Traditionally, dolma is prepared with grape leaves. Unlike similar cabbage rolls, the ingredients for which can be found at any time of the year, preparing dolma in winter and spring becomes problematic. While cabbage is sold in stores all year round, grape leaves can only be found in summer. To prepare dolma, you need to prepare grape leaves for the winter. There are several options for preparing grape leaves for the winter.
Features of harvesting grape leaves for the winter
To prepare foliage for the winter, you first need to decide on the timing. Young leaves that begin to appear before the vine blooms are suitable for dolma. And if we take into account that the vine grows continuously throughout the growing season, then the collection of leaves begins in late spring and ends in autumn.
To prepare the dish, only the foliage of white grape varieties is used. These leaves are juicy and tender, perfect for dolma. Red varieties have dry and stringy leaves. The minced meat in them will be dry, and the leaves themselves will be hard after cooking.
Selection and preparation of grape leaves
For preparations, leaves of grapes are used, which grow far from roadways. The leaves for dolma should be juicy and young, of a light emerald hue. They are easy to distinguish from the old ones. In addition, they should not show signs of damage, insect marks, stains or plaque. Leaves are chosen that are healthy and elastic. If plants have recently been treated with chemicals, then you should refrain from collecting leaves for several weeks.
Before harvesting foliage, it must first be prepared. The cut leaves are placed in a deep container and filled with cool tap water. Each sheet is then thoroughly washed and re-inspected. After everything is washed, they are laid out in a thin layer in the shade and dried. There is no need to dry them too much, the main thing is that only the water dries and they are not wet.
Methods for harvesting grape greens at home
There are several ways in which you can prepare grape leaves for the winter. Each method has pros and cons.You can only choose the one that is ideal for every housewife if you try all the methods of preparing green grapes for preparing this Armenian dish.
Freezing
The easiest way to prepare grape greens for making dolma is to freeze them in the freezer. Before freezing greens in the freezer, they are washed and dried. The main thing is that the leaves are dry, otherwise the water will freeze on the leaves and they will not be as tasty. The greens are placed in stacks of 15-20 pieces and placed in a plastic bag. Then put it in the freezer.
The main disadvantage of this method is the difficulty in defrosting and using greens for cooking. Frozen leaves are very fragile and will tear if moved incorrectly.
Pickling
Green grapes can also be pickled for the winter. First you need to prepare the marinade. For it you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- spices (cloves, peppercorns);
- laurel;
- 1 tbsp. l. regular salt and sugar;
- 1-2 tbsp. l. acetic acid.
First, the jars are sterilized. Then spices and bay leaves are placed on the bottom, and grape leaves are laid out. Pour boiling water over and after 3-4 minutes the water is poured into the container. Then this water is put on fire and brought to a boil. Add salt, sugar. After the salt and sugar have dissolved, add vinegar and immediately fill the jars with marinade. Close the jars with lids. This method will keep the leaves intact. Any spices can be used. They will add aroma to the leaves and a pleasant spicy taste. This is worth considering, because this dish is not for everyone, and not everyone will like it.
Salting in jars
You can seal the grape greens in glass jars.The process of preparing pickling in jars is as follows:
- Roll the leaves into tubes (no more than 10 leaves per tube).
- Sterilize jars.
- Boil the water.
- Place the tubes in a jar and fill with water, after 10-12 minutes drain the water.
- Then pour boiling water into the jars again.
- Drain the water again, add salt and boil.
- Pour the brine over the leaves and close the jars with a lid.
Wait for the jars to cool and put them in the refrigerator.
Dry canning
Preserving grape leaves for dolma for the winter using the dry method is quite simple. The leaves are folded into envelopes. You need to choose greens of the same size, then they will fold evenly into the jar. Each envelope contains no more than 10 pieces.
There is no need to use spices, salt or even water for this recipe. Full jars are covered with lids, wrapped in a warm towel and left in a cool, dark place for a day. After 24 hours you need to take out the jar. If the lid is a little swollen, then it’s okay, the leaves are not lost. The workpiece needs to be remade if the lid is swollen greatly. This is a simple way to prepare grape leaves for the winter to prepare juicy Armenian dolma.
Preservation by dry salting
Another way to prepare green grapes for the winter is by dry salting. There are many recipes for cooking greens, but this one is one of the simplest. The only easier way is to freeze greens in the freezer.
The grape greens are washed under running water and dried for several hours in a cool room.
It is important to ensure that the leaves are completely dry when placing them in jars. Jars for salting are sterilized.
The leaves are folded into tubes or envelopes.The main thing is that they are not too thick. Then the blanks are placed in jars in layers. When the first layer is at the bottom, it is covered with salt. Then lay out the second layer and sprinkle with salt again. This must be done until the jar is full. After this, close the workpieces with a lid and put them in a cool room.
Storage
As a rule, it is most convenient to store jars of grape preparations for the winter in the refrigerator or cellar. After the containers with greens have cooled, they are placed on the lower shelves of the refrigerator or lowered into the basement. The choice of one location or another is not important, the main thing is that they are stored in a cool room, where bright sunlight will not reach. The preparations need to be stored for no more than one year. If they sit longer, they lose all their taste, and dolma based on such greens turns out to be tasteless.
The products that are kept in the freezer are stored the least. Their shelf life is only six months. If they sit longer, then they are safely thrown out. They are no longer suitable for cooking. When defrosted they are watery and slimy.
Of course, even if ideal conditions are observed storage of grapes preparations, Armenian dolma based on them is not as tasty and juicy as from fresh ones. In this case, cabbage leaves will be the best option. After all, cabbage rolls and dolma are not much different. It’s better to enjoy dolma in the warm season, when grape leaves are plucked directly from the vine. Many housewives note that leaves prepared for the winter become hard and rough, no matter how they are pickled.
