in small portions in disposable bags and the air is released.
• You can use plastic containers.

Such blanks are stored for one year. Gardeners who grow arugula on their plots harvest it early in the morning. They say that at that time it is especially tart and crunchy.

Original freezing

Finely chop, melt the butter, pour in the arugula. Mix with garlic and salt, pour into molds and send such aromatic additives to freeze.

Then they put all the cubes into bags and store them for a whole year. You can mix arugula preparations with any greens and freeze them. Use any vegetable oils. This will only add piquancy to the products.

Defrost the required portions in the refrigerator or add frozen cubes to dishes immediately after the freezer. The preparations are stored for up to a year.

Shelf life of arugula

Arugula can be stored from 5 days to a year. It all depends on the chosen harvesting method. These greens retain their freshness the least when cut at room temperature, and the longest when frozen and dried. The shelf life of arugula is as follows:

1. Fresh herbs - up to 3 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in water and up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
2. Salted - up to 1 year in the refrigerator.
3. Frozen – up to 1 year.
4. Dried – up to 2 years, but it is advisable to use within 1 year.

Cold storage

The refrigerator at home is the most optimal place for arugula. It tolerates low temperatures quite calmly and does not lose its consumer properties.

It is not advisable to keep the herb near certain ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables. This gas has an extremely negative effect on any greenery - it begins to rot intensively. Here are dangerous neighbors for arugula:

• bananas;
• apples;
• bell pepper;
• melon;
• pumpkin;
• pear;
• peach.

Another important point is that the greens discussed in this article very easily absorb foreign odors, so it is better to keep them separate from overly aromatic products.

In room conditions, greens will last for about 2 days, but in the refrigerator they can maintain satisfactory freshness for 10 days. To ensure that arugula does not lose its vitamins and taste during this time, it must be properly prepared. There are several ways.

How to defrost arugula

How the greens are thawed determines their taste characteristics, as well as the amount of vitamins and minerals they contain. To properly defrost arugula, you need to follow these rules:

1. For a salad prepared without oil, you need to defrost the herbs carefully and gradually. First you need to put the frozen piece of greenery in the refrigerator so that it softens slightly. Then take it out and leave it at room temperature until completely defrosted.
2. If the arugula was frozen with butter, the cube with herbs can be added directly to the dish and wait until it is completely defrosted. The oil creates a shell around the leaves, which allows you to preserve all their beneficial properties.
3. For hot dishes, arugula should be defrosted first, since if you immediately add it to hot ingredients, it may lose some of its beneficial properties.

That is, the rule for defrosting arugula depends on the purpose of its further use.

Results

Arugula is a healthy green that is a necessary ingredient in many dishes - appetizers, first and second courses. This herb contains a large amount of substances beneficial to human health, so there is a need to prepare it for the winter. It is impossible to keep greens fresh for a long time - even if each of the conditions is met, the maximum time that freshly cut arugula is suitable is 10 days. To be able to enjoy arugula in winter, it is processed - dried, frozen and pickled. Such preparations retain maximum benefits and do not actually change the taste characteristics of the greens.

Video: Arugula (arugula).//Arugula salad//Preparing for the winter

Arugula (arugula).//Arugula salad//Preparing for the winter

Watch this video on YouTube

Video: Greens for the winter | How to Keep Fresh and Freeze Properly. My proven method!

Greens for the winter | How to Keep Fresh and Freeze Properly. My proven method!

Watch this video on YouTube

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Drying arugula for the winter

Drying is another way to prepare arugula for a long time. During the drying process, moisture is lost, so the greens are preserved for a long time. However, dried arugula is not suitable for all dishes, but it can be an excellent spicy addition to fish, meat or soups. There are several ways to dry arugula, let's look at each of them.

Natural drying

For the preparation, you should select bright green leaves without damage, which you need to thoroughly wash and blot with a napkin, then chop them, tearing the greens with your hands, or leave them whole (if desired). Then place it on a baking sheet, having previously covered it with paper, it is needed so that the arugula does not come into direct contact with the metal, as this will cause oxidation. For the same reason, you should not use a knife when chopping.

The baking sheet or tray with herbs should be left in a warm room, protected from direct sunlight. Within a week the spice will be completely dry. It needs to be placed in a jar or bag for further storage. The shelf life of naturally dried greens is at least 1 year.

