Secrets of proper home preparations

Every autumn, mother and grandmother occupy the kitchen to produce cucumbers and tomatoes for the winter. I hate this time. Rows of different-sized cans get in the way underfoot, some of them explode. And for some reason, always at night. But how nice it is New Year open a jar of homemade cucumbers!

Most often, vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs are prepared for future use. That is, precisely those products that are unavailable in winter, or those that quickly deteriorate. Unfortunately, universal method preparations to preserve the taste and not lose vitamins do not exist. And the most popular ones are drying, freezing and canning. They allow you to save from 30 to 100% useful substances and vitamins.

Most vitamins remain during natural drying (in the sun). It allows you to retain fiber and pectin in fruits. Pectin, by the way, removes toxins, fat and other harmful substances from the intestines.

The same cannot be said about canning. Here you can’t do without vinegar and long-term heat treatment. Therefore, there are several times less vitamins in pickled and rolled salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage. Vitamin C, for example, decomposes during heat treatment in the first minutes. As a result, vegetable and fruit preparations prepared by boiling lose up to 70% of this vitamin. B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamin E are preserved during heat treatment, but their amount decreases during storage (up to 90% per year).

“Sugar, which is added to berries to make jam, causes a brutal appetite,” explains Elena Malysheva, host of the “Live Healthy!” program. - A short amount of time passes, and you want to eat again - it turns out to be a vicious circle. As a result, you get better.”

Salting is also very harmful. Salt retains water in the body, which leads to weight gain, hypertension, edema and heart disease. From a medical point of view, the best options for preparing vegetables and fruits for the winter are freezing and drying.

On a note

The shorter it will be heat treatment, the more vitamins will be preserved in vegetables and fruits.

Let's freeze

What to freeze

Raspberries, currants, cherries, gooseberries, green beans, bell pepper, sorrel, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, cauliflower, pears, peaches, apricots, plums.

How to freeze

Wash, dry, place in trays and place in the freezer. You need to freeze at a temperature of −20°C for an average of two hours. When the fruits are frozen, they can be poured into plastic bags and placed back in the freezer.

How long to store

Up to 8-10 months.

Let's dry it

What to dry

Apples, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, grapes, mushrooms.

How to dry

The easiest way to dry fruits, berries and mushrooms is in the oven. If you want the product to retain its natural color, you need to place the cut pieces in a container with pineapple or citrus juice, let the juice drain and place the fruits and berries on a wire rack. Then place in the oven for 10-12 hours, maintaining a constant temperature of 60-70°C.

How long to store

Did you grow a good harvest in the garden or managed to buy domestic, read – healthy and cheap vegetables? You're doubly lucky. Firstly, your own, not imported, is always better. Secondly, you can easily preserve this sea of ​​vitamins at home for the winter.

Don't want to can? Who said that this would have to be done? No, in winter, when the body gradually weakens, without support in the form of vitamins, you and I will not go to the market or to the store. We will eat our own, domestic food. How? Simple.

Healthy, fast, convenient, tasty and cheap - why freeze and dry vegetables?

Carrot slices

• Useful, because prepared in this form seasonal vegetables in winter they will give out almost everything that is useful in them.
• Quickly, because you don’t have to waste time on canning - the process is easy and convenient.
• Convenient because you chose the right one (i.e., something that dries or freezes well), cut it, dried it or froze it, and stored it.
• Is it delicious? Yes, not entirely and not always, say, zucchini or eggplant will look beautiful. But if properly selected and prepared, they will become prettier and tastier.
• Well, it’s cheap, this is because everything grew either in your garden, or you were lucky enough to get our products, which cost a hundred times cheaper than overseas ones.

In winter, all we have to do is remove our preparations from the refrigerator or from another place. It's ready to go: take it out, reheat or cook. Enjoy the taste of summer!

How to properly prepare and freeze vegetables?

You may not have a huge freezer. But modern refrigerators are equipped with three, or even big amount freezers. If everything is done clearly, healthy dishes from fresh vegetables guaranteed.

What should you prepare for freezing?

In addition to food, prepare just any convenient container that will fit well in your freezer.

It can be:

• Containers (plastic - with and without lids, as well as plastic in which vegetables were placed in the store),
• Thick plastic bags (with zippers or regular ones) of different volumes (up to a liter),
• Jars (small - from under baby food, honey, etc. (preferably plastic);
• Plastic cups.

What can you freeze?

The choice is so great that all that remains is to add - if you don’t have problems with the volume of freezers, freeze everything you like to cook now, when the harvest vegetable crops just starting to collect.

It can be:

• Vegetables (tomatoes, greens, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, garlic, green pea, celery, etc.
• Tomato puree.
• Sauces.
• Roasting.
• Vegetable mixtures.
• Soup mixtures, etc.

Methods for preparing vegetables for freezing - step-by-step instructions with photos

They depend on what they would like to pamper themselves and their loved ones on winter days. But what are the best ways to prepare vegetables for freezing?

• In liquid form . Pass the vegetables through a meat grinder or any other means (this is how sauces, adjika, etc. are stored), store in plastic cups or bags with fixatives.
• Blanching, steaming or frying . Yes, vegetables can be prepared in any way, and then only reheated in winter. They do this and then freeze it with eggplants, zucchini, carrots, pumpkin, broccoli and other vegetables.
• Cut vegetables into desired size . If you do not need to freeze them whole, cut the vegetables into the desired format (whole, pieces, strips, etc. - for soups and other mixtures, hot salads, stews).

• Semi-finished products . Now stuff peppers, zucchini, make cabbage rolls - cooked in winter, they will delight you.
  Soup and vegetable mixtures. No comments needed. After all, this is how you can prepare preparations for soups, stews, caviar and other dishes. Slicing will work here.
• Grater . Yes, vegetables can be stored perfectly both grated (you can grate them on a coarse grater and put them through a food processor) and very finely chopped.
• Ice or strong crushing . It can be different - green from greenery, red from tomato juice, and so on. The liquid or highly crushed mass is poured or placed into ice molds or simply placed in candy boxes. Then in winter all you have to do is shake it slightly so that a lump of fragrant mass falls out.

First, understand the methods of preparing for freezing. Rinse the vegetables, peel them and remove as much moisture as possible. And get to work. Let's see what and how you can freeze.

Bulgarian pepper . It can be cut into any format - both slices and slices. Place in a ziplock bag, distribute evenly inside, release the air, zip up and immediately place in the freezer. You can chop the pepper and, adding spices with salt, vegetable oil, make a dressing for soup, borscht, sauce, putting the mass either in bags, or in containers, or in plastic cups. You can also stuff the peppers with any minced meat or bake them in the oven. Or, after peeling, stack the nesting dolls on each other (only so that the peppers are completely dry!), hide in a bag and store in freezer.

Cabbage . And white cabbage, and broccoli, and cauliflower - any cabbage behaves perfectly when frozen. Only the last two varieties are not cut, but divided into umbrellas. All this can be frozen, fried, boiled, steamed, and then stored in a convenient container.

Eggplants and zucchini . Just like peppers, they can be used in different ways. Therefore, cut into circles, strips, slices, or cut in half to make a mold for further filling. If you find the unpleasant bitterness inherent in this healthy purple beauty to be unpleasant, sprinkle the circles with salt before cooking and it will go away. Only then you need to rinse, dry and only then put it in the freezer. They are also stored in several ways. Firstly, they are placed fresh in a convenient form, secondly, they are steamed, stewed, fried and, when cooled, laid out in forms, and then placed in the chamber. Zucchini prepared in this way will be simply incomparable after the microwave. In winter!

Soup and vegetable mixtures. Here your imagination and preferences can tell you what is best to put in such a set. There are a lot of options for preparing them and seasonings for them.

For example, sets for first courses:

1. Potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms,
2. Potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, green peas,
3. Potatoes, carrots, onions, meatballs, mushrooms, pasta, greens and so on.

All this is salted and seasoned with spices to taste. To simply take out the bag with the workpiece, boil water and, after sending the contents of the container into it, you will get this beauty.
Or a mixture for stew or hot salad.

There are also many options:

• Zucchini.
• Eggplant.
• Tomatoes.
• Bulgarian pepper.
• Garlic.
• Vegetable oil.
• Salt and spices.

What about the rest of the vegetables? Following the example listed above, you can prepare any vegetables - as long as there is enough space for them in your freezer. It is especially important to properly preserve fresh herbs. There are several options - salting and freezing in pure form and in the form of mixtures. I like to add a lot of greens, so I prepare them in different ways. For example, I placed one part of the dill and parsley whole, the second – chopped.

