Instructions for preparing parsley with salt for the winter and other ways to preserve it

What could be tastier than hot homemade soup or borscht in winter? Housewives know that dishes are especially aromatic if you use greens in their preparation. But in the cold season it is difficult to find truly natural and fresh herbs. In such situations, preparation made in the summer comes to the rescue.

How to pickle parsley in a jar so as not to spoil it, in what conditions and for how long you can store herbs in this form - you will learn all this from our article.

Selection and preparation of parsley for harvesting

In summer, a lot of greens grow in the garden, which makes dishes tasty and aromatic. In winter, the situation with this product is more complicated - it is expensive and can be grown using harmful fertilizers. Bringing a piece of summer into soups and main courses during the cold season will help blanks.

Harvest parsley is often abundant - in such a situation, the relevant question is how to quickly process the greens before they wilt. This problem can be solved by salting for the winter.

Preparing parsley and salt for the winter is not burdensome and even inexperienced housewives can do it. Both the greens themselves and their roots are suitable for long-term storage.

Preference is given to herbs grown in our own garden. They collect greens during the day, in dry sunny weather, when the dew has disappeared. For harvesting, choose fresh young branches with delicate foliage.

Advice. For long-term storage, parsley is collected in June before the plant blooms.

Housewives who do not have their own plot can harvest store-bought or market greens. The main thing is that the bunch is free of yellowed leaves, fresh and elastic.

How to prepare parsley with salt

Chopped herbs mixed with salt retain their taste and aroma well. You can store green mixtures in the refrigerator. Both branches and roots of parsley are suitable for pickling.

Before pickling, the greens are carefully sorted and yellowed, limp and rough parts are removed. The green part of the herbs is harvested separately from the roots.

For pickling, it is better to use 0.5 liter jars. The smaller the container, the better the greens will be salted in it.

Ingredients, proportions

To prepare you will need:

• 500 g chopped greens;
• 100 g coarse salt.

The ratio of greens to salt should be 5 to 1. It is better to use coarse, non-iodized salt. If you use small ones, the mixture will not be salted well and its shelf life will be reduced.

Step-by-step instruction

Preparing herbs is not difficult. For long-term storage it is important that the material is clean. Since the mixture is not sterilized, store it in the refrigerator.

The algorithm for preparing the workpiece is as follows:

1. Rinse the plants well with running water and dry.
2. Finely chop the greens.
3. Remove large stems.
4. Grind the greens with salt; the parsley should release its juice.
5. Prepare a jar for the preparation.
6. Sprinkle a thin layer of salt on the bottom of the container.
7. Place parsley in a jar and compact well.
8. Sprinkle a layer of salt on top of the greens.
9. Close the jar and store in a cool place.

Advice. To prevent greens from being bitter, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before cutting.

To pickle parsley root, it is first peeled and then grated.

The preparation can be used after a few days, but it is better to do this in winter, when there is a real need for aromatic and vitamin-rich greens. In this way you can preserve not only parsley, but also celery, cilantro and other herbs.

Other pickling recipes in a jar

Parsley goes well with other herbs and vegetables. Housewives can prepare vitamin complexes that add variety to lean soups, fish and meat dishes.

Important! When using the product when preparing soups and main courses, consider the amount of salt it contains. The main dish will have to be salted less.

With dill

The peculiarity of preparing these herbs is that they need to be salted separately, otherwise they will lose their individual taste and aroma.

For salting you will need:

• 0.5 kg dill;
• 0.5 kg parsley;
• 250 g salt.

The greens are washed and dried well. Then they are cut alternately and placed in two different bowls, into which 125 g of salt are poured. After the herbs have stood for a while, they are mixed and placed in jars, compacting well. You can sprinkle a small layer of salt on top of the mixture.

With vegetables

Together with parsley, you can pickle carrots, tomatoes, green onions, celery and dill. This preparation is used for preparing soups, main courses and salads.

Will need:

• 1 kg parsley;
• 1 kg dill;
• 1 kg leeks;
• 1 kg carrots;
• 1 kg of tomato;
• 0.5 kg of celery;
• 1 kg salt.

Recipe:

1. Wash the greens and chop finely.
2. Peel the carrots and cut into small pieces or grate.
3. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems and cut into thin slices.
4. Mix the greens with salt and mix well, compacting.
5. Place in the jar in layers: greens, carrots, herbs, tomatoes, etc.
6. Once the container is filled, it is closed with a lid or parchment paper secured with an elastic band or thread.

With celery

Celery is useful, but does not last long. To extend its shelf life, it can be salted along with parsley and dill.

Ingredients:

• 250 g parsley;
• 250 g dill;
• 250 g celery;
• 250 g salt.

Wash the parsley and dill, remove the rough stems and cut into 1.5-2 cm branches. Peel the celery, rinse and cut into pieces 2 cm long. Mix the ingredients and add salt. Divide the mixture into jars and leave to infuse for a couple of days. During this time, the workpiece will decrease in volume and release juice. After this, you can add the mixture to the container and close the lid. The mixture is stored in a cool place or refrigerator.

With garlic

Garlic arrows are used to prepare a spicy soup dressing.

You will need:

• 160 g parsley;
• 160 g dill;
• 160 g garlic arrows;
• 70 g salt.

Sort the greens, wash, dry and finely chop. Then place in a dish, add salt and stir. Place in jars, compacting well. It is better to drain the released juice and use it immediately, as it tends to quickly acidify.

