Why you can’t freeze parsley for the winter

Product Features

The rules for storing parsley root and shoots for the winter are different:

The above-ground part of the plant is harvested in June to preserve the aroma of parsley.
The roots are harvested at the end of summer - it is at this time that the parsley root needs to be dried so that the vitamins are preserved in it for the long winter.

Ways to make winter semi-finished parsley products in your home kitchen:

freezing;
drying;
canning with oil;
pickling.

You can freeze parsley and store the aromatic plant in the freezer to enjoy the healthy greens during the winter months. There are three methods on how to properly freeze parsley for the winter:

in cling film;
in ice briquettes;
in packages.

Procedure for how to properly dry parsley at home for frozen storage:

Rinse the above-ground part carefully with cool running water and remove the coarsened part of the plant.
Place in a colander or spread on cloth napkins, allowing the water to drain or be absorbed. You can use an electric dryer.
Finely chop the dried stems and leaves, tear them with your hands or grind them in a blender. You can form bunches by twisting several plants together and tying them with thread.
If you pack parsley in cling film: divide the green mass into portions, wrap, pack, and keep in the freezer at a temperature of -16°C.
To prepare greens in the form of beautiful ice blocks, distribute the finely chopped raw materials into molds, pour warm boiled water into the recesses of the container, let cool and put in the freezer.

In the solid state of the crop, its healing characteristics remain active for up to 12 months and the piquancy of fresh herbs is preserved. Portioned ice cubes with herbs are dipped into broths and soups a few minutes before they are ready, and bundles frozen in cling film are used for preparing salads and are suitable for serving first and second courses before serving.

Important.

To preserve nutritional properties and vitamins, avoid re-freezing.

Advantages of freezing over other methods:

preserves the shape, color and smell of fresh plants;
preserves the healing characteristics and activity of microelements;
saves time;
stored for up to one year.

Harvesting parsley for the winter at home is a simple process. You just need to determine what is acceptable for yourself.

The root system and shoots of the plant are dried if it is not possible to make preparations in the freezer.

What is the best way to store root parsley for the winter in the refrigerator:

Wash the plants and separate the roots.
Dry on fabric for an hour.
Cut the dried parsley into thin slices, bars or cubes.
Distribute evenly on a tray in one layer.
Place in the oven and dry with the door open for 5 hours (recommended drying temperature 50-60°C).

To store for the winter, you can dry the root parsley at normal temperature, leaving the slices in a well-ventilated area for about a day. After drying, place the parsley root in jars or any other containers with a tight lid.

How to dry herbs:

Peel and sort the stems, separating the withered and crumpled leaves. Rinse.
Finely chop or tear.
Spread thinly on a tray.
Leave in a cool, unlit place until the moisture evaporates naturally.

In order to prepare dried parsley in the form of greens or finely chopped roots, you can also use modern kitchen “helpers” - a microwave oven or an electric dryer. The smaller the plant shoots are cut, the faster the cooking process will be completed. When dried, root parsley or herbs can be stored for up to two years without loss of beneficial properties.

Important.

Do not allow moisture to get into the dried mass!

Just as in the case of drying the product, greens and root vegetables should be prepared separately. The roots should be cut as finely as possible with a sharp knife, but do not use a blender (otherwise additional moisture will be released from the plant). It is also good to dry the shoots on a towel or in an electric dryer.

Procedure:

Rinse the glass jar and lid well in hot water and sterilize.
Carefully place the resulting raw material in the jar, layer by layer, without squeezing or crushing the green mass.
Pour any type of refined or unrefined oil into a container.
Store parsley prepared in this way in the basement, cellar or refrigerator.

To preserve the finished product, the green mass must “sink” in the oil liquid by at least one and a half fingers!

Freezing methods

There are several most common ways to store frozen greens. Each housewife uses the option that is most convenient for cooking in a particular family.

Whole branches

This is how herbs are frozen to decorate prepared foods and make tea. To maintain an attractive appearance, the grass is packaged in cling film or foil, carefully placed in bunches. In this form, any grass can be frozen. Some housewives do not use the entire bunch for cooking - just cut off the required amount, and the rest can be put back in the refrigerator.

Photo from the site pojrem.ru

Sliced

Pre-shredded foliage saves cooking time. A homogeneous composition or a mixture of different herbs for first courses, salads, and stews is packaged in thick plastic bags, foil, and cling film.

