Tarragon is a spicy plant that has a unique tart flavor, thanks to which it has found wide application in cooking. Almost everyone loves its incredible aroma, and therefore it will be used in the preparation of many dishes.
Drinks, second meat and fish dishes, soups, desserts - tarragon is appropriate in all cases. An important issue is the preparation of this spice for the winter. In order to fully preserve all the benefits and taste of tarragon, there are various ways to store spices. The article tells how to harvest and preserve useful properties of tarragon.
How to prepare for storage?
Any varieties of tarragon are well kept. For harvesting, you need to choose healthy plants, wilted or colorless leaves are unacceptable. Before sending the grass to storage, it must be rinsed.
How to store fresh tarragon at home?
At room temperature
Without the refrigerator, tarragon can be stored as follows:
- Wash the materials thoroughly, remove damaged and yellowed leaves.
- Dry the grass.
- In a shaded cool place spread out on a flat surface fabric.
- Place the tarragon on the cloth.
In this form of tarragon will be suitable for use during the week. All the beneficial properties of the plant while maintaining. It can be used for the preparation of canned food, beverages, sauces, first, second courses and desserts.
In a refrigerator
Wet paper
- Tarragon wash and dry.
- Wrap in wet perforated paper.
- Put in a plastic bag.
- Put the package in the fridge.
With this method, you can store tarragon for 4-5 days, while the beneficial properties are not lost.
Spicy herbs are added to soups, sweet dishes, side dishes, seasoned fish and meat.
In a water tank
- Rinse the raw materials thoroughly.
- Prepare a container with cool water.
- Put the tarragon in it, in no case not compacting the stems and leaves.
- Capacity to refrigerate.
In this way spice can be stored for two weeks. Suitable for any dishes, both sweet and salty, where the prescription is supposed to use tarragon.
How to prepare for the winter season?
Frost
In container
- Sprig tarragon thoroughly rinse under running cold water.
- Dry on a towel.
- Pack in a bag or tightly wrap with cling film and put into the freezer.
You can store throughout the winter. Tarragon in this form can be added to the first dishes a few minutes before readinessso that the broth does not acquire a bitter taste, in drinks, desserts to fish, meat and vegetable dishes.
In ice cubes
- Washed sprigs or leaflets of tarragon finely chopped.
- Put in ice molds.
- Pour over olive oil and freeze.
- Transfer to a plastic bag.
- A day later, the workpiece can be removed from the molds.
This preparation is stored no more than a month and is used for the preparation of main dishes and soups.
In the same way can freeze tarragon not in oil, but in plain water. In this case, the shelf life will increase to six months.
In briquette
- Chop up the washed and dried greens.
- Tarragon pour in a saucepan, pour white wine.
- Evaporate the wine until its volume is halved.
- Allow to cool.
- Pour into molds and freeze.
This method of freezing involves preparation for cocktails or meat dishes. The seasoning will be suitable for use within six months.. The only negative - in the process of cooking some of the nutrients are lost.
After any heat treatment, some of the beneficial properties of tarragon will be lost. Therefore, if the priority for winter harvesting is to preserve maximum benefit, it is worth stopping the choice on freezing methods that do not involve pre-cooking of raw materials.
Drying
Dried tarragon is used in salads, appetizers, side dishes.. Add to alcohol to give a special spicy flavor. Dried tarragon is successfully used in game dishes, in soups, it goes well with legumes.
Ordinary
- Grass sorting, removing damaged and yellowed leaves.
- Collect tarragon in bunches.
- Evenly hang them on the rope tops down under a canopy.
In the oven
- Tarragon bust, get rid of damaged parts.
- Heat oven to 30-35 degrees.
- Separate the leaves and put on a baking sheet.
- Dry, stirring occasionally.
Keep dry grass in tightly closed containers., the shelf life is equal to a year. All useful properties of dried tarragon saves. This method allows not only to keep the grass for a long time, but also not to lose its taste.
Preservation
Tarragon is actively used in a variety of preservation options, allowing you to add unparalleled taste to vegetable blanks.
Syrup
You can preserve the tarragon in the form of syrup. This is done in the following way:
- It will take at least two kilograms of tarragon.
- Rinse the grass thoroughly, separate the leaves.
- Cut them with a knife or tear them with your hands.
- Pour two cups of sugar and pour two cups of boiling water.
- Leave to infuse overnight.
- In the morning, cut another portion of leaves.
- Boil the syrup over the fire and pour on the fresh leaves.
- Add lime, mint and a glass of water, boil for another five minutes.
- Strain the syrup, pour into the sterilized bottle, close the lid.
Pickling
- Wash greens, dry, spreading on a clean cloth.
- Cut in small pieces.
- Stir, without grinding, with salt in a ratio of 5: 1.
- Tightly tamp in banks.
- Close the capron lid.
- Put in a cold place.
Stored mixture throughout the winter. Very well salty tarragon reveals its taste in first courses and when roasting meat.
In refined oil
- Sprig tarragon wash and chop.
- Put in a glass container, sprinkling with salt.
- Pour the mixture of refined oil in such a way that it covers the grass.
- Blanking lid and store in a cool place for more than six months.
The resulting composition can be used in the preparation of salads, soups and main dishes.
This method is very convenient, and therefore used by many hostesses around the world.
With vinegar
- Choose a tarragon stalk, 15-20 cm long.
- Place in a half-liter glass container.
- Pour vinegar.
- Close, leave in a dark place.
- Two weeks later, pour the vinegar into a glass bottle and cork.
Vinegar will get an amazing emerald hue, this composition is ideal for meat marinades and salad dressing. Store tarragon vinegar can be no more than six months.
Table of advantages and disadvantages of all methods
Method | pros | Minuses |
In room conditions | Fully stored nutrients | Short shelf life |
In the fridge in paper | Easy way, useful items are saved in full. | Short shelf life |
In the refrigerator in a container with water | Fully preserved useful properties. | Non-compact storage |
Container freeze | Completely preserved the original color of green. Nutrients are stored in full. | Takes a lot of space in the freezer |
Freezing in ice cubes | Ease of use, preservation of all useful properties | Short shelf life |
Freezing in briquette | The combination with wine gives the spice incomparable notes, the seasoning gets high taste value | In the process of cooking, useful properties are partially lost. |
Drying | In this form, seasoning is suitable for use for most dishes. | Loss of natural green color |
Preservation | Perfectly complements the flavor in vegetable blanks | Partially lost useful properties |
Pickling | Easy way, ease of use | Not suitable for desserts |
In refined oil | Interesting taste | Non-compact storage |
With vinegar | Originality | Not suitable for all dishes. |
Before you choose the method of preparation of tarragon, you need to determine the purpose of its subsequent use. You can give preference to the option with the maximum preservation of all the nutrients or opt for ways to create an incomparable gastronomic masterpiece based on wine or vinegar.