Other harvesting methods

Besides pickling, there are several other ways to keep parsley fresh for many months.

Drying

You can dry parsley branches and roots. You can prepare it this way:

• in the oven;
• electric dryer;
• microwave;
• convection oven;
• naturally.

First, the greens are washed well with running water, then shaken off and laid out on towels. As soon as the moisture is absorbed into the material, the parsley is chopped randomly, removing coarse stems.

If a dehydrator or electric dryer is used for drying, the greens in whole or crushed form are placed on a tray and the temperature is set to 40-50°C or the “For Herbs” mode. Higher levels will lead to loss of vitamins.

Drying time depends on the power of the device, air humidity, type of herbs and method of cutting them. To ensure uniform drying, trays with material are swapped every 1.5 hours. On average, parsley is dried for no more than 5 hours. If the device has a good fan installed, the process will go faster.

Those who do not have an electric dryer can use an oven. Place the prepared parsley on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. The paper on which the greens are placed should not be oiled.

The baking sheet is placed on the top shelf, the heating temperature should be 45-50°C. It is advisable to leave the oven door ajar. Drying takes 5-6 hours, the greens need to be checked from time to time.

Reference. To speed up the process, chop the parsley and spread it on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Drying will take 1.5-2 hours.

The microwave is also suitable for drying parsley. Place the herbs on a flat dish lined with a napkin or on a paper plate. The oven is turned on at full power for 2 minutes. After the readiness signal sounds, the greens are inspected and, if necessary, the procedure is repeated. Housewives advise inspecting parsley every minute of drying.

Chopped parsley can also be dried using an air fryer. The grass and roots are placed in the equipment, its door is not closed to allow air circulation. The temperature is set at 40-45°C, the power is maximum. To dry the branches, 20 minutes are enough, for the roots it will take 40 minutes.

The easiest way to dry parsley without additional equipment is naturally in bunches or chopped form. The greens, washed and dried from moisture, are tied in bunches and hung with the foliage down in a ventilated room.

You can also spread the parsley, whole or chopped, on paper in a dry place. The thickness of the layer of greenery should be no more than 1 cm. The drying room should not be exposed to direct sunlight so that the grass does not turn yellow. To ensure uniform drying, the material is stirred from time to time.

Drying naturally can take 5-14 days depending on the type of greens, how they are cut and weather conditions.

Parsley root is thoroughly washed with a brush before drying. Then it is cut into thin circles or strips and placed in an electric dryer or oven. Drying naturally produces a dried product.

Freezing

Only parsley is suitable for freezing. It is harvested in bunches or in a crushed state, depending on the purpose. Whole sprigs of parsley are used to decorate dishes, and chopped parsley is used to prepare sauces.

To freeze herbs in a bunch, wash them thoroughly and dry them on a towel. Then they are laid out in portions into bags. Chopped parsley is frozen in the same way. The greens are cut into large or small pieces and stored in the freezer.

Important! Thawed greens quickly lose their appearance, so they should not be frozen in one large bag.

Experienced housewives have adapted ice cube trays for freezing parsley. This preparation is convenient to use - one cube is suitable for one serving of the dish. The finer the material is cut, the easier it is to place it in the mold.For convenient storage and use, you can add a small amount of water to chopped parsley.

If there is a lot of greens, they are crushed in a blender and then distributed into molds. It is important to remove all rough parts of the plant. This preparation is used for making smoothies and sauces.

In oil

Parsley frozen in molds can also be filled with vegetable oil. Preference is given to olive oil - it better preserves the aroma of greens.

Refined sunflower oil is also used to prepare parsley in jars. After the greens are washed, dried, chopped and tightly placed in containers, oil is added to them. It is important to fill it to the top of the jar. To better fill the container, shake it up and turn it in different directions. This will allow the oil to completely cover the greens in the jar and displace any air bubbles.

Pickling

Only parsley roots are suitable for pickling.

For the marinade you will need:

• 4 tbsp. water;
• 1 tbsp. 9% vinegar;
• 0.5 tbsp. Sahara;
• 1-2 tsp. salt;
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 5-7 black peppercorns.

Instructions for pickling parsley:

1. Pre-rinse the material and dry it.
2. Cut into slices or cubes.
3. Place in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
4. Drain in a colander.
5. Place in ice water for 30 seconds.
6. Drain the water and place the root into jars.
7. Pour boiling marinade over.

Terms and conditions of storage

Parsley mixed with salt will retain its taste for 6 months. The workpiece will not deteriorate if you store it in a cool place - in a cellar, basement, insulated balcony or in the refrigerator. The temperature at the storage location should not exceed 7-8°C.

Dried herbs are stored in linen bags or paper envelopes in a dry place.You can also use jars with lids.

Advice. Check the workpieces from time to time to notice the appearance of dampness in time.

Conclusion

Parsley perfectly complements soups, as well as fish and meat dishes. It is also an indispensable ingredient for preparing salads and stews. During the winter period, the body experiences a need for vitamins, which can be replenished with the help of fresh herbs. Preparing herbs is not difficult, the main thing is to follow the instructions.

Parsley salts well in any jars, but for preparations it is better to use small containers. For greater benefits, prepare vitamin mixtures from parsley, dill, celery and vegetables. Such preparations will remind you of summer during the cold period and strengthen the body.