I covered the rest with salt. After drying it a little, tomorrow I will put it in a bag. In a word, vegetables can be grated on different graters, chopped into slices, strips, circles or in another format. That is, it all depends on what the vegetables are intended for. So, a tomato for pizza should be cut into rings, for soup - into strips, for stew - into small cubes, etc. And all this can be stored separately or as part of mixtures. And it is better to freeze watery specimens such as radishes, cucumbers, and leafy vegetables in the form of puree or finely chopped in small portions.

Store vegetables only in the freezer. Check frequently to make sure everything is in order.

How to best prepare and dry vegetables - step-by-step tips from a chef

An equally convenient, but somewhat costly method of preparing vegetables for the winter. How is it convenient?

Because, firstly, you will leave room in the freezer for other vegetables, and secondly, there are several drying methods:

• In the oven, where vegetables are dried on a raft at the right temperature (50-60).
• In a special dryer.
• On an open surface (in an apartment, on outdoors), i.e. on paper, rafts, etc.

What else can be dried? The list of vegetables that can be prepared for the winter without wasting time and vitamins is not so long. In addition to mushrooms, roots, herbs, garlic, you can add the same zucchini, eggplant, carrots, and beets. However, probably everything else, if you do it with special drying. And with it, the list will naturally expand.

• Time . Try to freeze vegetables as quickly as possible, otherwise there is a risk of losing moisture and nutrients.
• Format . It may be different, but it is better to cut the vegetables into identical slices, then they will freeze and dry equally.
• Drying . If very juicy fruits, let the juices drain, placing the cuts on paper towels before freezing.
• Air . If you dried vegetables, make holes in the container - air access is very useful. And to freeze air you need less.
• Fruit quality . Take only fruits that are intact and without rot. If anything, you can cut off the rotten ones. But it is better not to take moldy fruits.
• Quantity . There is no need to fill the bags with a lot of content. And, as soon as everything freezes, knead the bag with your hands.
• Storage . Fill dried fruits into cotton, linen or paper bags or glass jars with a lid.

It's better not to freeze potatoes! As a last resort.

How to cook from dried vegetables in winter?

Easily. Write down on each bag or other container how much is in fresh went to drying or freezing vegetables, and you won’t get lost in terms of quantity. Vegetables, once in the water, will become more beautiful, more aromatic, and tastier, while retaining all their vitamins.

Is it possible to ensure that all the vitamins collected in the garden are fully preserved until winter?

Alas, the dream of preserving vitamins is a utopia, says Svetlana Derbeneva, Candidate of Medical Sciences, leading researcher at the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology”. - The lifespan of vitamins is very short (some nutritionists believe that it is calculated in days). Therefore, there are much fewer vitamins in stale fruits than in fresh fruits, and heat treatment kills them almost completely.

However, in addition to vitamins, vegetables and fruits also contain other, no less useful, but more stable substances (microelements, antioxidants, etc.) that tolerate canning well. And some vegetables after heat treatment become even more useful than fresh.

Therefore, understanding that it is impossible to fill yourself with “good things” for the whole winter in a few summer months, you must try to prepare your harvest as correctly as possible. There are many original and quick ways procurement of vegetables and fruits that ripen in Russia.

Carrot tea

Carrots are the only root vegetable in the world, from which tea has been prepared for many centuries, or rather, delicious tea vitamin drink(since carrots are dried and heat treatment doesn't lose his useful properties).

Recipe How to prepare. Grate carrots onto coarse grater, wrap in foil and seal tightly. Place in the oven for 1 hour. Then unfold the foil and leave to dry until done.

Recipe. To prepare the drink, a handful dried carrots put in teapot, pour boiling water and let it brew for about 30 minutes. Carrot tea you can drink without sugar - due to high content Sugar makes the drink sweet on its own.

Tomatoes with herbs

It is no coincidence that tomatoes are called the most healthy vegetable. They are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, as well as vitamins C, E and group B. But main value Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene, which reduces the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This healing substance is better absorbed after heat treatment.

How to prepare. Take 7 large tomatoes and 1 bunch of parsley. Cut out the hard middle of the tomatoes, cut into cubes and place in a deep container. Wash the greens, chop, add to the tomatoes and mix well. Spread the mixture into culinary forms and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Then remove from the molds and place into bags in portions. The product can be stored in the freezer for 6-8 months. Take out immediately before cooking borscht, stew, pilaf and use in cooking without pre-defrosting.

