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The best way to provide your family with vitamins all year round is to freeze cilantro for the winter. Herb greens are valued in cooking and cosmetology. It gives dishes a unique piquant flavor, it is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. It is also used to make face masks. The second name of the herb is coriander.
Is it possible to freeze cilantro for the winter in the freezer
Cilantro, like parsley, can be frozen for the winter in the freezer. With this method of harvesting, the seasoning retains more than half of the nutritional components, but does not tolerate long-term storage. So that the grass does not lose its bright rich taste, you need to know the intricacies of freezing. Otherwise, instead of a fragrant spice, it can turn into a tasteless mass.
Why freeze cilantro for the winter
In Eastern recipes, cilantro is often the leading ingredient, but it is not always appropriate to replace it with dried cilantro leaves. Another reason to freeze grass for the winter is to provide yourself and your family with a vitamin complex.
Is frozen cilantro good for you?
In the frozen state, cilantro loses some of the vitamins and minerals, but retains its unique aroma, taste and color. At the same time, much more of them are preserved in the dried seasoning.
Freezing cilantro for the winter is better than the one grown in your summer cottage
Some of the valuable components in the frozen product still remain. Benefits of frozen cilantro:
- works as a diuretic, helps to remove excess fluid and clean the kidneys;
- prevents the development of diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- regulates the content of cholesterol in the blood;
- restores the hormonal background in women, improves the functioning of the thyroid gland;
- normalizes the work of the digestive tract, helps to digest fatty, heavy foods;
- is a natural antibacterial agent, prevents catarrhal processes.
Cilantro, grown not on mineral fertilizers and artificial growth stimulants, but in natural conditions, brings benefits to the body.
Selection and preparation for freezing
Freezing cilantro is recommended to be cut before it throws out the umbrellas and begins to bloom. During this period, coriander leaves become hard, start to taste bitter. If it is not possible to grow cilantro for freezing on your site, it is better to purchase it on the market from private traders.
Cilantro, which goes on sale in supermarkets, does not have even half of the useful properties.
Steps to prepare cilantro for freezing:
- Sort, remove yellowed, sluggish branches.
- Collect the grass in bunches, rinse them several times until the water runs clear. On the coriander should not remain insects, sand, dirt.
- Spread the greens prepared for freezing on a paper towel, let the water drain. This procedure is given no more than 20-30 minutes, otherwise the greens will begin to wither.
In some cases, it is not necessary to dry the cilantro dry. For example, when freezing seasoning in cubes or on puree, you can simply shake off the water.
Freezing cilantro for the winter at home
Best of all, coriander is stored at a temperature of -18ᵒС, the minimum mode is -12ᵒС. For freezing cilantro greens when harvesting for the winter, metal containers, parchment, paper, thin cellophane are not suitable. Food containers, freezer bags or vacuum bags should be prepared.
Some recipes require the use of silicone or ice molds. When the cilantro freezes, it is removed, folded for long-term storage in hermetically sealed containers or bags.
twigs
The traditional method of freezing cilantro greens is with sprigs
It is recommended to use vacuum or regular tight bags. Thin cellophane for freezing is not suitable.
You can freeze coriander according to the following algorithm:
- Prepared, sorted, dried cilantro is collected in bunches, the stems are cut so that they are the same length.
- Greens are put in bags, pumped out or squeezed out the air.
Cilantro is placed in a film in neat bundles, then there will be no problems during use. Freezing coriander in containers is not recommended. It will be inconvenient to remove branches from the total mass.
shredded
Depending on the quality of the feedstock, the hostess decides whether to chop only the grass leaves or do it together with the stems.
How to freeze cilantro for the winter:
- Coriander greens are finely chopped, as for making soup or salad.
- Lay out the product in portioned bags or small containers so that the contents are enough for 1-2 dishes.
- The bags are tightly closed, sent to the freezer.
If chopped cilantro is sprinkled with a small amount of salt, the freezing period of the product will increase. Also, salted grass can be packed more densely in bags. It will take up less space in the chamber.