It is convenient to package the product separately in portions for one preparation. The packaging is shaped flat, compacting the greens tightly and trying to release all the air from the bag, this saves space.

You can freeze portions of greens in plastic cups or silicone muffin tins, and after the product has hardened, transfer the finished “washers” or “rectangles” into bags.

Ice cubes

An interesting option for freezing greens. The chopped grass is compacted into ice molds and filled with water. When the cubes are frozen, the mold is dipped in hot water for 10 seconds to remove the product. Ice cubes are used when preparing first and second hot dishes. Mint or lemon balm leaves, poured with a decoction of chamomile herb or cucumber juice, are a ready-made cosmetic lotion for wiping the skin of the face and neck.

Use filtered or boiled water for pouring the herbs.

In oil

With the addition of oil, herbs are frozen and used to flavor hot dishes in which oil is an important ingredient. These are thyme, tarragon, basil, savory, fenugreek, garlic arrows.

Clean dry raw materials are crushed and placed in ice trays. Cells with grass are filled to the top with sunflower, olive or ghee oil. The product hardens overnight in the freezer. Then the finished cubes are poured into bags.

Features of storing parsley and types of preparations for the winter

For every housewife there are recipes that suit her preferences and wishes. You just have to search a little. Creating suitable home conditions for preparations is not difficult. And the resulting seasoning compensates for all the effort expended.

The entire plant is harvested for the winter; there are not many ways to accomplish this task:

Drying. The roots and leaves of plants are dried in the oven or in the fresh air.
Freezing. The crushed parts of the culture are frozen and stored in the freezer.
Marinating or salting. Chopped greens and chopped roots are pickled or salted.
Oiling. The workpiece is mixed with oil and stored in the refrigerator.

You should choose a method of preserving the culture by studying the recipes.

Dried parsley

There is nothing difficult about drying parsley. It is enough to fulfill a few requirements, and everything will work out.

How to dry a plant and preserve the aroma is a question many housewives ask. Compliance with the requirements and rules results in parsley retaining not only its odors, but also its mineral components.

The advantages of this method are that the parsley loses weight and becomes more compact. And it is easier to store it, and it does not require special conditions.

To prepare green mass or roots for future use, they are washed and dried well. Then they sort through, removing unsightly, diseased and deformed specimens. At the end of sorting, the roots are cleaned.

The roots, depending on the size, are cut into circles or cubes. The prepared raw materials can only be dried. They do this in different ways.

On open air

This method takes a long time, but the effectiveness does not suffer from this. Greens are dried whole sprigs or chopped for immediate consumption.

To dry, it is placed on a plane, evenly distributed over the surface on which it is dried. The thinner the layer, the faster the raw material will dry. Lay out no more than 1 centimeter thick.

The greens collected in bunches are hung under a canopy or in another well-ventilated area. The leaves should hang down. It is advisable to exclude direct sunlight on the foliage, as it will turn yellow and lose its attractiveness.

The roots are also dried in the fresh air, cut into arbitrary shapes and covered with gauze to prevent insects. Periodically turning the pieces will speed up the drying process and eliminate scorching.

Depending on the accompanying conditions, the plant will have to dry from 5 to 20 days, not forgetting to periodically turn the raw materials to speed up the process.

In the oven

It doesn’t take much time to prepare the spice this way. The seasoning will dry out much faster than in the first case.

It is important here not to overdo it with the temperature, because the higher it is, the faster the roots and greens dry. But this affects the appearance and the complex of useful substances included in their composition.

The optimal temperature is 40-60 ⁰С. The washed and peeled roots are cut into cubes or slices and laid out on a baking sheet. The greens are laid out in sprigs or cut and distributed in a thin layer.

Dry with the door open, the approximate time spent in the oven is 5-6 hours. Finely chopped raw materials dry several times faster.

In an electric dryer

This kitchen assistant will always help out the housewife. You don’t have to do anything special, the roots need to be cut, and the green branches should be laid out whole.

Set the “For herbs” mode, and set the temperature to no more than 45 ⁰C. It is necessary to periodically monitor the process, changing places of pallets. It is difficult to indicate the exact time; it depends on related factors: air humidity, slice thickness and much more.

