TOP 10 recipes for the best way to freeze sorrel for winter soup, choosing herbs, and storing them

Before freezing sorrel for the winter to make soup, it's important to understand that the herb must retain all its beneficial properties. Also, keep in mind the plant's flavor; if it's lost, there's no point in using it for cooking. Some cooks think freezing sorrel is easy, but that's not entirely true. Due to the high acid content of the herb, it can quickly lose its color and flavor.

Tips for Properly Freezing Sorrel for the Winter

To enhance the flavor of a dish, add frozen sorrel last, and turn off the heat immediately after the water boils. This will preserve its flavor and most beneficial properties. Like other greens, sorrel doesn't like being re-frozen, so it's best to freeze it in small portions.

Selecting and preparing greens for freezing

Sorrel for freezing is usually harvested between May and early July. This is when the plant's leaves are young, at their peak growth stage, and packed with the most vitamins. If harvested closer to fall, the greens will likely be sour due to a gradual increase in acidity.

Please note! All housewives know that sorrel contains oxalic acid. If the leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, it should not be consumed frozen or fresh.

It is also worth noting that all people with impaired stomach acidity, gout, as well as pregnant women, should be especially careful when consuming any dishes containing this plant.

To ensure your winter preparations are healthy and tasty, consider the following rules:

1. Sorrel should be sorted by hand, removing dry and yellowed leaves.
2. The sorted greens do not need to be separated from the stem, as it has the same taste qualities as the leaves.
3. Only bright green leaves should be left for freezing.
4. If possible, it is better to use home-grown sorrel for such purposes.

No matter how you freeze it, you'll need to thoroughly wash the greens if you bought them at the market. If you're growing sorrel from your own garden, this isn't necessary. If you do have to wash the plant, make sure it's thoroughly dry before freezing.

Recipes for freezing sorrel at home

Depending on the dish the housewife is going to prepare, freezing can be done in the following ways:

• in whole sheets;
• with dill and sea salt;
• with nettles in briquettes;
• in separate containers or bags;
• freezing blanched sorrel.

Each freezing process requires specific guidelines. If the process is not followed at any stage, the food may spoil or lose its nutritional value during storage.

Whole leaves

Whole leaves are frozen to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins. The only drawback of this method is that the greens must be chopped after freezing, which is not always convenient for cooking. It's also worth considering that whole leaves take up quite a bit of freezer space.

Thus, plants can be frozen in special containers or without them. Using bags or containers is considered the most suitable method, as it allows for a much better preservation of the beneficial properties of the greens.

The freezing technique is as follows:

1. First, the sorrel is sorted, washed and dried well.
2. Now it needs to be divided into portions, which should be enough to prepare one dish.
3. Now the freezer compartment is lined with cling film and the board is wrapped with it.
4. Afterwards, the plant is laid out on a base and sent to be frozen.

Freezing chopped greens in individual containers and bags

This freezing method is ideal when a homemaker wants to save freezer space. It also ensures that the herbs retain their nutritional value. The flavor will be vibrant, and the risk of spoilage is minimized.

To do this, you should adhere to the following rules:

• At the first stage, the leaves are sorted, washed and then finely chopped – in the same way in which they will be used in the dish;
• To divide the sorrel into single-use portions, you can use bags that will then be placed in containers;
• Before placing greens in the freezer, make sure the containers are tightly closed;
• Now the greens are ready for freezing.

Briquettes with nettles

To make this mixture, you'll need approximately 100 grams of nettles and 300 grams of sorrel. You'll also want to make sure you have some briquettes on hand. Some housewives use them as an alternative to other containers. Adding nettles to the mixture will make a delicious winter soup and also add variety to other dishes.

First, select fresh herbs, wash them, and chop them finely. Then, pour boiling hot water over these ingredients. Let the sorrel and nettles sit in this state for about 25 minutes. Afterward, remove any excess moisture, and then place the herbs into briquettes and freeze.

Blanched sorrel

This method is ideal for those homemakers who want to maximize freezer space while still making a delicious winter preserve. This is because the leaves' mass is significantly reduced after processing, so the baled greens won't take up much space.

As for freezing technology, it involves the following:

1. The leaves are carefully sorted, washed and completely auscultated.
2. Afterwards, the greens are chopped and placed in a container on the stove over low heat. Blanch them until the leaves soften and the juices separate.
3. Now the plant needs to cool.
4. Together with the juice, it is placed into containers and sent to be frozen.

With sea salt and dill

For this type of freezing, sorrel and dill can be chopped in any way, depending on the dish you're planning to use. Coarse sea salt is added at the last stage, when the herbs are placed in containers. Afterwards, mix all the ingredients, seal tightly, and place in the freezer.

Best before date

It's not recommended to store frozen sorrel for more than 12 months. It's best to use it in winter if frozen in May or June. This rule applies to absolutely all methods of freezing herbs.

How to store blanks

Like other greens, sorrel doesn't like repeated freezing, so it should only be thawed once. Once thawed, it should be used immediately for cooking.

It should only be stored in compartments that aren't exposed to extremely high temperatures. As for the quick-freeze section, it should be kept there for no more than 3 hours.

Defrosting rules

There are no specific rules for defrosting sorrel; every home cook does it their own way. However, it's best to do it gradually. After removing one portion from the freezer, you can place it separately on a plate and let it defrost at room temperature for a while.