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Many people grow vegetables in their gardens. We often encounter a large harvest that goes to waste, because the owners do not have sufficient skills to process it. They store them as best they can, but even so they run into moldy pieces or rot. Have you ever thought of preserving this surplus vegetable for the winter? No? You’re making a big mistake — there’s nothing complicated about it. We bring you the simplest recipes for storing vegetables for the winter.
Prepare your vegetables in jars
This method may remind you a little of preparing lečo, to which it is actually quite similar. You will need onions, lard or any other fat, a little salt, pepper, paprika, tomatoes and zucchini. You don’t have to use all of these types of vegetables. It only depends on what and in what quantity you harvested in your garden. The procedure is very simple. Heat a little fat in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Then gradually add all the vegetables you want to preserve for the winter. Don’t forget that the vegetables must be perfectly washed, completely freed of dirt, cleaned and diced. The vegetables will release juice; if there is too little, you can add a little water. Cook the vegetables until they are soft. Put the hot mixture into sterilized jars, seal them well and turn them upside down. The lids will seal overnight; in the morning you can wipe them and store ideally in a dark and dry room.
If you prefer to store vegetables in the freezer
Peppers, tomatoes and zucchini with eggplant are types of vegetables that store relatively well in the freezer too. Cut them into cubes large enough so you won’t have to reduce them while cooking. Then just seal the vegetables in a suitable container or freezer bag and freeze. In winter, when you want to cook the vegetables, simply take them out of the freezer and use them. It is not advisable to defrost them first. Put them into the pot, pan or oven completely frozen, straight from the freezer. Only this way will the vegetables retain their freshness and your food will be that much better. Your dishes will taste just as good as if you cooked them in season from freshly picked vegetables from your garden.