In the microwave

Place the parsley on a plate, preferably flat, and cover the bottom with a napkin. The power of the device is maximum. The time for which the raw materials are placed in the microwave is 2 minutes, then you should look at the appearance of the plant. If it is not dry enough, leave it for another 2 minutes. And so on until the mass reaches the desired state.

Pickling parsley

An effective way to preserve crops for the winter is to sprinkle them with salt. There are many recipes for its preparation. It is necessary to select the most suitable method.

The grass remains green and lush until autumn, which is why it is collected throughout the season. You will prepare it for the winter without waiting for the end of autumn; reserves of spices can be made in advance. All beneficial and taste qualities will remain unchanged, the main thing is that the plants are of high quality and healthy, and the leaves have a rich dark green hue. Many varieties of parsley are ready for harvest within 2-3 months after planting. Young first-year parsley is the most fragrant.

When greens and roots are to be harvested, it is better to dig up the plant in the fall, when the maximum amount of elements beneficial to health has accumulated in the rhizome.

When harvesting, the stems should be cut at the root; new branches will grow very soon. If you do this along the edge of the bush, the inner stems will grow better.

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All collected parsley must be divided:

leaves;
roots - carefully remove dirt, rinse and dry.

Whether you bought parsley at the market or just cut it from the garden, you store it for some time, while protecting it from:

oxygen access;
direct rays of the sun;
excess moisture and its loss.

A few tips won't hurt at all; they are simple but effective:

Remove spoiled twigs and soil from the bunch, trim the stems, wrap tightly in parchment paper or a cloth napkin and place in a cool, dark place. Do not wash! 3-4 days of storage guaranteed.
Fill a jar a third full with water and put a bouquet of parsley in it, you can cover it with a plastic bag on top and put it in the refrigerator. Change the water periodically. The greens will last up to 2 weeks.
Sort through, but do not wash, place for a short time on a paper towel (or simply wrap in a napkin), place in a plastic bag (punch holes in it in advance) and put in the refrigerator.
You can also wash it. Then you will have to dry each twig with a paper towel, lay it out on the paper until completely dry, put it in a container, close it and put it in the cold. A month of freshness is guaranteed.

Do not send greens for storage wet.

When storing parsley root in the refrigerator, without freezing it, without pickling it or pickling it, it is best to include it in a soup dressing, for example, bell pepper with the addition of various herbs. This preparation will be perfectly stored in the refrigerator.

There are quite simple ways to preserve it in normal home conditions. It is not at all necessary to experiment and try out each of the given recipes. You can use the one that seems most suitable and simple.

In any case, all the vitamins contained in the spice, its unusual taste and aroma will remain unchanged.

So, the options.

Freezing

Before you start freezing, you first need to untie the bunches and remove limp, yellowed shoots and leaves with spots. After this, keep the greens in water for a while, stir the parsley constantly, and change the water two or three times. Be sure to rinse the gas again under running tap water and drain it in a colander for about 15 minutes.

Place on a towel and roll it up. The spice, as a result, is almost dry and ready for processing.

Finely chop the parsley leaves before placing them in bags. To make it more convenient to store in the freezer, it is recommended to roll the pacts.

The main difference from the previous method is that the greens do not require drying. Remove the stems, chop the leaves into smaller pieces, place in molds, fill with boiled water to the brim, and then place in the freezer for 4 hours. Remove the frozen cubes from the cells and package them in bags for winter storage.

With a bunch - this method is the fastest.

Gather the greens into small bunches to use once or twice later. Wrap each bunch tightly in cling film and store it that way.

Frozen parsley will keep in the freezer for at least a year. Freezing it again is undesirable, as this will significantly worsen its taste.

A simple option that allows you to preserve parsley all winter without freezing. The main condition is to dry in the shade and in a ventilated place; you will not be able to preserve the aroma of greenery under the influence of direct sunlight, and the leaves will turn yellow. It is easy to dry the greens in bunches: tie a few branches with culinary thread and hang them for a week.

Carefully separate the greens from the dried parsley branches and place them in a glass container. Should be stored under a closed lid.

Some people prefer to dry chopped greens. It is simply scattered on thick paper and placed in the shade or used in the oven for these purposes (no more than 50 ℃).

Pickling

People used salting as an option for long-term food storage when refrigerators did not yet exist. Salt is a natural preservative. Today it is not used often, but it will perfectly preserve all the properties of greenery and will not allow harmful microorganisms to develop.

