How to make healthy blanks for winter. 2 simple and delicious recipes

Nutriciologist, founder of a fruit, vegetable and nutrition delivery service

How to properly preserve vegetables for the winter?

Autumn is probably the most suitable time to make preparations for the winter to please yourself and your loved ones with tasty and healthy surprises. Among the most popular methods of preparation are freezing, drying and canning. In this article, let’s talk about the latter.

Canning is one of the most popular methods of prolonging the life of fruits and vegetables. But everything must be done according to the rules, otherwise there is a risk of creating health problems for yourself and your loved ones. Improper canning can lead to botulism – a severe food poisoning due to bacterial toxins. They appear in places with little oxygen, which is what a canning jar can provide.

Botulinum bacteria spores originate in the soil and then settle on fruits, vegetables, berries and mushrooms. During industrial production of canned goods, the bacteria are killed for a number of reasons, one of which is heating with high temperatures (up to 130 degrees Celsius). But in home conditions, which, of course, are different from production conditions, they are able to release a dangerous poison. Among the products that are particularly dangerous in terms of the content of botulism bacillus are cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, apricots and ramson.

Our task is to learn not only how to safely preserve foods, but also to preserve in them the maximum benefit. After all, it is difficult to control, for example, the level of salt in ready-made canned food in the store. This is the advantage of home canning: you can regulate the amount of salt and its quality. For example, replace ordinary table salt with Himalayan or sea salt. Read more about which salt is healthier in the article at the link.

First of all, it is worth remembering about the cleanliness of the kitchen and utensils in which you are going to do the work.

How to properly preserve fruits and vegetables

• Select the freshest products without rot or any spoilage.
• Be sure to sterilize canning jars.
• Wash the products before canning very carefully. It is better to wash it several times.
• Mix foods with spices and herbs.
• Add coarse white dry salt, sea salt is a good choice.
• Also to extend the shelf life will help cherry and currant leaves.
• Do not forget to check canned food jars for defects.

Two useful recipes for preserves

Berry

Berries are rich in vitamins, useful substances and macronutrients. Strawberries, black currants, cranberries, cherries and blueberries are good.

Remove the crumpled berries and rinse the remaining ones thoroughly in water. Rinse with boiling water. Dry and place in a glass bowl. Grind the berries 1:1 with granulated sugar by hand or in a food processor. After pour them into sterilized glass jars and close them firmly with a lid.

It is better to store them in the refrigerator all winter.

Vegetable

Vitamins are best preserved in pickled and sour vegetables. If you like different vegetables, a mix of zucchini, onions, peppers, carrots, tomatoes and garlic will do.

Peel the vegetables and rinse them thoroughly. Cut them into cubes and stew them in a thick-bottomed pot. When they become soft, salt them. Prepare jars, place the vegetable mix in them and close tightly with lids. Put the jars upside down for 10 hours, after which you can move them to the refrigerator for storage.

Such home canned vegetables are good for the body, as they contain magnesium, calcium and flavonoids.