How to freeze grape leaves for the winter for dolma at home? Features and secrets. Step by step recipe with photo and video recipe.
Grape leaves are an integral part of dolma. And despite the fact that this is an oriental dish, in Slavic cuisine it is cooked and eaten with pleasure. Since dolma in many ways resembles our traditional stuffed cabbage rolls. The only difference is that white cabbage is replaced with grape leaves, and the rice and meat filling remains unchanged.
Since the dolma season is very short and the leaves grow old, they become unfit for food, and then they completely fall off. Therefore, in order to enjoy this spicy and tasty dish all year round, it is necessary to save the grape leaves for the winter. The easiest way to prepare the future "wrapper" is to freeze the leaves. They keep well in the freezer in a tightly wrapped film. Although there are other options, for example, conservation. But from my own experience, I can say that canned leaf dolma is not as tasty as we would like: the leaves are harsh, oversalted and the delicate sourness is lost. Therefore, today I want to tell you how to properly freeze grape leaves in the freezer. From the article you will learn not only the recipe with step-by-step photos, but all the subtleties and secrets of the dish.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 32 kcal.
- Servings - 50
- Cooking time - 40 minutes
Ingredients:
Young grape leaves - 50 pcs
Step by step preparation of freezing grape leaves:
1. For harvesting, choose young leaves of grapes. The darker they are, the older they are. Use specimens that are medium-sized (about the size of the palm), finely veined and preferably regular in shape. It is most convenient to work with this size when preparing a dish. Remove up to 5-7 leaves from the top of the vine without damage or signs of disease. It is better to collect raw materials on a dry day, because droplets of moisture on the leaves can cause stains.
Please note that foliage from wild grapes, sunburned, moldy, yellowish or whitish in color, old, growing on vines near busy roads and industrial production is considered unsuitable for cooking. Do not eat foliage after chemical treatment of the vines from pests. When choosing raw materials, I recommend to pay attention to the leaves of the grape variety "Lydia". They have a juicy flesh and a nutmeg flavor. Although the leaves are suitable as a light grape variety, and red or dark.
Sort the selected raw materials, sorting out the spoiled and torn ones. Place in a bowl and soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Then rinse under running cold water.
2. Place the leaves on a clean and dry cotton or terrycloth towel to dry well. The leaves must be thoroughly dried so that not a drop of excess moisture remains on them. Therefore, if necessary, absorb the remaining liquid with a paper towel.
3. Using a knife or kitchen scissors, cut off the cuttings from each leaf - you will not need them.
4. Fold the raw materials in piles, on top of each other, in increasing order: it is better to make the bottom sheet the largest in size. Take 10-12 pieces in each stack. (as many leaves as possible - up to 25 pcs.). Please note that re-freezing is not recommended. Therefore, freeze at once as much as is necessary for one time.
Some housewives put the leaves in boiling water for a couple of minutes before freezing. I do not do this, because when frozen and thawed, they can break, because become very fragile.
5. Roll the leaves with the bright side outward into a tight roll (more tightly so that as little air remains as possible) and tie them with any thread so that they hold well. Set the first batch aside and pack the second and third stacks in the same way.
6. Spread the cling film on the table. Put a roll of rolled grape leaves on it and wrap hermetically, releasing all the air. Wrap the ends gently to avoid damaging the leaves. It is important that there is as little air as possible inside the package. This will protect the product from foreign odors, allow it to cool faster and preserve better. Attach the sticker to the roll, indicating the date of preparation and the number of leaves on it.
Send the prepared grape leaves to the freezer for freezing and storage. Freeze greens at a temperature of -23 ° C in the "shock freeze" mode. When the harvest is frozen, put the freezer in normal mode and store the herbs at a temperature of at least -15 ° C until the next harvest.
It is generally believed that the harvest season begins before the flowering of the grapes (this is around May-early June) or during flowering. At this time, the juice actively circulates through the vine, and it is full of strength. But since the vine grows throughout the summer, you can freeze raw materials for dolma until the end of summer.
When you remove the leaves from the freezer, keep in mind that the leaves are very fragile, so do not damage them. Before use, completely defrost the workpiece at room temperature without unrolling the film. Since the product is fragile and will crumble in your hands at the slightest impact. To speed up the defrosting process, pour boiling water over the frozen deciduous roll without unwinding the wrapper, and leave it for a few minutes to absorb the necessary moisture. Then the product can be used for its intended purpose. See also a video recipe on how to freeze grape leaves for the winter.