Pickle the parsley. It's simple:

Grind it (grate the roots).
Add table salt 5:1 (spice/salt).
Mix and place in glass jars.

Store in the refrigerator or other cool place.

In oil

In the absence of a freezer, it becomes necessary to do without freezing. Sometimes sunflower oil is used. They are poured with greens, dried, chopped and tightly packed in glass jars. And so that there are no air bubbles between the leaves. Keep the jars tightly closed and refrigerated.

The methods proposed above preserve the quality of harvested parsley. On the coldest days, there will always be aromatic dishes with summer seasoning on your table.

You can preserve parsley for the winter at home in different ways:

whole in bundles or in a plastic container;
in ice trays;
in a plastic bag or in small portioned bags.

Each housewife chooses the method that will allow her to take some greens for cooking.

Methods for freezing parsley

There are several ways to preserve parsley for the winter, but freezing is the easiest. You can freeze greens using different methods:

In the package.
In an ice tray.
In bunches.

In the package

If you decide to store 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 into one lump. Subsequently, it will have to be either 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 will have parsley for dressing.

Storage bags can be regular or zippered. You should not compact a large portion of greens into one bag, as it will be inconvenient to store. Even if you manage to quickly separate some of the greens needed for consumption, some of the frozen parsley will have time to thaw. After repeated freezing, it will darken.

The prepared mass in the bag must be signed, and the bag must be rolled or tied. If you do not label the bags, then the green mass of the vegetable can be confused with another seasoning, which you may also decide to freeze.

What are the benefits of parsley?

Traditional healers call this edible plant a vitamin bomb. It contains such valuable elements as

aroma oils;
vitamins: C, PP, E, K, A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9;
minerals: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc.

The nutritional value of parsley is minimal (45 kcal per 100 g), and the presence of dietary fiber (fiber) is maximum, so it can be used in dietary nutrition.

Note!

Parsley can be used to decorate a finished dish, improve the taste of soup and improve your health at the same time.

This plant has medicinal properties:

Has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Helps cope with depression.
Improves metabolism.
Strengthens gums.
Positively affects the functioning of the thyroid gland, gastrointestinal tract and adrenal glands.
Restores blood sugar levels.
Prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Using parsley you can get rid of anemia, chronic constipation, and problems associated with the menstrual cycle. For men, the root of this plant helps fight prostate diseases, and also improves erection and increases potency.

It is difficult to overestimate the degree of usefulness of greens, since the therapeutic effect on the human body is very great. The diverse influence of the constituent elements leads to an increase in overall tone.

The effects of parsley on humans are:

improving the functioning of the adrenal glands;
improving metabolism;
anti-inflammatory effects;
strengthening blood vessels;
ensuring normal functioning of the brain;
improving the body’s condition in diseases of the stomach and duodenum;
stimulation of digestive enzymes;
stimulation of appetite;
feeling of satiety;
beneficial effects on the organs of vision;
strengthening gums and much more.

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When using parsley in any form, do not forget about contraindications. In addition to benefits, it also brings harm. You should consult your doctor before self-medicating.

It is not advisable to use parsley for those who:

suffers from bladder diseases, cystitis, urolithiasis,
has chronic diseases of internal organs,
has a tendency to allergies.

Everything is good in moderation - there is no need to abuse it, and there will be no harm from using the culture.

Preparation of the main ingredient

In order not to be disappointed in this storage method, you need to properly prepare the greens. It is enough to follow a few rules:

Greens should be as fresh as possible. If it has lain indoors for 2 days and has lost most of its nutrients, then there will be no point in freezing it. You need to calculate the time so as to transfer it from the garden to the freezer with minimal loss in time.
It is better to collect leaves early in the morning, so they will be more juicy.
If there is a lot of greenery, you can soak it in water to remove dust and dirt for a few minutes. A small portion can be washed under running water.
The washed leaves are laid out on a towel or napkin to remove excess moisture.

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Parsley is an unpretentious plant with strong immunity, which is practically not affected by diseases and pests. But still, it doesn’t hurt to inspect the greens while washing and drying.

When collecting greens for storage, it is worth considering several rules under which parsley will retain maximum beneficial properties:

The green part of the plants is collected at any time. The vitamin reserve concentrated in the leaves does not change during different periods of the growing season.
The roots are collected only in the fall, since it is at this time that they are filled with the maximum amount of useful substances.