Cubes
The cilantro greens for this recipe can be frozen using silicone molds for mini muffins.
It is not necessary to look for a container for making ice cubes. In the absence of such containers, the housewives adapted to freeze in liners from candy boxes.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Prepared, dried cilantro is cut into small pieces with a knife.
- Pack the product tightly into molds.
- So that the greens do not crumble, add a few teaspoons of boiled cooled water.
- The molds are sent to the freezer.
After 4-5 hours, the cubes are transferred to a bag or container, labeled, and sent for storage in the freezer.
In butter
If you like cilantro frozen in butter, it is recommended to choose a natural product without herbal supplements.
How to freeze seasoning with butter:
- Washed, dried cilantro is finely chopped. The product for freezing is poured into a bowl.
- For 50 g of grass take 100 g of oil. It should be at room temperature, not melted.
- Both ingredients are well mixed. If desired, lemon zest, garlic passed through a press or other additives are introduced into the mass.
- Stir the mixture quickly until the butter begins to melt. Wrap in foil or parchment paper, send to the refrigerator to harden the oil. Then the workpiece is transferred to the freezer.
When cilantro with butter is completely frozen, it is packed in tight bags or a container and sent to the freezer.
in vegetable oil
To freeze cilantro, you can use not only vegetable, but also olive oil.
For the recipe, a refined product is used.
How to prepare greens for freezing:
- Cilantro (can be taken along with branches) is cut into three parts.
- Pour into a blender bowl, add oil. Calculate according to the scheme: 80 g per 50 g of grass.
- Immerse the blender, beat until the mass for freezing becomes homogeneous.
- The resulting puree is laid out in molds for making ice, but do not fill them to the very top. During the freezing process, the product will increase in volume.
- The molds are transferred to the freezer. Give a few hours to freeze.
- After that, the cubes are removed from the container, put in tight bags.
The bags are labeled, indicate the date of freezing and what kind of greens are inside.
green mix
Cilantro pairs well with other herbs and spices.
Most often it is used in a mix with parsley and dill, less often with lettuce and sorrel.
How to prepare green freeze mix:
- Herbs for harvesting are taken in any proportion, depending on the preferences of the hostess.
- The greens are crushed, mixed, packaged in small bags or molds for freezing ice. The product is sent to the freezer.
You can prepare a green mixture for freezing with the addition of water, vegetable or butter.
Shelf life
Compared to other herbs, coriander does not last as long. Experts do not advise freezing greens “in reserve”. Sometimes it’s more cost-effective to go to the market and buy a bunch of fresh cilantro.
Shelf life of frozen products:
- sprigs, chopped – three months;
- in butter – up to 30 days;
- in vegetable oil – no more than one quarter.
Thawed cilantro is suitable for consumption within 3-4 days, provided that all this time it has been stored in the refrigerator in a hermetically sealed container.
Defrosting and application
Defrost blanks with cilantro in the refrigerator, on a shelf for storing vegetables. It is not recommended to defrost indoors, near heat sources or when laying in hot food. Grass becomes tasteless, lethargic. Especially if it is used for cooking first courses.
In some cases, it is not necessary to defrost the product
Ways to use frozen cilantro:
- Freezing with butter is used to make sandwiches and other cold snacks.
- Smoothies and other cocktails that are common among people on a diet are prepared from the blank with sprigs.
- Chopped cilantro and twigs are used to marinate meat. The piquant taste and aroma of coriander goes well with any type of red meat, including lamb.
- Whole or chopped sprigs decorate any culinary dishes.
- Frozen coriander greens with vegetable and butter are used to prepare sauces, dressings, gravies.
- Greenery blanks are added to first courses, stews, stews.
Cilantro is used not only as a seasoning. Its healing properties have been known since time immemorial. Regular consumption prevents the development of diabetes. Coriander is used to make homemade masks for the skin and eyes.
Conclusion
To understand which recipe is best for freezing cilantro for the winter, you need to try them all, but in small quantities. During storage, the product loses useful components and taste. It should be remembered about the short shelf life of coriander blanks.
