How to freeze sorrel for the winter in the freezer, the best recipes for preparations

Every summer resident wonders how to freeze sorrel for the winter.
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Sorrel lends itself well to freezing and retains its taste even when frozen.

In today's article we will figure out the best way to freeze sorrel in order to preserve its beneficial properties to the maximum.

Is it possible to freeze sorrel?

Sorrel is famous for having an interesting sour taste. Therefore, it is used to add sourness to the dish.

But these greens are also rich in many vitamins that humans need.

But the question arises: “Is it possible to freeze sorrel leaves so that you can use them in cooking in winter?” The answer is yes, you can.

But there are several nuances. This crop is very demanding on freezing conditions. Therefore, if you make a mistake, you will not get fresh, aromatic greens, but limp leaves with a metallic taste.

How to keep sorrel fresh longer in the refrigerator

Before we start talking about freezing sorrel leaves, let's talk about how to keep the product fresh in the refrigerator.

There are several ways to do this.

Storage in a glass jar

Wash the leaves and place them on a kitchen towel in a single layer. This is necessary to drain excess water.

This will take approximately 20 minutes.

Next, place the leaves vertically in a regular glass jar. Cover with a plastic lid and place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

In this form, the product can be kept fresh for a month.

Storage in a bag

With this method there is no need to wash the leaves. It will be enough to wipe with a damp cloth.

Leave the leaves for a quarter of an hour to dry. We put them in a regular plastic bag, tie them and make several holes. Place it on the bottom shelf.

In this form, the product is stored for approximately 15-20 days.

In its own juice

Place the sorrel leaves in a glass jar. Then place it in a pot of water to create a water bath.

You need to heat it over low heat.

Gradually the leaves will begin to sink to the bottom of the jar. At this time you need to add new leaves. This must be done until the jar is completely filled.

Then let it cool, cover with plastic lids and put in the refrigerator.

Classic way

Very often, freezing greens is carried out using this method. To prepare winter preparations you will need the following:

water;
sorrel;
small bowl or saucepan;
knife and cutting board;
towel.

It is recommended to harvest only the greenest and juiciest leaves for the winter. However, it is recommended to freeze them immediately after they have been collected.

It is very important that all collected greens are washed well. To do this, place all the leaves in a bowl of cold water and soak in it for 5-10 minutes. Then, they are all wiped with a towel and placed in a separate container. After this, all the washed leaves are carefully sorted to get rid of yellow or limp sorrel.

How to prepare sorrel for freezing

Before you put the leaves to freeze, they need to be properly prepared so that they do not lose their freshness and, most importantly, their sour taste.

The fact is that if stored improperly, greens will give off a distinct metallic taste.

The first rule is to use only fresh leaves. Do not attempt to freeze flaccid specimens or specimens showing signs of disease.

Young leaves about 10 cm long, collected or purchased no later than 12 hours ago, are ideal for freezing.

Remove yellowing or wilted leaves.

ON A NOTE.
If you harvest yourself, use scissors instead of just picking off the leaves.

First, sorting is done. Then the selected leaves are washed. Please note that you do not need to grate the sorrel. Let the water wash the grass itself. This way you won't crush the leaves.

Unlike, for example, mint, this type of spicy herb does not need to be completely dried. Let the water drain (or shake off large drops yourself) and you can put the harvest in the freezer.

In general, this crop is frozen along with the cuttings. However, if you do not eat them, it is better to immediately cut off the petioles.

Preparing for freezing

Freezing sorrel should be started immediately, as soon as it is collected from the garden or brought from the store. Before freezing a plant in the freezer, it must be properly prepared.

The preparation process is divided into several stages:

You need to carefully sort through the leaves, putting aside those that are limp, with obvious damage, and uneven in color. Separate any debris and weeds that accidentally fall into the bunch.
Rinse the greens several times in plenty of water. To do this, take a plastic bowl, fill it with cool water and immerse the leaves in it. Carefully wash the greens with your hands and place in a colander. Pour clean water and wash the sorrel again.
You should not leave greens in water for a long time, otherwise the leaves will become watery.
The washed leaves are laid out on a towel to dry. If the sorrel is not dried, there will be too much water in the workpiece.
Cut the greens into strips or squares, as you wish. When cutting, special attention should be paid to the stems. If they are thick and rough, it is better to get rid of them. Thin fresh stems will not spoil the workpiece; they can be chopped along with the leaves.

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Having prepared the greens in this way and choosing one of the freezing methods described below, you can get to work.

How to freeze sorrel for the winter in the freezer

Next, we will consider several ways to freeze the product, ranging from the standard in bags to the unusual sorrel puree and sorrel with butter.

How to freeze in bags

Using plastic bags when freezing is a classic way to preserve crops until winter.

The leaves are placed in a bag. Try not to make a “heap”, but to make the package as flat as possible. Place the leaves tightly, but do not squeeze too hard to prevent the juice from escaping.

Calculate the volume yourself, but we recommend adding the greens in portions so that you don’t have to take out all the frozen stuff at once.

Once you have the desired amount, carefully squeeze out any excess air from the bag and tie it closed.

Now all that remains is to put the workpiece in storage until winter.

ON A NOTE.
When using plastic containers instead of plastic bags, the greens can be placed in layers, interspersed with parchment or cling film.

Freezing whole leaves

If you want to get the maximum benefit from sorrel, you need to freeze it whole.

The leaves are sorted and placed into portions. There is no point in freezing everything at once. It is better to make several servings and take the right amount of herb at once.

Whole green leaves can be frozen in bags and containers or done without containers.

If you choose the latter method, here's what you need to do:

Wash and dry the selected sorrel.
Make several servings by tying the petioles of the leaves.
Place cling film on the tray and place tied bundles on top.
Place in the freezer to freeze.
As soon as the greens are frozen, place them in packaging bags. This item is needed to protect the product from the aromas of other products in your freezer.

Methods for freezing chopped sorrel

You can also store fresh herbs already chopped.

The advantage of this method is obvious. The vegetable will not need to be chopped after defrosting, but can be immediately used for its intended purpose during cooking.

At the same time, the greens retain all their flavor tones in full.

The procedure itself is extremely simple. You wash the product, shake off excess moisture, finely chop it and place it in portions in containers.

Next, everything goes into the freezer to freeze. You can use both containers and small bags. Do what is most convenient for you.

How to freeze into cubes

A rather unusual method is freezing in ice cube trays. Usually these are cubes, although they can come in different shapes. Not at all important.

We take silicone molds and place finely chopped leaves on the bottom of each cell. Fill with cooled boiled water and freeze.

Next, it is better to remove the cubes from the mold and put them in bags or deep containers. This is, first of all, necessary so that the greens do not absorb foreign odors and retain all the shades of their taste.

Freeze with salt

Chop the sorrel and place it in containers. Salt, stir and put in the freezer.

ON A NOTE.
It is better to use sea salt. It will taste better this way.

How to freeze with dill

And this method complements the previous one. First, mix finely chopped dill and sorrel, then add sea salt, mix and put in the freezer.

Freezing sorrel with nettles

Take nettle and sorrel in a ratio of 1 to 2. Wash and place both types of greens in a bowl. Then pour boiling water over it and, uncovered, leave for half an hour.

Next, drain the liquid, transfer the green mixture into bags, briquettes or containers and place in a freezer.

How to freeze with butter

Mix chopped sorrel and butter in a saucer or deep plate.

Transfer the resulting mixture into silicone molds and freeze.

When the cubes are frozen, transfer them to a bag and store them.

Is it possible to freeze blanched sorrel?

This is a very interesting method that will significantly reduce the space that the products take up in the freezer.

The algorithm is like this:

We prepare properly;
Finely chop;
Pour into a bowl and place on low heat;
Blanch the leaves. Very little water is needed;
Take out the sorrel and cool it;
We lay out the blanched leaves along with the juice and send them to freeze.

REFERENCE.
A blanched product loses its taste and healing properties faster than a frozen one.

How to make pie dressing

Sorrel is often used to make unusual pies as a filling.

You can prepare it in advance. To do this, we prepare the pouring properly. Then coarsely chop and gently mix with sugar.