Before you start harvesting parsley, you need to separate the green part from the rhizome. Sort through all the leaves, removing dry, yellowed specimens.

Wash all components and dry well. Then decide on a method for storing it in the winter. It depends on the time available to the housewife and the personal preferences of family members.

Every kitchen has its own recipes for how to properly freeze parsley. To make it convenient to use the herb in cooking later, you need to take into account several important points:

If possible, it is better to allocate a separate drawer in the freezer for vegetables and spices so that the smells of the products do not mix.
Parsley should be well washed and thoroughly dried. If you do not remove excess moisture, the mass will eventually freeze into one lump.
Material for packaging must be prepared in advance: zip bags, food foil, ice trays, plastic containers.
Freezing must be packaged wisely. It’s good if the greens are immediately divided into portions. Why can't you store the seasoning in one large bag? Every time you take out another portion, the entire contents of the bag will come into contact with air and lose their properties.
The spice should last all winter.

The method for freezing parsley should be tailored to the dishes to which the seasoning will be added. Provide several different options for adding to entrees, salad dressings, and garnishing. There should be a suitable preparation for all your favorite recipes.

Benefits of parsley and contraindications

In folk medicine, the root part and shoots of parsley are used, and medicinal decoctions are prepared based on them. Parsley is taken for diseases:

stomach;
duodenum
liver;
kidney;
organs of the genitourinary system;
thyroid gland.

Note.

Parsley stimulates appetite, normalizes metabolism, strengthens blood vessels, stops inflammatory processes, and has a good effect on visual acuity and the condition of the gums.

In cosmetology, decoctions are used to stimulate hair growth and strengthen hair follicles.

Contraindications for use:

diseases of the bladder, stomach, liver and kidneys in the acute stage;
increased tone of the uterine muscles during pregnancy;
exceeding the recommended dosage when preparing and consuming medicinal decoctions leads to dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Greens from the freezer have a powerful effect on the body, namely:

thanks to essential oils, it has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties;
vitamin K strengthens blood vessels and prevents the formation of blood clots;
improves vision due to the content of vitamin A and beta-carotene;
regulates the functioning of the endocrine system;
increases metabolic rate and promotes weight loss;
vitamin B2 and folic acid maintain a normal nervous system;
removes excess salt from the body and prevents joint diseases;
cleanses the intestines and promotes the development of healthy microflora;
ascorbic acid strengthens the immune system and protects against colds;
due to the content of a large amount of chlorophyll, it improves blood properties;
regulates blood sugar levels;
Vitamin E prevents the smallest capillaries from clogging;
the amino acid histidine stimulates the restoration and healing of all body tissues;
a high concentration of potassium strengthens the heart and helps stabilize the heartbeat;
nicotinic acid improves digestion and redox processes;
parsley contains phytoestrogens, which normalize the menstrual cycle in women;
prevents the development of prostatitis in men, improves potency.

You can learn more about the medicinal properties of parsley here.

Harm of frozen parsley:

Parsley is very susceptible to environmental conditions.
If greens are grown in areas with unfavorable environmental conditions, or with the use of chemicals, the crop will do more harm than good. Heavy metal salts and other toxic substances cannot be completely removed from the beam.
Spicy greens are contraindicated for people suffering from liver and urinary tract diseases.
Excessive consumption of frozen parsley leads to an excess of essential oils in the body, which leads to dizziness and nausea.

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Drying

If the freezer of your refrigerator is already packed to capacity, then you can dry the parsley, preserving the vitamins and microelements contained in it to the maximum. With this method, the seasoning will also largely retain its fragrant aroma.

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Drying should be done in stages:

It is necessary to remove yellowed and diseased leaves and cut off the root.
Next, the parsley is washed well and dried.
Place parchment on a baking sheet, onto which the greens are spread in an even layer. All this is placed in the oven, preheated to a temperature of 60 C.
To ensure that the parsley dries evenly, you need to stir it periodically.

In practice, freezing is much more convenient than drying. The latter method should be chosen only in cases where it is not possible to freeze greens.

Benefits of freezing

An equally effective way to prepare greens for the winter is freezing. The culture retains the entire supply of nutrients, thereby helping to support immunity in the middle of winter. Freezing plants will require very little time and effort. There are 3 ways, which one is the best, the hostess herself will decide.

