Okroshka is a delicious dish, the main ingredients of which are fresh vegetables and herbs. There is an opinion that okroshka is exclusively a summer dish. However, you can enjoy the taste of the dish in winter. To do this, you just need to prepare the ingredients in advance. To prepare okroshka for the winter, you will need the same products that are used to prepare it fresh. You just need to follow the storage rules so that they do not lose their qualities.
Specifics of preparing okroshka dressing for the winter
Ingredients for okroshka must retain their freshness and not lose nutrients during storage. Improperly prepared foods quickly deteriorate and become unfit for consumption.
To ensure that products retain their properties longer and are not spoiled, they are placed in sterile containers and stored in a cool place. For better preservation, salt and vinegar are added to the product. Horseradish is also a natural preservative.
Additionally, the prepared mixture of vegetables and herbs is pasteurized, then covered with lids and stored.
List of ingredients
To prepare okroshka for the winter you will need:
- cucumbers – 500-600 g;
- horseradish roots – 200-300 g;
- radishes – 10 pcs.;
- dill – 400 g;
- green onions – 300-400 g;
- salt – 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- vinegar – 2 tsp.
Features of product selection
Vegetables and herbs must be clean, without signs of damage or rot. It is advisable to take young cucumbers for okroshka. In this case, you don’t have to cut off the skin from them.
Overripe cucumbers must be peeled and seeded.
Horseradish roots should be chosen that are smooth, firm, without damage or stains, and not dry. The pulp should be white and uniform. The length of ripe roots is 20-25 cm.
How to properly prepare the container?
Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are used as containers. They should not have chips or cracks. Containers must be thoroughly washed under hot water with soap and soda, rinsed and dried.
After this, they are placed neck down on a wire rack, which is placed over a pan of boiling water. The jars are sterilized with steam for 15 minutes. Then turn off the fire and leave the containers to cool in the same position over the steam. After cooling, they are moved, without turning them over, onto a clean towel.
The lids are boiled separately or sterilized together with the jars with steam. Transfer them to a towel using clean tweezers.
Cooking process
Vegetables and herbs are washed under cold running water. Cucumbers can be pre-soaked in water to help remove dirt better. The food is then placed in a colander to drain excess water. After this, the ingredients for okroshka are transferred to a clean towel and dried thoroughly.
If necessary, peel the cucumbers. Then the ends are cut off and the vegetables are cut into small cubes. Horseradish is minced through a meat grinder. You can grate cucumbers with horseradish.
The tails of the radishes are removed. Vegetables are cut into pieces or grated. Dill and onion are finely chopped and added to the rest of the ingredients. Then the dish is salted and mixed thoroughly.
The mixture is poured into jars and vinegar is added. The containers are pasteurized for 5-10 minutes in a saucepan with water at a temperature of +80...+90 °C. Place the pan on low heat. The water level in it should be 2 cm below the neck of the jars. After processing, the containers are closed with lids.
How and for how long can you store it?
The workpiece in jars tightly closed with lids is stored in a refrigerator, basement or cellar at a temperature of 0 ... + 5 ° C without access to sunlight. In such conditions, products retain their freshness for up to 6-8 months.
To increase shelf life, the mixture can be frozen. To do this, chopped vegetables and herbs are placed in plastic bags. Vinegar and salt are not added. This product can be stored for up to 12 months.
