Grape leaves for dolma for the winter, how to prepare a step-by-step recipe with photos

Dolma is an unusual culinary dish, reminiscent of traditional cabbage rolls, only with grape leaves as a wrapper.
Preparing grape leaves for dolma is not labor-intensive and has several manufacturing options. These include salting, pickling, freezing and dry storage. Any method of storing the future wrapper helps preserve nutrients; only the taste is distinctive. The main thing is to follow all stages of canning. Below will be presented various descriptions of preparing grape leaves for the winter for dolma, and which recipe to use is up to you to choose. Grape leaves are quite famous as an ingredient in kitchen dishes in the East. Here it is just beginning to gain its popularity. And not in vain, because the leaf is completely imbued with useful microelements, and also has a pleasant aftertaste. Edible culinary masterpieces from such plants relieve pain from varicose veins, relieve swelling, and improve blood circulation. As an antiseptic, the leaves can heal wounds and stop minor bleeding. This gift of nature contains large amounts of vitamins A, B, C and minerals - iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium. The listed positive components must be preserved, closed in jars for further consumption. Canning grape leaves for dolma is the most rational preservation for a long time. It is in the dish with the wonderful name “Dolma” that these green leaves are often used.

How to quickly and correctly pickle grape leaves for dolma for the winter

This pickling recipe is quick and the grape leaves turn out delicious.

Ingredients:

• grape leaves - 100–120 pcs.;
• water - 3–6 l;
• salt - 1 tbsp.

Step by step recipe:

1. Rinse the leaves with running water. This must be done carefully so as not to damage.
2. Dry them. The moisture should evaporate completely.

3. Before preserving, sterilize jars with lids. You can choose any method for this.
4. Place the sheets of paper in piles of 10 pieces. Wrap in tubes.

5. Place tightly in jars vertically.
6. Boil water and pour in the preparation.
7. Cover the leaves with a lid and let steep for 50 minutes.

8. When the time is up, drain the liquid.
9. Place 1 tbsp on top of the sheets. l. salt with a slide. Do not stir or shake the jar to avoid damage.
10. Pour boiling water again and seal the containers with lids.

11. Turn the product over with the lid down and leave it until the product has cooled completely. This will take about 24 hours.

On a note! A half-liter container can hold no more than 50–60 preparations for an Armenian dish. A 1 liter jar will hold about 120 grape leaves.

Recipe for pickling grape leaves in a jar

Pickled leaves for dolma will help you prepare delicious Armenian cabbage rolls. This dish has a summer flavor, but only young foliage is needed to prepare it. Such preparations can be stored for quite a long time.

This recipe is simple and will take no more than 25 minutes of your time.

Ingredients:

• grape leaves - 60–70 pcs.;
• vinegar 9% - 40–50 ml;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
• water - 0.5 l.

Attention!

Salt should not be iodized, as it is not suitable for canning.

Step-by-step recipe with photos:

1. Tear light green leaves.
2. Wash them thoroughly, but at the same time carefully so as not to tear them - they are thin and fragile, so it’s easy to damage them.
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3. After the procedure, place the leaves in a colander to drain the liquid.
4. Place the ingredient in a stack of 10 pieces, remove the cuttings and roll into a tube.
5. Place each piece in a jar and add salt.

6. Pour hot liquid into the container up to the shoulders, but there should be some space left in the jar.
7. Place the container in a saucepan and pour water into it almost to the brim, leaving space so that it does not spill out when boiling.

8. Place on the stove and boil. Cover the jar with a lid. The leaves should simmer for about 20–25 minutes after boiling. We have to wait for the color to completely change.
9. After the specified time has passed, remove the jar from the water, remove the lid and pour in vinegar.

10. Close again and seal with a seaming key.
11. Turn the lid down to make sure it is sealed. Leave to cool and then transfer to a cellar or pantry for storage. The workpiece will last for about 12 months.

Attention!

To protect themselves, some cooks add 1 more aspirin tablet to the jar. But this is not necessary.

Classic recipe for the most delicious dolma

It would not be fair to tell everything about how to store grape leaves and not share the recipe for making dolma:

This is how appetizing the finished dish looks, prepared according to the classic recipe.

The most delicious and aromatic dolma is prepared over an open fire from fresh ingredients.

To prepare minced meat you will need:

• beef and fatty pork;
• salt;
• rice;
• onions fried in butter until golden brown;
• spices.

Rice is not pre-boiled; it is added to the minced meat in dry form.
All ingredients are mixed well.

To make the minced meat juicy, add a little broth to it.

1. The minced meat is placed in the straightened grape leaf and carefully rolled up so that the leaves do not unwind.
2. The prepared dolma is placed in a pan and covered with a plate with a weight so that the workpieces do not float up.
3. Cilantro and basil are sprinkled between the layers to add a special aroma to the dish.
4. Dolma is filled with broth and cooked over low heat under a lid.
5. When the dish is ready, it needs to stand for a while to absorb the broth.
6. The finished dish is served with garlic-sour cream sauce or spicy tomato.

How to pickle leaves for dolma for the winter in Armenian

When choosing this pickling option, you will need to use spices.

Ingredients:

• grape leaves - 50–60 pcs.;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• dry mustard - 1 tsp;
• allspice - a few peas.

Step-by-step cooking recipe:

1. Select leaves for future dolma. Trim the petioles.

2. Scald them with boiling water, then roll them into rolls.
3. Wash half-liter jars and place the ingredients in them.

4. Add spices and pour boiling water over it.
5. Can be stored at room temperature.

On a note!