In the package

All you need is parsley. Quantity is not limited. The leaves are washed well, sorted and dried.

If the greens sit for more than 30 minutes, they will begin to wilt. This will complicate the preparation process.

Drying using a towel is quick and effective. Next, you should cut it as desired or as for immediate dressing of the dish.

The finished chopped green mass is placed in bags. Do not freeze in large quantities, this is not advisable. After repeated defrosting, the leftovers will turn black and will not go into the gas station. Next, the bags should be frozen.

A more labor-intensive way to harvest greens in the winter. You will need boiled water and herbs.

Parsley is washed several times in cold water. There is no need to dry it, as it is filled with water. Chop finely, it will be easier to compact it into small cubes.

Place in molds, seal and fill with chilled water. Place in the freezer for several hours. After the cubes are frozen, take them out of the mold and put them in bags. For convenience, sign it.

In bundles

This is the fastest way to preserve greens, but you should dry them well. Bunches are formed for one or two preparations. The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, no more.

The finished bundles are wrapped in pieces of cling film or placed in a plastic bag. And they are sent to the freezer until required.

To properly prepare this recipe, you don’t need to do anything special. Greens are prepared in the same way as with other methods of storing for the winter.

Parsley is chopped and placed in a dry container. In this case, there is no need to compact; then pour in vegetable oil and store the dressing in the refrigerator.

Parsley in marinade

Making the appetizer is a little more complicated than previous recipes, since you need to prepare a marinade.

Components:

parsley;
leaves of horseradish, cherry, currant;
garlic – 2-3 cloves;
salt, at the rate of 1 tablespoon per liter of water;
bay leaf, allspice;
70% vinegar - 0.5 teaspoon per 1-liter jar;
water.

This is how you prepare for the winter: Parsley is washed and sorted, cut in any way. Place in jars with previously added leaves of cherries, currants, horseradish and garlic cloves. Prepare the brine: 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water. Pour into prepared jars and close with lids.

To enjoy the aroma and taste of parsley all year round, you don’t have to grow it or buy it in a store. This garden plant perfectly retains all its properties when stored in the freezer, so it can be prepared for the winter and used without wasting time on shopping.

The advantages of freezing over drying are as follows:

varied: there are several types and options for freezing parsley;
convenient: greens can be stored whole in the freezer, wrapped in a plastic bag;
Frozen parsley retains its aroma, taste and does not lose its medicinal properties.
fast.

Even an inexperienced cook can freeze parsley correctly, so all family members, young and old, can take part in preparing greens for the winter.

Secrets of proper freezing of parsley

But you need to find a place for parsley and other greens - it’s tasty, healthy, and financially beneficial. In winter, any fresh herbs are almost worth their weight in gold. You can, of course, find inexpensive dried or frozen ones in the store, but the taste is not the same. But prepared at home, both the aroma and the benefits are the same as fresh . By the way, I still haven’t decided for myself whether it’s better to freeze or dry parsley for the winter. We have both in stock. But this time we will talk specifically about freezing.

The main thing is that freezing parsley for the winter at home must be done according to all the rules. Don't be afraid, there are not many of them:

Sort through, remove yellowed parts . To preserve the workpiece for a long time, get rid of damaged and rotten stems and leaves. In such places, microorganisms quickly develop, which shorten the shelf life of greens even if they are frozen.
Rinse and dry. For convenience, freezing should be completely ready for use. Before storing in the refrigerator, rinse the bunches under running water, place on paper towels and let the water drain. Freeze parsley without water, otherwise the pieces will stick together into a lump. Before rinsing, you can soak the greens in slightly salted water (remember, we did this with cauliflower and broccoli?). This will drive the bugs out of the greenery.
Cut it however you like. Chop the juicy leaves finely. Don’t throw away the thick stems either, leave them whole. Tie them in portions with thread and freeze in this form. In winter, use as a natural flavoring when cooking vegetable or meat broths and soups.
Freeze greens on a flat surface. To prevent everything from sticking together into a single lump, place it on a board (flat plate) in one layer and place it in the freezer. Transfer to a convenient container after the workpiece has frozen. If stored properly, the greens will remain crumbly. You can scoop it up in pinches or spoons and not have to defrost the entire container. If you have a refrigerator (freezer) with the No Frost function, then you can freeze the greens right in the container - there will be no excess ice on it.
Send for storage in portions. Thawing and freezing greens again is prohibited. Place the slices in plastic containers with a lid or in zip-top bags in portions to eat in 1-2 servings. !For soups, you can immediately mix the product with other vegetable cubes.

