How to preserve and prepare tarragon for the winter at home, drying and freezing

The first thing that comes to mind when the word "tarragon" is lemonade. But it is also a useful plant that is common in cooking. Tarragon is especially popular in French and Oriental cuisine. Tarragon is also called tarragon. There are various ways to prepare tarragon grass for the winter.

When to start harvesting tarragon?

You can start harvesting a plant for the winter in June. The bushes grow quickly, and as soon as warm weather sets in the street, they actively increase the deciduous mass. You can cut the stems for harvesting for the winter all summer until autumn. The most optimal time for harvesting raw materials is the period of plant budding.

In the first year after planting, it is recommended to cut the grass in August. In subsequent years, the period for collecting stems is delayed from April (in the southern regions) to October. It is best to cut your greens in the morning on a dry, warm day. The stems are cut 15 cm from the rhizome.

How to choose tarragon for harvesting?

The correct choice of raw materials for blanks for the winter depends on how long they will be stored. For blanks, juicy stems are used without signs of damage. There should be no yellow and dry leaves, as well as traces of insects. You need to give preference only to healthy stems.

The damaged leaves must be thrown away immediately. You also need to pay attention to the fact that insects often lay eggs on tarragon. Therefore, you need to carefully inspect the raw materials before starting to prepare blanks for the winter.

Methods for harvesting tarragon for the winter

There are many ways to store tarragon greens for the winter. It is not difficult to preserve the blanks for cooking in winter. The main thing is to choose which method is most suitable and for what purpose the tarragon herb is harvested.

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Drying

One of the easiest ways to prepare tarragon for the winter is to dry it. This is the easiest way to do this in an urban home environment. Drying tarragon for the winter is as follows:

• Cut the tarragon stems and inspect them so that there are no insect eggs on the back of the leaf.
• Rinse the stems thoroughly under running water.
• Finely chop the leaves and spread them in a thin layer on the newspaper.
• Dry away from sunlight in a cool and well-ventilated area.
• You need to collect the workpiece after the leaves are completely dry.

It is recommended to store the seasoning in a glass jar. With this method, it will be possible to preserve all the beneficial properties and aroma of the spice.

Freezing

Another way to preserve tarragon for the winter is to freeze it fresh. Many herbs are harvested in this way for the winter.Preparation for freezing the spice will not take long.

As in the previous method, the cut stems of tarragon are inspected and washed in cool water. Then the tarragon must be dried so that all the water evaporates. It will take no more than an hour. The main thing is not to forget about the spices, otherwise the leaves will become stale. After that, slice the tarragon and pack it into bags. Put in the freezer.

You need to store the spice for no more than a year. The faster the workpiece is used, the better.

Syrup

An unusual way to prepare tarragon for winter is to make syrup from it. Cooking syrup is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. To prepare the syrup you will need:

• 300 g of fresh tarragon herb;
• 1 liter of cold water;
• 3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
• 1 small spoonful of citric acid;
• lemon.

In order to prepare the syrup, you need to rinse the herbs. Tear the leaves from the stems, and the branches themselves need to be cut. Cut the lemon into slices. Place the workpiece in a saucepan and cover with water. Put in a water bath and simmer the syrup for 1 hour over low heat. When an hour has passed, the syrup is filtered, and the cake is squeezed out.

Add sugar and citric acid. Put the syrup back on the fire. Simmer until the liquid begins to thicken. The finished syrup is poured into glass jars. If the syrup is being prepared for the winter, then it should be twisted and put into the basement.

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The prepared syrup is used to make lemonades. It is enough to dilute a few tablespoons of the syrup in mineral water. You will get a delicious refreshing drink that will not contain harmful substances. Unlike store-bought lemonades.

Jam

And another way to prepare tarragon for the winter is to make jam from it. Making tarragon jam is simple, but the process will take a long time. Fresh tarragon greens are washed and cut with scissors. You need to mash it with your hands or a crush so that the leaves give juice. Then the greens are poured into 1 liter of boiling water.

Cover the tarragon with a lid and remove for 8-12 hours in a warm place. The next day, pour 1 kg of sugar into the water, put the container with the future jam on the fire. It will take a long time to cook, at least two hours. If the jam does not thicken during cooking, no need to be upset. After a while, when it is ready, it will thicken itself.