Preparations are tasty, he althy and fashionable again. Check how you can properly store vegetables and fruits to enjoy them also in winter. You can prepare jams, preserves, tinctures, pickles, purees …
In the past, every self-respecting household was ruled by a pantry, the shelves of which were full of jars with pickles, stone pots full of jam,jams , preserves. Reportedly, the firstpreservesstarted frying when the fire was discovered. It was a mixture of fruit and honey. Today we rarely have time and feel like labor-intensive treatments. Many of us prefer to go to the store where there is a huge selection of all goodies. No wonder - a jar of jam from the store is incomparably cheaper than making your own delicacies. But if you value the unique aroma and quality of homemadepreserves , and you also have a fruit and vegetable garden, then set aside a few evenings to make supplies. It's really worth it.
Preserves - why we can preserve
Preparations for storage must be properly preserved. Fruits, vegetables and herbs are influenced by temperature, light and oxygen. They are also a good breeding ground for microorganisms which, developing on them, consume and change their nutrients, most often negatively. That is why careful preparation of preserves is so important. There are many methods.
How to prepare for making preserves
So that your efforts are not wasted, make a list of the necessary tools, utensils and containers. You will need:
- steel or plastic bowls for washing and arranging fruit and vegetables,
- flat wide enamel pot with a capacity of three to four liters for cooking jams,
- a saucepan with a thick bottom or a large frying pan, approx. 40 cm in diameter - for frying preserves and jam,
- fine mesh plastic sieve - for rubbing fruit,
- wooden stick and puree - for grinding fruit,
- twist jars - the best for jams are smaller, for cucumbers - liter and larger,
- plastic bags for freezing,
- bottles for tinctures, preferably made of dark glass, so that the light does not change their contents,
- peeling and cutting knives,
- fruit pitting device.
Preparations - the most important hygiene
We wash the jars inhot water with detergent. We rinse them and wipe them. Intended for preserves that are not pasteurized, they must be boiled or toasted. We check that the lids are not rusty and the rubberized side does not crumble. The slightest leakage will allow air to enter inside and bacteria will multiply. Remember, the lids can only be pasteurized 3-4 times.
You must do it- For preserves, choose he althy, ripe, fresh, well-colored fruits and vegetables - only such are the richest in nutrients;
- always use stainless steel knives for grinding and cutting - iron destroys vitamins;
- heat preserves only as much as necessary to achieve durability.
Methods of making preserves
- Pasteurization: subjecting the product to high temperature. Wet - we cook the jars with the contents. Dry - pour the boiling mass under the very top of the jar, immediately screw it on and put it upside down. Cover with a blanket until it cools down.
- Pickling: natural fermentation - bacteria produce preservative lactic acid.
- Marinating: canning with vinegar.
- Tinctures: alcoholic extracts of fruits, roots, flowers and herbs, with an alcohol strength of 50-60 percent.
- Drying: evaporating water in the sun or in a domestic oven.
- Freezing: subjecting the food to a low temperature in the freezer.
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