In the oven

The oven allows you to reduce the drying time of arugula to 6 hours. To prepare greens in this way, you need to first select the best leaves, chop them or leave them whole, then spread them on a baking sheet in one layer and put them in the oven set at 40 degrees. If the leaves are small, a temperature of 30 degrees is sufficient. The temperature cannot be exceeded, as the greens can simply burn, but it is also undesirable to dry at too low a temperature, so as not to deprive the healthy spice of vitamins.

In the dryer

The easiest way to prepare arugula is in an electric dryer. This device automatically selects the temperature if you select the “Greens” mode. The housewife can only choose good leaves, wash them (if there is no special regime), cut them if desired and place them in a container. Greens dried in an electric dryer retain maximum beneficial properties and are stored for at least 12 months.

In its purest form

This is a method that allows you to preserve arugula for up to 4-5 days. The greens need to be washed and left to dry at room temperature, then collected in a bag or any container and placed in the refrigerator. You can use dried arugula in its pure form for hot dishes, but it will not be suitable for salads.

The listed drying methods allow you to preserve almost the entire set of vitamins and minerals of arugula. This is a healthy preparation that will be an excellent addition to dishes all year round. To keep dried herbs as long as possible, you can place a small bag of salt in the container to absorb moisture and prevent condensation.

Harvesting greens for the winter and prolonging their freshness

There are quite a lot of options by which it is possible to prepare a sufficient amount of spice for the winter period, and each has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. It is possible to simultaneously prepare arugula in different ways, for example, dry part of it, pickle a bunch, and freeze a third. Attention! Regardless of how the greens will be stored - frozen or dried, it is not advisable to use them after a year has passed since they were harvested.

Storing fresh herbs

The most convenient way to store fresh herbs is by placing freshly cut bunches in small containers with water - glasses, small vases, etc. Such preparations look quite impressive and are able to maintain their own freshness for 5 days. It is possible to increase the shelf life of the spice to 10 days if you keep it in vases in a refrigerator.

To ensure that arugula is always fresh and fragrant, it is better to grow it yourself - this can be done all year round, simply by scattering the spice into pots for indoor flowers. Any soil is suitable, since greenery is not fussy and does not need particularly careful care. The only thing is that arugula needs to be provided with additional lighting in winter, since daylight hours are very short and are not enough for the normal development of the plant.

Long-term storage with salt

Grass can not lose its positive qualities over a long period of time if harvested correctly. The simplest and fastest option is freezing; the longer option is drying. But, you can preserve the freshness of the spice for a long time by using salt.

When arugula is pickled, its freshness is maintained for 6 months. The recipe for pickling the spice is as follows:

1. We select freshly picked young leaves from those that have already withered.
2. We wash the greens under running cool water in a colander.
3. Dry the washed leaves on cotton towels.
4. We cut the leaves in a way convenient for further use.
5. Place the greens in a glass jar, compacting it tightly and sprinkling with salt. For every 100 g of spice, 1 tbsp is needed. mineral.
6. The jar is closed with an airtight lid and sent to the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. It is also permissible to store this workpiece in a cool basement, cellar or pantry.

This way it is possible to preserve the maximum beneficial properties of the plant, but the taste characteristics of arugula will change slightly.

Drying

Most people prefer this option for harvesting greens for the winter. But this method has a significant drawback - it is impossible to use spices prepared this way for salads. Dried arugula is used only as a spice for first and second courses.

It is possible to dry the herb naturally - crushed and washed leaves are dried on a baking sheet in a warm, well-ventilated room. The dried grass is not covered, but is periodically mixed. The process takes up to a week. Then the spice is packaged in glass jars. A simpler option is to use a specialized device - an electric dryer for fruits and vegetables. Heating level – +50 ̊С, process time – up to 12 hours. You can also dry the spice in the oven - at a temperature of 40 °C for 6 hours.

Attention! To prevent dried herbs from spoiling, the glass jar must be tightly closed with a lid; a bag of natural fabric with salt can be inserted into the grass, which will draw unwanted moisture onto itself.

Freezing

Herbs harvested by freezing retain most of the beneficial qualities, and also do not actually change the taste characteristics in comparison with the pickling option. The process itself takes a little time and does not involve any complex manipulations. The main advantage of this option for preserving greens is the possibility of using them in salads, and not just as a spice for first and second courses, as in the case of drying.

