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Parsley contains many vitamins and microelements, which the human body is especially lacking in winter. One way to preserve these fragrant herbs is to freeze them.
This article will discuss how to freeze parsley for the winter. In addition, you will learn why you should prefer freezing over pickling or cooking in oil.
Frozen greens will retain their flavor, while pickled ones will lose it. You can freeze parsley:
- Chopped loose.
- In ice cubes.
- Twigs.
Freezing Benefits
It is worth noting that each method of preserving greenery for the winter has its own advantages. Here are some of the benefits of freezing:
- The vitamin complex is saved. Perhaps the most important thing when preserving a vegetable is to preserve the beneficial substances that are in it. Therefore, freezing has an exceptional advantage over other types of storage, since in this case all the vitamins will be preserved.
- Aroma, taste and texture are preserved almost unchanged.
- Preparing parsley for freezing is very simple. It usually takes no more than half an hour. Next up is the freezer.
Features of choosing parsley for storage
Green mass suitable for freezing should have a bright color, it should not have dry leaves and other damage. Of course, the parsley must be fresh. This is due to the fact that if the plucked parsley is stored for 3 days in the refrigerator, then by the time of freezing it will lose half of the beneficial vitamins. Buying faded greens is not worth it.
Preparing greens for freezing
Whichever way you choose to freeze parsley, you need to prepare it for sending it to the freezer and this is always done the same way:
- Cleaning parsley bushes: unusable leaves should be removed, roots cut off and foreign inclusions thrown out.
- Flushing. This is done by soaking greens in salt water. Firstly, this method does not injure parsley leaves. And, secondly, this way you can remove nitrates from it and kill microorganisms living in greenery. The water should cover the parsley bunches.
- Drying. By shaking, excess moisture is removed, after which the parsley is laid out on a towel to dry completely. For high-quality drying of all branches, they should be turned over from time to time. This is especially important if you plan to store frozen, pre-chopped greens or whole sprigs. Alternatively, you can make an express drying of greens. To do this, it must be laid on a towel and rolled up, so the main moisture is absorbed into the towel.
Now the green mass is ready for freezing. Freezing methods will be discussed in more detail in the next part of the article.
Ways to freeze parsley
There are several ways to store parsley for the winter, but freezing is the easiest. You can freeze greens in different ways:
- In the package.
- In an ice mold.
- In bunches.
In the package
If you decide to keep the parsley in a bag, it is very important to pay special attention to drying the herbs. If there is water on the leaves, then in the freezer the greens will stick together in one lump. Subsequently, it will either have to be split or cut, which is not very convenient.
If you decide to store the green mass of a vegetable in a bag, then you need to collect it in bunches, cut off the stems, and then finely chop it. So, you get parsley for dressing.
Storage bags can be plain or zippered. It is not worth ramming a large portion of greens into one bag, as it will be inconvenient to store it. Even if you manage to quickly separate some of the greens needed for consumption, then some of the frozen parsley will have time to thaw. After repeated freezing, it will darken.
The prepared mass in the package must be signed, and the package must be twisted into a roll or tied. If you do not sign the bags, then the green mass of the vegetable can be confused with another seasoning, which you may also decide to freeze.
Freezing parsley in bunches
The quickest and easiest way to freeze parsley is to put whole bunches in the freezer. But can it be done? Of course, you can, only on condition that the greens are well dried beforehand. Twigs are collected in bunches of such a size that they can be used for 1-2 times. Whole bundles can be wrapped in cling film or a plastic bag.
Tightly wrapped parsley in bunches forms thin rolls that are usually stored without additional packaging or container. Such parsley is used for making soups, broths, baking fish, meat or chicken with herbs. Who doesn’t love to enjoy fresh, spring-flavored food on a cold winter evening? Freezing greens just helps.
In ice cube trays
The preparation of the green mass consists of the steps mentioned above, but in this case it is not necessary to dry the leaves thoroughly, since the chopped parsley will still be filled with water. At the same time, you need to chop the greens even more thoroughly than usual, otherwise you will not be able to tamp it into the small cells of the ice mold.
So, you need to decompose the greens into cells and tamp it down. After that, the molds are filled with purified or boiled chilled water. Put in the freezer for about four hours. After that, take the finished cubes out of the cells and put them in a bag, sign it and put it back in the freezer, now for permanent storage.
If there is no freezer, what to do
If you don’t have a freezer, then it’s not worth talking about how to freeze parsley for the winter in the refrigerator. However, there is a way out. There is another way to preserve the vitamins and minerals of greens. To do this, it must be dried. By the way, the seasoning will retain its natural flavor. The work consists of the following stages:
- Green check. All spoiled, yellowed and rotten parts of parsley must be removed. Then the root should be cut off.
- Then the greens must be prepared: washed and dried thoroughly.
- Parsley is spread on a baking sheet covered with parchment and placed in an oven heated to +60℃. When drying greens at low temperatures, all its useful properties are preserved.
- In order for the green mass to dry evenly, it should be stirred from time to time.
It is worth resorting to drying only if you do not have a freezer. In general, freezing parsley is easier, for this you only need to sort it out, rinse and give it the desired shape. So, you will save on buying greens and make useful preparations for cooking various dishes. We bring to your attention a video accompanying the topic:
