Nettle is a unique plant! Its vitamin and mineral composition and medicinal properties are not inferior to any plant, fruit and vegetable. In order to strengthen the body with useful plant components all year round, I suggest freezing nettles for the winter.
Many gardeners unknowingly destroy nettle thickets. Although it contains a large amount of nutrients, and much more than the greens we are used to. Previously, it was used only in the summer or was dried for future use. But with the advent of new technologies, the plant began to be frozen for future use for the winter. The first favorite cabbage soup and pies can be cooked with nettle at any time of the year.
For harvesting, only young shoots of nettle should be collected from its top. If the plant has bloomed, cut it back and wait for new leaves to appear. This is best done in the first month of summer, so that the plant has time to grow by August. Then it will be possible to cook dishes with fresh nettles not only at the beginning, but also at the end of summer.
There are several ways to harvest nettles for the winter. For example, you can freeze nettle juice by grinding fresh herbs and diluting the juice with a little water. The mixture is squeezed through cheesecloth and poured into ice molds. There is an option to freeze nettle puree. To do this, the leaves are finely chopped, mixed with a small amount of vegetable oil, and the mixture is laid out in ice molds. You can freeze whole bunches of herbs, twigs by washing, drying and wrapping with cling film. But today we will consider how to freeze crushed nettle leaves in order to preserve their healing properties and taste.
See also how to make spring nettle and sorrel chicken soup.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 33 kcal.
- Servings - Any amount
- Cooking time - 40 minutes of active cooking
Ingredients:
Nettle - any amount
Step-by-step preparation of freezing nettles for the winter, a recipe with a photo:
1. Freeze and eat only young leaves and shoots of nettles. The harvested plant withers quickly, darkens and deforms. Therefore, after you cut off the shoots and leaves, act very quickly.
So, having selected the necessary branches, place them in a sieve so that it is convenient to work with them.
2. Rinse it with cold running water to remove dirt, sand, cobwebs and other debris, if any. But it is better to place the nettle in a saucepan with salted cold water for 20 minutes and lower the plant into it so that it floats freely. So all the insects will leave the spiders and float to the surface. Some of them, in addition, after washing, the shoots blanch in boiling water, but in this case, some of the nutrients will leave.
Then place the nettles on a paper towel in one layer so that the leaves are completely dry. Stir the greens every 20 minutes so that it dries faster. To speed up the drying process, spread the nettles on a windowsill and create a draft.
3. Use a knife to cut the nettle into small pieces. You can finely chop not only nettle leaves, but also young twigs.
4. Place dried and cut leaves in a plastic bag. Do not ram them so as not to damage them.
5. Drain any excess air from the bag, close or tie, and store in the freezer. After thawing, the leaves will be whole and almost fresh. Chopped nettle is suitable for cooking soups, where it is added without letting it melt. If you use it to make the filling in pies, then you will have to defrost it.
See also a video recipe on how to harvest nettles for the winter. Freezing nettles.