Eastern chefs made everything much simpler. The leaves were washed and placed in a barrel. Then they filled its contents with strong brine, covered it with a clean cloth and placed a sinker on top.

How to dry preserve grape leaves

With the onset of warm days, we need to prepare for a period of conservation. This is an ideal time for lovers of Armenian cabbage rolls - dolma, as young leaves appear on the grapes. This dish is both tasty and healthy, because the preparation contains many useful microelements. The ideal option for harvesting is freshly picked leaves. But with the help of preservation you can preserve their freshness for a longer period.

Which leaves are suitable for dolma

A simple and convenient way of freezing allows you to enjoy your favorite dishes all year round. When choosing raw materials, pay attention to the young leaves of the Lydia grape variety. They have juicy flesh and a nutmeg taste. The foliage of green grape varieties is also suitable. Choose healthy, shiny, undamaged, medium-sized specimens.

Choosing leaves

Remember the rules for discarding raw materials for freezing:

• We select young leaves. The season for collecting raw materials begins before the grapes bloom (this is approximately May-early June) or during flowering. At this time, the juice actively circulates through the vine, and it is full of energy.

• Choose medium-sized leaves (about the size of your palm). This size is the most suitable, it is convenient to work with while preparing a dish.

Do not take old, large leaves. The darker they are, the older they are. They are more stringy and can taste bitter.

• Pay attention to the veins: they should be small and delicate.
• The leaf shape must be correct.
• It is better to collect raw materials on a dry day, because... droplets on the leaves can contribute to the appearance of spots.

Advice: Winegrowers advise plucking the fifth or seventh leaf from the top of the vine.

• We pick the most suitable “wrappers” for dolma from the vines of light grape varieties.

Foliage should not be eaten:

• after chemical treatment of vines against pests;
• from a vine growing near a highway: the leaves absorb exhaust gases;
• old foliage, because it can accumulate substances harmful to human health;
• affected by pests, fungus, mold;
• with an unnatural (whitish, cream, yellow) color;
• from girlish, decorative grapes.

The vine grows throughout the summer. Therefore, you can freeze the raw materials for dolma at the end of summer.

The leaves are tastier and more tender on light grape varieties. However, they are also suitable from red or dark grape varieties, if there are no others. By priority, we choose the foliage of light, then red, and lastly blue grapes.

⊕ Information: The difference between the leaves of light and red grapes is that the leaves of red grapes are tougher with jagged edges.

Preparing to Freeze

• Be sure to wash the raw materials collected for harvesting;
• dry;
• Take the cuttings - you won't need them;
• Wither the leaves: they will become less brittle.

Packing

• It is better to store frozen grape leaves in tight bags, because cling film and thin plastic bags crumble when exposed to low temperatures for a long time;
• determine approximately the number of leaves for one preparation; that’s how many of them should be in the roll;
• attach a sticker to the roll, indicate on it the date of preparation and quantity;
• try to ensure that there is no air inside the package - this will help protect the workpiece from foreign odors;
• Frozen grape leaves are fragile, so it is advisable to store the rolls in a solid container.

Marinade recipes for preparing grape leaves

In order to prepare your favorite and healthy dolma in winter, you need to think in advance about preparing grape leaves. For example, they can be pickled. To do this, it’s easy to prepare a marinade, there are many recipes for it.

Marinade No. 1

Ingredients:

• water - 1 l;
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar 9% - 2 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step recipe with photos:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add all ingredients.
3. Boil for a few more minutes.

Marinade No. 2

Ingredients:

• water - 1 l;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar 9% - 2 tbsp. l.

Real jam!

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE FOR PREPARING GRAPE LEAVES FOR DOLMA

Those who have tried dolma at least once remain fascinated by the unusual sourish-meaty taste. This dish is somewhat reminiscent of our cabbage rolls, only the meat filling is wrapped in grape leaves. Moreover, if you take care of preparing the leaves in advance, you can prepare dolma all year round. This is very simple to do, having leaves and a simple plastic bottle on hand: leaves folded in such a closed container self-preserve with the help of released phytoncides.

1. To begin with, never wash the collected young grape leaves.

2. Then, before laying the leaves, let them dry out a little by laying them out on the table (then they roll up easier and compact better).

3. Next, put them in a stack of 4-5 pieces, roll them into a roll and push them into the neck of any plastic bottle (you can carefully tamp them with a twig or other oblong object).

4. Once the bottle is filled, screw the cap on tightly.

5. And within a few more days, grape gas will collect in bottles - it needs to be released. We open the lid a little, the air comes out and screw it back on.

6. As soon as the bottles stop swelling, you can leave them alone.

7. Such leaves are stored for a year or two, both in the cellar and at room temperature (the leaves in the bottle release phytoncides and self-preserve).

8. If necessary, carefully cut the bottle, wash the leaves and prepare cabbage rolls or dolma.

Recipe author: savanna; Source: “Cooking at Home” forum

Winter grape leaves for dolma

To prepare grape leaves for dolma in winter, you need to follow the recipe conditions.

Ingredients:

• grape leaves - 100 pcs.;
• salt - 3 tbsp. l. with a slide;
• water - 3 l.

Step by step recipe:

1. Remove the stems from the leaves with scissors.
2. Wash each leaf. Larger ones can be cut in half.

3. To prepare the brine, pour water into a pan and add salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. with a slide for 1 liter of liquid.
4. When the water boils, you need to pour in the leaves.
5. Fold them in rolls of 10 pieces. to the jar.
6. Pour brine over the workpiece.

7. Close the jars with lids and put them in the cellar for the winter.

On a note!

Before use, the workpiece can be washed under running water so that it is not too salty.