Plum

Plum is the most easily digestible fruit. Storehouse dietary fiber, necessary for normal intestinal function and antioxidants (protecting against breakdowns in cells).

How to prepare. Exquisite dessert from plums in wine syrup. First prepare the syrup: add 0.5 tbsp to the container. white wine, 0.5 tbsp. granulated sugar, 2-3 slices of ginger and 4 cloves. Bring to a boil at high fire. Reduce heat, cook for another 10 minutes. Wash 400 g of plums, remove the seeds, chop the pulp into slices and put in syrup. Cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the prepared products into a sterile container and seal. And at any moment you will have a wonderful sauce for pancakes, ice cream, strudel filling, etc. on hand.

Eggplant mugs

The purple color of eggplants indicates that they are high in antioxidants, which prevent any type of cancer. In addition, eggplant is one of the few low calorie foods, which saturate quickly and for a long time (due to their high fiber content). Eggplant is often called the “vegetable of longevity” (it is no coincidence that it is one of the main ingredients Caucasian dishes) - an optimal ratio of potassium and magnesium supports heart health.

How to prepare. This recipe will allow you to prepare a dish in winter that will taste no different from summer. Wash the eggplants, cut into circles, sprinkle with salt and leave for half an hour (this will relieve them of bitterness). Then place the pieces in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then immediately cool in cold water. Dry the mugs on a towel and place in a wide, shallow bowl. Freeze (place the container in the freezer for 4 hours), then distribute in portions into plastic bags). In this form, eggplants can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Remove immediately before cooking (frying, stewing).

Spices

“Greens (parsley, dill, basil, cilantro) grow even among the most careless summer residents,” says Igor Sokolsky, Candidate of Pharmaceutical Sciences, phytochemistry specialist. - Herbs are rarely prepared, although a pinch of spices contains more antioxidants than a glass of berries. Spices have an anti-carcinogenic effect and reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It is best to prepare bouquets of spices - a bunch of parsley, dill, cilantro, celery, mint, basil and lovage. Each plant must be cut, dried, spread out in an even thin layer on clean paper (it is not worth drying tied bunches - this leads to rotting and a decrease in beneficial properties). Grind the dried herbs to 2-3 mm, then mix and store in a dry place. The bouquets can also be frozen and placed in the dish being prepared for a few minutes.

What to add where

Soup on meat broth : 1. Parsley, dill, celery, basil. 2. Parsley, celery, lovage.

Soup on fish broth : 1. Parsley, dill, Bay leaf. 2. Parsley, thyme, dill, bay leaf, green part leeks.

Soup on vegetable broth : 1. Cilantro, basil, celery. 2. Parsley, lovage, dill.

Canned stewed meat: parsley, basil, bay leaf.

Stewed fish: basil, lovage, dill.

Drying. To preserve fruits and berries, water must be removed from them so much that dried products its content was no more than 15-20%. The two most common drying methods are natural (solar-air) and artificial (thermal).

Freezing fruits. To shorten the freezing period, you need to use small containers (glass jars, flat plastic trays, paper cups, plastic bags with a capacity of up to 1 kg, etc.), distributing the raw materials in a thin layer. The container must be thoroughly washed and dried. It does not need to be filled completely, as the volume of the product increases when frozen. Frozen fruits and berries should be stored in the freezer at a temperature of minus 18°C ​​- 12 months, at minus 15°C - no more than 6 months, at minus 12°C - no more than 3 months. You cannot store fish or other foods that easily transmit odors with them.

Drying

Drying- the most ancient method of processing vegetables, fruits and herbs. Since it occurs due to the evaporation of water contained in fruits and herbs, in order for this process to proceed intensively, it is necessary to ensure a constant supply of dry air, and in dryers - heated air, and removal of air already saturated with moisture. Drying in the sun. As a rule, for solar-air drying, choose an open, dry area on the south side and away from polluting factors. A shed is set up nearby where they dry those gifts of nature that lose their color and quality from light. There in case of bad weather a short time stack undried food. For drying, sieves, racks or trays are used. Dried fruits are carefully inspected to remove substandard fruits, after which they are placed in boxes lined with paper and stored in a dry room. Dried chopped or small fruits, greens and berries are stored in glass or tin, hermetically sealed containers. Artificial drying. For artificial drying, gas and electric ovens, and ovens and dryers of various designs. Vegetables and fruits are sorted, cleaned of contaminants, cut into pieces and laid out on drying trays. If dried in drying combines, then turn on the blower and set the required temperature. Sometimes these dryers also have a timer, which is very convenient. Dried vegetables, fruits and berries are stored separately from products and substances that can give them foreign odors. You need to dry as many vegetables and fruits as you can use in a year. But herbs and flowers can be stored for a very long time.