Here's how to freeze arugula:

1. The greens are washed thoroughly, but with care so that the leaves are not damaged.
2. Dry the arugula on cotton towels. If you skip this stage, the greens freeze into a monolithic lump.
3. The herb can be crushed or frozen with whole leaves.
4. Arugula is packaged in plastic bags or other tightly closed containers in portions, in the volume that can be used at a time. The bags must be pressed as much as possible so that all the air comes out of them.
5. Packaged greens go into the freezer.

It is possible to keep arugula frozen for one year. The herb thaws quite quickly - it must be removed from the freezer, chopped and added to the dish that is being prepared (at the final stage). It is forbidden to refreeze greens, as their consistency changes, taste deteriorates, and all useful substances disintegrate.

Arugula in oil

The option of preparing herbs in oil is quite practical. This method requires only simple ingredients and a little time. At the same time, the oil well preserves the rich taste of herbs, introducing additional pleasant notes into it. Only small-sized molds need to be prepared in advance - standard ice-making containers or plastic containers up to 100 ml are also suitable.

You can use butter or vegetable oil - olive, sunflower, flaxseed - at your own discretion and according to your taste preferences. It is better to choose flaxseed or olive oil, as they contain the largest amount of substances beneficial to the human body. The workpiece is prepared as follows:

1. Wash the greens with cold running water and finely chop.
2. Shredded arugula is transferred into prepared forms or containers - one third of the volume is filled with greens.
3. The grass in the molds is filled with oil. It is not advisable to add fat to the brim, since oil, when frozen, can increase in volume and fill the container completely. When using butter, it is first allowed to heat up, but not melted to a liquid state - its consistency must be simply soft.
4. The molds with the spice go into the freezer.

After the cubes have completely frozen, they are removed from the mold and placed in a plastic bag. It is permissible not to remove the arugula in oil from the mold, but only when the volume of the freezer allows you not to save space. When frozen greens in oil in one large container, you can cut this monolith into small pieces, making sure that one piece can be used at a time. Prepared cubes of butter and arugula can be used in the future as part of salads, main and first dishes, hot and cold dishes.

Reference! Likewise, it is permissible to freeze greens in water or broth.

Interesting Facts

Arugula is an unusual green. It has an original taste and is very healthy. But not everyone knows interesting facts about this spicy herb:

1. Arugula is a weed. It came to the table thanks to gourmets who noticed the unusual taste and aroma of this plant.
2. This herb has many names - arugula, eruka, indau, rocket salad. But in Russia and many other countries you can more often find the traditional “arugula”.
3. Growing arugula is very easy. It is unpretentious and can even grow on a windowsill.
4. The reason for the bitter taste is the mustard oil that accumulates in these greens. The least bitterness is felt in a young plant.
5. You can remove the bitter taste as follows: pour boiling water over the herb and immediately plunge into cold water. You can also neutralize the bitterness by adding avocado, chicken, tomatoes or spinach to the dish.

Useful tips

To keep arugula fresh in the refrigerator, it needs to be covered. It must be in a vacuum, without access to air. And it is stored for up to 4 days.

Dried herbs are periodically inspected to prevent pests. And it is stored in places where there is no access to moisture and light.

Arugula from the freezer cannot be re-frozen. Frozen food lasts for a year. Greens are frozen in small portions.

You can grow arugula on windowsills to enjoy fresh herbs all year round.

Advantages and disadvantages

Housewives often use freezing garlic to store it. This method has both pros and cons. Namely:

• garlic retains antibacterial properties;
• retains useful microelements;
• lasts longer than any other method;
• ready to use immediately.

Minuses:

• loses a little aroma;
• the taste is not as pronounced as fresh;
• after defrosting, it loses its appearance and “creeps”.

The pros and cons overlap each other, as a result of which each housewife herself will evaluate the advisability of freezing garlic. An alternative could be a method of preserving garlic for the winter, such as drying it for seasoning using household appliances or fresh air.

Is it possible to freeze whole garlic in the freezer? This method is used quite rarely.

If you still decide to resort to freezing whole heads of garlic, you just need to put them in plastic bags. Place these bags in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

This method is preferable to the previous one. Garlic is frozen already peeled; after removal from the freezer, it is ready for use in preparing a dish, sauce, etc.

A good option for freezing garlic. Garlic is twisted in a meat grinder and frozen in containers. If necessary, remove the container from the freezer and use a knife to cut off the garlic mass as much as necessary. The container with the remaining mass is placed back in the freezer.

Did you know that there are even special devices for freezing garlic? About one of them in this video: