How to prepare arugula for the winter: freezing, drying, canning and growing on a windowsill

Is it possible to freeze arugula?

Fresh arugula is an unusually tart spice that is added to many vegetable, fish and meat dishes. Appetizers, side dishes and soups acquire a subtle mustard flavor and nutty notes thanks to these greens.

Arugula is not as popular in our country as dill and parsley, and all because of its specific taste, but it is very useful, as it contains essential oil, iodine, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium and a number of vitamins. Arugula is rightfully considered a medicinal plant, and this herb is also low-calorie and useful for losing weight.

In the absence of the opportunity to grow this useful plant all year round, housewives have invented several interesting storage methods. One of them is freezing.

Will the taste be preserved? Freezing, especially shock freezing, does not harm arugula in any way; this green will retain a maximum of vitamins and its unusual taste, except that it will not look as impressive in a salad as its fresh counterpart.

How to store fresh arugula

Fresh arugula leaves can be stored for about 10 days. To prevent mustard grass from spoiling prematurely, keep it in the refrigerator in a plastic container. Some housewives place the leaves, cut side down, in clean water.

Drying

Dried herbs retain their taste and beneficial properties, and can be stored for quite a long time. But you should know how to properly dry arugula.

The grass is pre-sorted, carefully washed in a spacious basin, and dried on a spread towel until the moisture has completely evaporated.

Drying of the grass is carried out with good ventilation for 6 - 7 days. The raw material must be stirred periodically so that it dries evenly, and it must not be exposed to sunlight.

It is possible to dry arugula in the oven at a temperature of +40°C (with the door ajar). Drying in a special drying cabinet with a thermostat at +50°C is also allowed. In the dryer, the moisture will completely evaporate from the plant within 10 - 12 hours. After this, the already dried grass can be sent for storage.

Dried arugula should be stored in a glass container with a tight lid, in a dry, dark place (kitchen cabinet, pantry). There it will remain usable for 6-9 months. And this preparation is used as a seasoning for soups, meat, fish, legumes and various broths.

The fresh storage of arugula is very short. You should not purchase it in large quantities at once. If you harvest the herbs on your own plot, you need to choose one of the harvesting methods suggested in this article in order to have a healthy aromatic seasoning on hand all year round.

And we discussed in detail how to store sorrel in this article.

Period and storage conditions of arugula 4 (80%) 2 votes

Preparing for freezing

Freezing is the best way to extend the shelf life of medicinal herbs. How to prepare arugula leaves:

1. Choose only healthy arugula leaves, without spots, preferably medium size.
2. Be sure to rinse the greens from dust and dirt in warm water.
3. Dry the arugula thoroughly before freezing. To speed up the process, place the leaves on a napkin or towel to absorb moisture. Excess water forms a coating of ice, and this spoils the appearance and taste of frozen arugula and other types of greens.

Advice If you grow arugula yourself in the garden, then collect the leaves for harvesting early in the morning, before the sun's rays hit them. These greens are the crunchiest, tartest and healthiest.

Dried salad - how to prepare and use

You can dry indau in different ways. Once dried arugula is ready, it can be safely used to prepare sauces and as a seasoning for fish and meat dishes.

You can dry arugula for the winter yourself by using the natural drying method. To do this, chop the caterpillar in your hands and spread it in a thin layer on a baking sheet covered with cloth or paper. Place the baking sheet in a warm, dry place and keep the leaves out of direct sunlight. You can cover the top with gauze to prevent dust and insects from getting in. An outdoor shed, veranda, balcony or well-ventilated shed are perfect for this.

Remember, in order to dry, there should not be high humidity outside. Don't forget to stir the greens so they don't stick.

Another great option for drying indau is an electric dryer. Place the indau on pallets in one layer. Set the temperature on the electric unit to 50 degrees. Turn the arugula every one and a half to two hours - this is better for drying. From time to time you can change the positions of the pallets. Drying arugula in this way will take about 12 hours.

You can dry the indau even faster in the oven. Tear the greens with your hands or cut them with scissors. Place it in a thin layer on parchment paper lying on a baking sheet. The oven temperature should be 40 degrees. Turn the arugula every 30 minutes so that it does not burn - it is better to dry it this way. The cabinet door can be opened slightly to ensure good air ventilation. Dry like this for about 6 hours.

The finished dried arugula is transferred to bags or jars with lids and stored for up to 12 months.

How to freeze and defrost arugula, how long to store

How to freeze fresh arugula, instructions:

1. Freeze whole leaves or smaller parts. In the latter case, tear the greens with your hands.
2. Use airtight freezer bags or plastic containers.
3. Stack the leaves so they take up less space. Also, be sure to squeeze out excess air from the packaging.
4. Pack the arugula in small bunches so that the portion is enough for one use. After defrosting, greens do not keep for a long time, eat them immediately.
5. Label the package with the date of freezing so that you can use the arugula on time.

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There are also more original ways to freeze healthy greens, for example, to make additives for salads and side dishes based on them:

1. Finely chop, or better yet, tear the arugula leaves. Some housewives puree the greens in a blender, obtaining a uniform paste. Melt quality butter. Mix the greens with oil, add grated fresh garlic and salt if desired. Pour mixture into ice cube containers. Now you will have a flavorful addition to mashed potatoes, vegetable salad, boiled cereals and other dishes.
2. Mix arugula with olive or other vegetable oil, mustard, etc.
3. Prepare healthy mixes from different types of herbs, spices and oils.

Best before date

You can store arugula frozen for up to 1 year, but provided that the product was frozen once. Repeated freezing leads to loss of valuable properties, color, aroma and shape.

Defrosting rules

Thawing is carried out gradually if these are fresh leaves without additives. Place the bags in the refrigerator first and then keep them at room temperature. Preparations with oil can be added to salads and other dishes immediately after removal from the freezer.

Don't be surprised if the bright green arugula turns a little dull when removed from the freezer. This will not affect the taste and benefits.

How to properly freeze arugula for the winter

Arugula (arugula) has many vitamins and beneficial properties; it even has no contraindications, except for people with individual intolerances or allergies. You want to preserve such healthy and tasty greens for as long as possible, and freezing comes to the rescue.

In order to freeze arugula for the winter, you need to thoroughly wash and sort it, remove the leaves from the stems, and then dry it thoroughly on paper towels. After this, the arugula needs to be packaged in bags and frozen in the freezer.

Thawed arugula can be used in the preparation of pasta, sauces, pies, salads and much more, the main thing is that almost all the vitamins will be preserved in it.

We wash the grass and remove the hard parts, we don’t need them. Chop the arugula and place in an ice tray. Pour olive oil here, then put it in the freezer. You can use this aromatic oil with herbs for 3-4 months from the moment of freezing.

These aromatic herbs will provide maximum health benefits when consumed fresh. It grows quickly even in cool weather and produces a good harvest. Since arugula does not like heat, it quickly withers and spoils. Cut greens do not last long even in a cool place. Many housewives are interested in the question of whether it can be prepared for the winter or not, today we will answer this question.

Drying seasonings at home

You can preserve arugula for a long period by drying it. These greens are added to dishes as seasoning.

The arugula is dried, having previously been washed to remove dust. The leaves are crushed both before and after drying, whichever is more convenient for you.

How the drying process occurs:

1. Place the prepared selected arugula leaves on a newspaper sheet or baking sheet covered with paper.
2. For drying, choose a warm and ventilated room, but the greens should not be placed in direct sunlight - this will lose all the benefits.
3. The moisture from the leaves will evaporate in about 7-10 days. Stir the arugula occasionally to ensure it dries evenly.

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A tip from Miss Clean magazine: It's best to keep your greens away from metal surfaces to avoid oxidation. This is why paper is used. Also, do not cut arugula with a knife; it is better to tear the greens with your hands. This applies not only to preparations, but also to recipes with fresh leaves. Herb cut with a metal knife does not look so beautiful; the metal reduces the beneficial properties of the spice.

A quicker way to prepare dried arugula and other spices is in an electric dryer or oven. The dryer has special functions for greens.

Using the oven, rules:

1. Temperature - 40-50 degrees.
2. The door must be slightly open.
3. Place the arugula on a baking sheet in a thin layer.

Dried spices are stored in airtight glass jars. The shelf life of this product is 12 months. Periodically check the jars for unpleasant odors, mold, and pests.

Selection and preparation

Experienced housewives, in order to preserve for the winter, harvest indau on a dry sunny day, preferably in the afternoon. This way the morning dew on the leaves of the plant will already dry out. The leaves of the plant are cut from the formed rosette. First, cut off the outermost large leaves, moving towards the center. It is better to leave part of the socket. This way it will continue to produce crops in the future.

What is the best way to preserve arugula for the winter yourself?

To freeze or dry the caterpillar crop for the winter, young tender leaves are selected.

In order to dry or freeze it, do not allow the greenery to enter the flowering phase.

A method in which the emerging flower stalks are broken off will help to avoid this process. However, do not use this method on all arugula rosettes. After all, it is important for you that it produces seeds later. Indayu produces several crops per season.

Not all indau leaves are suitable for drying or freezing - select only healthy, elastic and green leaves without damage, defects or yellowness. Then it is better to get rid of dust, soil residues and small bugs by rinsing the arugula with water. If you bought indau in a store or market, it is recommended to soak it for 5 - 10 minutes in lightly salted water. This way the plant will remove harmful chemical microelements. After this, lay the indau on a towel and lightly blot the drops of water on top. When the arugula dries, we begin a procedure that will help freeze or dry it for the winter.

It is worth noting that it is better to freeze arugula in the autumn. Is it possible to freeze arugula for the winter in spring and early summer? Yes you can. In this matter, it is important that indau not be used for food after a year of storage. At the same time, it doesn’t matter whether you had to freeze the plant or dry it to save it for the winter.

Using arugula in canning

Cooking with arugula will diversify your winter menu. It can be salted separately or added to vegetable salads or in a marinade. To pickle, sprinkle the peeled greens with salt (1 tablespoon of salt per 100 g of leaves) and place the mixture in clean glass jars. The salad can be stored in the refrigerator or cellar for no more than one year.

Preserving these greens is not as popular as regular freezing, but it’s worth a try, especially if it’s a harvest season.

Shelf life of arugula under different storage methods

Before preparing spices for the winter, you need to familiarize yourself with its shelf life, which depends on the chosen product processing option:

The amount of beneficial components in arugula reaches its peak during the flowering period, when the barely drooping stems reach approximately 30-50 cm in height, some of them bear inflorescences of white or yellow flowers. Such greens should be collected for future harvests.

If all the rules for preparing herbs are properly followed, then its pleasant taste can be enjoyed every year, while simultaneously protecting the body from various diseases.

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Growing arugula on a windowsill: tips

Some housewives took a risk, planted arugula seeds at home and were not disappointed: fresh green shoots with tart leaves grew on the windowsill. You will need a deep container, all-purpose potting soil and quality seeds, which are available at gardening stores.

Growing homemade greens is difficult because the plant requires a lot of heat and long daylight hours. Use special lamps, protect plantings from drafts, do not neglect fertilizing, and then vitamin-rich greens will be present in your menu fresh all year round.

Prepare several types of sauces at once, dry a jar of seasoning and leave five to ten bunches of fresh herbs for freezing: let arugula in your winter menu be a universal addition to dishes.

Useful tips

To keep arugula fresh in the refrigerator, it needs to be covered. It must be in a vacuum, without access to air. And it is stored for up to 4 days.

Dried herbs are periodically inspected to prevent pests. And it is stored in places where there is no access to moisture and light.

Arugula from the freezer cannot be re-frozen. Frozen food lasts for a year. Greens are frozen in small portions.

You can grow arugula on windowsills to enjoy fresh herbs all year round.