Important to remember:

• compared to fresh fruits, dried ones contain healing substances in much higher concentrations, so they should be consumed in moderation;
• To make dry fruits easier to digest, they need to be soaked in warm water and chewed thoroughly when consumed;
• Dried fruit compote cannot be boiled for a long time, as the natural aroma and taste of the fruit itself will disappear; no sugar is added to it.

- most modern way preserving food without salt, sugar and vinegar. It must be borne in mind that the benefits of nature’s gifts are maximum only during their ripening season. In winter, during storage, some vitamins are inevitably lost. Properly frozen fruits completely retain the shape, taste, color and aroma of fresh ones. They can be prepared quickly and easily, and are much healthier than canned ones.

To freeze, you must follow several rules:

• wash and peel food before freezing; freeze in portions needed for cooking, distributed in plastic bags or small plastic containers;
• keep in the freezer at a temperature no higher than minus 18 "C; do not allow even the slightest frostbite of food;
• For fresh consumption, do not defrost the fruits metal utensils, near sources of heat and light;
• To preserve maximum vitamins, it is best to cook frozen vegetables in a double boiler or boil them in small quantity water, given that they cook twice as fast as fresh ones;
• frozen foods can, without losing their valuable nutritional qualities, can be stored for up to ten months.

Video: preparations for the winter from vegetables, fruits, berries. What is better: drying, freezing, canning?

Forest mushroom harvest

How to prepare mushrooms for drying

Do not wash mushrooms: they absorb water like a sponge, this will lengthen the process and affect the quality. Carefully clean them with a knife from soil, grass and moss, and then wipe with a slightly damp cloth or sponge. Divide into piles according to size and then cut. Large mushrooms are cut into several parts, and small ones can be dried whole.

For some drying methods and reducing cooking time, it is better to cut the mushrooms into thin slices. Keep the beautiful caps of small mushrooms intact.

Preparing mushrooms for drying

How and where to dry mushrooms

Drying mushrooms outside

Most affordable way- dry naturally outside or in a well-ventilated area, hot weather, avoiding direct sunlight.

To do this, chopped mushrooms are strung on a thick thread, twine or fishing line so that the pieces do not touch. Or lay out in one layer on clean paper or cotton fabric. Under favorable conditions, this will take at least a week. If the weather suddenly turns bad, and there is a Russian oven in your country house, you can dry the mushrooms in it or in a regular oven, heated to 60 ° C and with the door ajar.

Mushrooms are ready for drying

Drying mushrooms in the oven

Drying in the oven is the most convenient way to prepare in urban conditions.

It is better to dry the mushrooms on a wire rack or line a baking tray with baking paper. The cabinet door should remain open throughout the entire process to allow air to circulate. We start with a temperature of 45 °C. When the mushrooms stop being sticky, increase the temperature to 60-70 °C and dry until tender, turning over from time to time.

Drying mushrooms in the microwave

You can dry mushrooms even in microwave oven. For this method, it is advisable to cut them into petals, spread them in one layer on a wire rack and leave for 20 minutes at a power of at least 150-180 watts. Then drain the liquid released from the mushrooms and cool them. The procedure must be repeated until the mushrooms are dry. This method is troublesome, and the result is so-so. The mushrooms are not as aromatic and most likely lose many of their beneficial properties.

Drying mushrooms in a dehydrator

If you like to make large stocks of dried mushrooms or fruit, then a dehydrator is what you need. In this specially equipped cabinet, the air is heated and distributed evenly. The raw material gradually loses moisture, fully retaining its valuable properties.

Drying mushrooms in a dehydrator

Where and for how long can dried mushrooms be stored?

Mushrooms are stored in suitable conditions no more than 2-3 from the moment of preparation. You can store them in paper, or better yet, canvas bags, in cardboard boxes and loosely closed glass jars in a dry place. In the old days, even pillowcases were used for storage.

You can grind the mushrooms into powder and add them to dishes to taste. Or into flour for making dumplings, pies with meat, fish and mushrooms.

Mushroom homemade powder- excellent spice