Natural spice will not only diversify the taste of dishes with proper nutrition, but will also provide the body with the necessary beneficial elements that we all lack in winter. Parsley is rich in vitamins E, C, K, PP, B2 and B9.

By the way, parsley helps those losing weight fight fat deposits and stress. It also works as a diuretic, removing excess fluid from the body's cells - and this, as we know, removes cellulite quite well.

The fastest way to freeze greens

If you don’t want to bother with preparations for a long time, freeze the greens using the express method in 3 stages.

Rinse. Get rid of the yellowed twigs and rinse the rest under running water. Dry with paper towels, which absorb moisture better and faster than fabric towels, or using a special herbs dryer.
Chop. Choose the size of the pieces according to your preferences. The only rule: you need to chop it so that the parsley is ready for use. Grinding frozen grass is difficult - after defrosting, the structure changes, the stems and leaves become soft. However, if the freezer has a No Frost system, then the grinding step can be skipped: pour the leaves into a large bag, and remember it well after freezing. Fragile greens will be chopped very well.
Unfold. Prepare zip bags of the appropriate size. Place a portion of greens in each. If the bags are large, pack 2-4 servings and divide the batch in half or into quarters. To do this, run a hot knife along the polyethylene at the separation point.

Flatten the bags with the product into a rectangular “pancake” - this way the workpiece takes up less space.

Place the resulting packages in the chest. Use the express freezing functions or set the temperature controller to the lowest possible level so that the greens retain more nutrients.

The faster you freeze foods, the more benefits and taste they retain.

Freeze into cubes

Is it possible to freeze parsley not only quickly, but also in such a way that it is convenient to use later? Of course you can! You just need to freeze chopped parsley in ice trays - you get cubes, which you then simply take in the required quantity and throw into the dish you are preparing.

To freeze parsley into cubes you will need:

washed greens - as much as you can eat
ice trays or any small containers (conveniently silicone)
some water.

Chop the washed and dried greens finely. It's best to use only the leaves and leave the tough stems for other recipes.
Place 1-2 teaspoons of herbs into each cavity of the ice mold, depending on the size of the container. Fill with water and place in the freezer.
Then pour the cubes into a bag and store as is.

There are recipes where vegetable oils are used instead of water. Such preparations can be used in dietary and children's diets, and added to soups and vegetable stews. But to be honest, I don't understand why to do this. Each vegetable oil has its own storage standards and features; there is no need to freeze them. And it’s inconvenient to store fatty pieces in the freezer. If they froze “on a stone”, then yes, you can use vegetable oils, but this is not entirely rational. I think some oils would work, such as coconut or cocoa butter, but for me these products don't mix well with parsley.

There is another way to freeze parsley - in the form of puree. I like this option because it's unusual and the perfect consistency for sauces or pureed dishes, such as creamed mushroom soups.

You will need the same as in the previous version:

parsley - several large bunches
water - 50-70 ml
containers for freezing and a blender.

How to do:

Place the chopped, pre-washed and dried parsley into a blender bowl.
Add water there and beat everything until smooth.
We put the green aromatic mass into molds and put it in the freezer.
After complete freezing, pour the portions into a bag, close it well and store it in this form.

Storing fresh parsley in the refrigerator

Greens should not be re-frozen. Cell membranes, weakened by repeated freezing and thawing, burst, and the vitamins and minerals contained in the cells are destroyed. Parsley, once re-frozen, does not provide any benefit to the body.

Frozen parsley is a summer vitamin “hello” for winter soups and salads. Frozen aromatic spice does not differ in taste and benefits from fresh bunches. The main thing is to accurately follow all the stages of preparing and freezing parsley, and the vitamin seasoning will last until spring.

If there is no freezer, what to do?

If you don’t have a freezer, then there’s no need to talk 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 microelements of greens. To do this, it needs to be dried. By the way, the seasoning will retain its natural aroma. The work consists of the following stages:

Checking the greens. All spoiled, yellowed and rotten parts of parsley must be removed. Then you should cut off the root.
Then the greens must be prepared: washed and dried thoroughly.
Place the parsley on a baking sheet covered with parchment and place in the oven preheated to +60℃. When greens are dried at low temperatures, all their beneficial properties are preserved.
In order for the green mass to dry evenly, it should be stirred from time to time.