It is very important not to crush or crush the leaves. The leaves should retain their structure and not turn into mush.

At the same time, we sterilize the jars.

Next, put the leaves in sugar in the jars, roll them up and put them in the refrigerator.

NOTE!
With this method, freezing is not necessary.

How to freeze as sausages

In fact, this is ordinary freezing in a plastic bag. You simply make a sausage out of an ordinary parcel. By the way, you can wrap the greens in cling film together with the bag.

How to make frozen sorrel puree

To make sorrel puree, use a blender. Place the crushed mixture in silicone molds and place for freezing.

By the way, it is permissible to use not only ice cube trays, but also larger containers.

How to freeze sorrel soup dressing

Soup with sorrel is one of the main dishes of spring, which can also be enjoyed on cold winter days. To do this, you need to freeze the greens.

It is best to use this method. Cut the greens into medium pieces and place them in an ice tray. Fill with water and set to freeze.

Then put the cubes into a bag.

When making soup, simply use the desired number of herb cubes.

Freezing with butter

Sorrel frozen with butter is an exquisite preparation for the winter, which is perfect for herb soup, omelettes or pies. All you need to make sorrel-butter cubes at home is butter and finely chopped green leaves.

The butter must be taken out of the refrigerator in advance and allowed to melt. Under no circumstances should you heat the oil over a fire or in a microwave, trying to speed up the process. It's so easy to break the structure of the product. The butter should soften spontaneously.
Finely chopped greens are loaded into a deep bowl and butter is added. Knead the mixture using a wooden spoon until it becomes homogeneous.
The mixture is placed into ice cube trays and frozen.

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The finished cubes of sorrel and butter separate perfectly from the walls of the mold. They are placed in separate containers and used in winter to prepare your favorite dishes.

Which sorrel is suitable for freezing and which is not?

Only fresh, juicy product is suitable for freezing. Do not store old, tough leaves. They will not give the desired taste, but can only ruin the entire preparation.

You should not take those leaves that have already begun to turn yellow or have too hard petioles.

Also note that you need to collect sorrel for freezing before shooting.

Common mistakes

Now let's see where you can make a mistake when storing sorrel.

Place chopped sorrel in one bag. This is not exactly a mistake, but rather a flaw. If you put all the greens in one bag, then you will have to pick out the right amount later. And this is not very convenient.
The sorrel is completely dried. This greenery quickly withers when dry, so the leaves are stored slightly damp.
The leaves are crumpled before storing. This leads to tissue damage and affects the taste of the product. It becomes sour and acquires a metallic taste.
Sorrel stays in the quick-freezing chamber for a long time. As a result, the product simply “freezes out” and loses its properties for which it is valued.

Answers to frequently asked questions

How to defrost sorrel?

Sorrel is not defrosted, but used frozen. A defrosted product loses its appearance and, most importantly, its taste.

Which is better, fresh sorrel or frozen?

Of course, any fresh product is healthier and tastier than frozen. But sorrel retains the vast majority of its beneficial properties even after freezing.

Which freezing method should I choose?

Depends on your tasks. If you need a filling for pies or a dressing for cabbage soup, it is better to store finely chopped leaves.

If you are preparing salads, use the whole leaves.

Selecting and preparing greens for freezing

For freezing, sorrel is usually harvested between May and early July. It is at this moment that the leaves of the plant are young, have reached their limit in growth and are filled with the maximum amount of vitamins. If you collect it closer to autumn, most likely the greens will be sour, due to a gradual increase in acid concentration.

Note! All housewives know that the plant contains oxalic acid; if its content in the leaves is high, sorrel cannot be eaten frozen or fresh.

It is also worth noting that all people with impaired stomach acidity, gout, as well as pregnant women, should be especially careful when eating all dishes with the addition of this plant.

To make winter preparation healthy and tasty, you should consider the following rules:

Sorrel should be sorted by hand, removing dry and yellowed leaves.
Sorted greens do not need to be separated from the stem, since it has the same taste as the leaves.
Only bright green leaves should be left for freezing.
If possible, for such purposes it is better to use sorrel grown independently.