A parsley root refines many dishes. The aromatic root looks particularly good in soups and stews. It is rarely the main ingredient, but is used in small quantities. The rest can be frozen for other dishes.
October to February is the season
Parsley roots are easy to grow in your own garden. As a typical winter vegetable, it is harvested in the fall. Markets also offer it during this time. Sometimes even in organic quality.
Fresh roots are the best recommendation in season. To stock up ready to hand for later times, the method of freezing is ideal.
Go for freshly harvested
Parsley roots keep for quite a long time after harvest. But each day of storage breaks down more and more of their valuable ingredients.
Harvest roots just before freezing
Freeze purchased parsley roots promptly
Tips
You can recognize a fresh root by the fact that it feels firm and crunchy in your hand. If, on the other hand, it is unstable, it is better to leave it alone.
Portioning makes it easier to remove
A frozen root is difficult to cut into small pieces. Therefore, it makes sense not to freeze it whole, but in manageable pieces. This makes it easier to take out the exact amount needed for cooking. Before that, of course, the roots are cleaned, i.e. washed and peeled.
Tips
A potato peeler is great for peeling parsley roots. Peel off the skin only very thinly, leaving more of it for freezing.
First blanch, then freeze
Before the prepared pieces go into the ice-cold freezer, they need to take a hot bath. About two minutes in boiling water is enough. After that, the vegetable pieces are placed in prepared ice water for so-called quenching. Blanching has many advantages:
- Germs are killed
- shelf life is prolonged
- fewer vitamins are lost
- color is preserved
After cooling and drying, the root pieces can be packed in suitable freezer containers or freezer bags and placed in the freezer.
Shelf life
Frozen parsley roots will keep for about three months. They should not be left in the freezer longer than this, as their spicy taste will then diminish considerably.