You should resort to drying only if you don’t have a freezer. In general, freezing parsley is easier; to do this, you just need to sort it out, rinse it and give it the desired shape. So, you will save on buying greens and make useful preparations for preparing various dishes. We bring to your attention a video accompanying the topic:

Parsley is not only an aromatic herb that can transform the taste, and when fresh it can also decorate any dish, it is also a whole set of vitamins and microelements necessary for human health.

Read on Dacha6.ru:

The easiest way to preserve this aromatic seasoning for the winter is to freeze it. This method is much more convenient than preparing it in oil or pickling (parsley will not lose its fragrant aroma and retain most of its beneficial substances).

Summer residents practice 3 main methods of freezing: chopped pieces, whole branches and in ice cubes.

Is it possible to freeze parsley for the winter in the freezer?

Let us reassure those who are concerned about this issue: the benefits and harms of frozen parsley are the same as those of fresh herbs. Therefore, if you are still wondering how to preserve parsley for the winter, it is best to prepare a place for it in the freezer. The only thing you need to remember is that the defrosted workpiece must be used completely.

It can no longer be stored in the usual compartment of the refrigerator for vegetables, and repeated freezing, although it will not make it harmful, will lead to complete unsuitability: the water contained in the plant cells will expand during freezing and rupture the membranes. What was previously frozen greens will turn into a useless and tasteless mass.

Interestingly, freezing parsley in the freezer for the winter will not only save you money on buying fresh herbs. At this time of year, the body especially craves vitamins, and purchased grass in winter is rich in chemical additives, which are used for greater productivity. Your own parsley, collected from the garden, will remain just as useful: storing parsley in the refrigerator does not affect the composition of microelements and vitamins (with the exception of vitamin C, which becomes slightly lower during storage, but not critical). By the way, this is the answer to the question of which parsley is healthier, dried or frozen. When dried, the amount of essential oils and other components is significantly reduced. And the greens from the freezer are just like in the garden.

In such a matter as preparing parsley for the winter, freezing is increasingly important. Housewives were convinced that the taste of dishes with such herbs was much better than when using dried herbs.

Therefore, for those who cannot live a day without vitamins - parsley for the winter (frozen), recipes.

How to freeze parsley for the winter

The three most common ways to freeze parsley for the winter in a home refrigerator:

Not only the stems and leaves are harvested: you can freeze the parsley root for the winter, but before that it must be peeled, cut into thin slices or strips, slightly dried and then frozen. The whole root cannot be frozen; it will simply freeze, become watery and have an unpleasant taste.

There is a single algorithm for freezing parsley, regardless of the method chosen. Greens needed:

and only then freeze it.

It is important to know how to choose the right greens if you do not pick them from your garden. The grass should be fresh, without wilted or dried parts. The color of the stem and leaves is bright, rich green, yellowness is a sign that the parsley is losing its freshness.

The easiest way to store parsley in the refrigerator for the winter is to freeze it in bunches. The torn stems with leaves are washed and dried on cloth or paper until the water has completely drained. Each bundle is designed for one serving. Stems that are too long can be trimmed, especially since they most often do not go into dishes.

Other recipes for freezing parsley for the winter are more labor-intensive. For ice cubes, there is no need to dry the greens, just rinse and chop well. But then you need to put it in forms for freezing and fill it with water. Parsley prepared in this way is also used in cosmetics: rubbing the face with an ice cube with parsley in the morning tightens the skin, fades freckles and age spots, and helps smooth out fine wrinkles.

Some housewives fill molds with chopped parsley not with water, but with melted or softened butter. This method also preserves all the beneficial substances of greens, but it is only suitable for preparing first and second courses. For vegetable salads, butter is unnecessary. If you like the combination of parsley and butter, you can make so-called green butter; it is used to make vitamin sandwiches.

To freeze parsley in bags in the refrigerator for the winter, you need to wash it, dry it, finely chop it, dry it again, spread it out in a thin layer, and pack it. With this preparation, you can take as much as you need from the total mass, and put the rest back in the freezer.

You can store parsley in the refrigerator for no longer than 9 months, but this is just before the next harvest.

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