Cooking is an art. From each product you can prepare hundreds of different dishes, but rarely which one of them goes without greens. It is added to other ingredients or used for decoration. Fresh twigs give a special flavor, taste, contain an incredible amount of vitamins. It is important not to destroy them. How to use greens in cooking?
Fresh greens in different dishes
Fresh greens - the best that nature has given. It fits into all dishes: first, second, salads, snacks. It is used for taste and decoration. Sometimes greens are the main ingredient, for example, in a smoothie.
Application features:
- It is not recommended to boil greens. If it is added to the pan, the dish is only brought to a boil, after which the cooker turns off immediately.
- You can use leaves, twigs and even seeds as food. For example, in dill, they have a very pronounced aroma and taste.
- If you don’t want the greens to float in the saucepan, you can put a bunch in the finished soup, leave for half an hour, then take it out.
- Not all greens are combined with each other. Parsley and dill are rarely used together, but basil can shade the taste of each species.
It is important to remember that not all people love greens or are willing to consume it in large quantities. If the dishes are prepared for a large company or the tastes of the guests are unknown, then it is wiser to serve the herbs on a separate plate.
How to store fresh greens
Methods for storing fresh herbs are not very many. She is capricious, can wither in half an hour after cutting. Therefore, you must immediately determine all the surplus in a suitable place. The best solution is a fridge. How can you store greens:
- Put the beam in cold water. Stems while not cut off. It is better to even use greens with roots.
- Put dry greens in a glass jar, close with a tight lid, put in a refrigerator. If the moisture does not fall, the parsley or dill will last up to four weeks.
- Wrap the bundle in a damp napkin, place in a plastic bag, put in the refrigerator.
If the green has already withered, then it is soaked before use, but not before storage. Wet leaves will become moldy. Lingering greens can also be put in the fridge or dried.
Dried herbs in different dishes
Fresh greens are fine, but in winter there is no opportunity to buy something of high quality, and the price is often distressing. But this is not a reason to refuse dill or parsley. In the cold season dry greens are often used. It is sold in stores or harvested in the summer.
Features of use:
- Dried greens are very light and concentrated because moisture is removed from it. It needs to be added in a small amount. Otherwise, the dish will appear too pronounced taste and aroma.
- Dried herbs are mainly added to liquid dishes: soups, gravy, sauces. It is advisable to pour at the end of cooking and bring to a boil.
- If you want to add dry greens to a salad, pilaf or other thick dish, then it is better to chop the product, you can crush with a pestle or scroll on a coffee grinder.
- At home, it is convenient to prepare fragrant mixtures. You can combine several types of herbs with dry garlic, different types of pepper, spices. Natural seasoning will always be on hand.
How to dry and store greens
Greens before using must be washed, then dried. Next, you need to tie it in small bundles (for vertical drying) or tear the leaves from the twigs and cut (horizontal drying). How can be dried greens:
- On the air. A common method, convenient in good and dry weather.
- In the oven. If the weather is not good, or the greens did not have time to dry, then you can spread it on a baking sheet and dry at a low temperature, open the door.
- In an electric dryer. An excellent device that allows you to get dried and fragrant greens, regardless of weather conditions.
Important! You can not dry the greens in the sun. Light will make it yellow, ugly, negatively affect taste.
Prepared greens are poured into jars, covered with a tight lid and kept in a dry, dark place. It is well worth the kitchen cabinet or in the basement.
Frozen Greens
Freezing is a convenient way to preserve greenery. If everything is done correctly, then the blank will delight in taste and aroma. It is only important to know the rules for its use.
What you need to know about frozen greens:
- It is not defrosted before use. For decorating dishes, this option is blank.
- After adding the greens, the hot dish needs to be boiled up to. Since there is a lot of ice in the freezing, moisture.
- Frozen greens should be stored in a tightly closed container or sealed in a bag, otherwise it will lose its flavor.
How to freeze the greens
In stores, frozen greens are not found, it is usually harvested at home. The procedure does not require high culinary skills. The main thing - the presence of freezer and places in it.
How to freeze greens:
- spread out into small sachets, you can immediately cut;
- cut, poured into a container with a lid;
- Stuff Bulgarian peppers.
Next, just put it in the freezer, and store it there too. At the right time, we simply reach, cut off the required amount. Bulgarian pepper cut with greens, add to dishes.
Such different greens
Parsley and dill are the most popular types of greens. In Asian countries, cilantro joins them, and in Europe they love basil. But do not limit your diet only to these species. There are lots of interesting plants that can and even need to be added to dishes. Each of them has its own taste and a set of useful substances.
What greens will enrich the diet:
- Tarragon. He is a tarragon. A fragrant plant from which you can cook not only lemonade. Fish, fresh vegetables, sauces will also sparkle with a new flavor.
- Mint. For some reason, it is rarely added to meat dishes and soups, although it fits perfectly into them.
- Rosemary. A sprig of this plant will give the boiled pork an extraordinary aroma and taste. In crushed and dry rosemary can be added to any vegetable, fish, meat dishes.
- Thyme. This plant can be added to any first and second courses, but also mixed with crackers is an excellent breading for fish.
Greens can also include cabbage and leafy salads, spinach, and onions. They are used fresh, an indispensable ingredient in some salads. Now a huge number of different varieties, you can choose according to your taste and even grow on the windowsill.
