At the beginning, let's plan the work, because the collected vegetables cannot wait too long to be processed.It is best to choose one of them, process it immediately after harvesting and then reach for the next ones. It depends on the order in which they mature.
Harvest date
We collect vegetables on a warm, dry day. Both rain and strong sun do not improve their condition. We pick them up or dig them out very carefully so as not to damage the peel.This could be the beginning of rotting or mold. Collected products are immediately cleaned of soil remnants, cut off unnecessary leaves, petioles and leaves, and then make a detailed review.
We absolutely remove all damaged, bitten or bitten ones. We don't even use fragments that were he althy, as they may contain dangerous toxins.These will make our pickles or juices simply fail.
Selected - he althy and whole vegetables - peel, wash under cold, running water, dry thoroughly on a paper towel and immediately process, freezing, drying or marinating.
From your own flower bed or from the marketplace
The best raw material for winter preserves are vegetables from your own garden. Then we are sure about their variety and quality of crops. JHowever, if we do not have such a vegetable garden, we have to use what we can buy. It is worth going to the market for such errands, because there is a greater chance of acquiring fresh and he althy vegetables.
Let's avoid the market stalls from a distance - tomatoes or cucumbers lie here for a long time, so they are not the first freshness.In addition, they covered many kilometers
in trucks to hit the shelf.Their quality leaves a lot to be desired.
Processing methods
Each vegetable is processed differently. Here are some of the preferred ways for your products.
-Drying- carrots (sliced or sticks), onion (sliced
in slices), herbs, dill, parsley (the latter are hung in the attic, veranda or on the terrace).
-Freezing- carrots, beets, dill, herbs (e.g. in ice cubes), parsley, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, cucumbers
(sliced for cucumber salad).
-Pickling- beetroot, cabbage, cucumbers.
-Marinating- paprika pods, asparagus, cucumbers, radishes - especially the latter can be prepared in honey.
-puree- tomatoes, cucumbers.
-Juices and concentrates- tomatoes, beets.
-Leczo in jars- courgettes, squashes, green beans, peppers. Such packaged food can be stored in a dark and cool place for up to a month.
-Daily juices- red beets, tomatoes and carrots.
It is worth knowing that if we sowed cucumber seeds marked as "canned" and we did not fertilize them with nitrogen, which promotes rotting, we can subject them to virtually any treatment.
Good seeds are the ground
If we want to have a delicious supply forever, let's spend a little more time next spring and read carefully the information on the labels of the seed bags. Let's choose those that are intended for preserves.They will surely guarantee us a he althy, abundant harvest
and a pantry full of delicious treats.
