John Myers
Freezing salsify is a good option for storing the healthy winter vegetable for a slightly longer period of time. If you freeze the black salsify properly, the popular vegetable loses hardly any nutrients and stays nice and crunchy.
Freeze black salsify correctly – you should pay attention to that
Black salsify, which was originally native to Spain, belongs to the daisy family and can also be planted here without any problems. If your harvest was particularly rich, it is worth freezing at least part of the salsify – and as soon as possible after harvesting the vegetables. The black salsifies keep frozen for about six to seven months.
- Basically, freezing salsify is not a big action. However, before freezing, the skin of the vegetables has to be removed and this is a bit of an awkward part for two reasons.
- On the one hand, the salsify releases its color and, on the other hand, the vegetable secretes a kind of milky juice that is quite sticky. For this reason, it is advisable to have not only an asparagus peeler ready before peeling the black salsify, but also light rubber gloves.
- After you have washed and peeled the salsify, you could already freeze the vegetable. But it’s worth adding a small step in between: blanching the salsify.
Blanching the black salsify – that’s why it’s worth it
If you blanch the black salsify before freezing, the vegetable will retain its white color, which is why it is also called winter asparagus, and will not discolor. In addition, you do not run the risk of the vegetables becoming mushy.
- To blanch the salsify, first put a large pot of water on. Once the water is boiling, add about two to three tablespoons of vinegar.
- It is best to place the salsify in a colander or something similar before adding the vegetables to the boiling water. Alternatively, fish the vegetables out of the water with a soup ladle.
- In this way, the salsify can be easily removed from the boiling water after about two minutes and quickly immersed in the ice water that is available.
- Before the blanched vegetables are divided into portions in freezer containers or freezer bags, first let them dry on tea towels.
- With the frozen black salsify, you always have a tasty side dish at hand. To prepare frozen winter asparagus, you don’t have to wait for it to thaw. You can put the black salsify in boiling water right away. If you want to use the black salsify for a salad, it is best to thaw the vegetables slowly in the refrigerator.
Store black salsify – you have these options
In addition to freezing, there are of course other ways to store the black salsify for a while. However, not nearly as long as when the winter asparagus was frozen.
- If you have a cool basement room, you can keep the black salsify there in a box with sand for a good month.
- Wrap the salsify in a damp tea towel, the winter vegetable will keep fresh for three to four days in the refrigerator or in a cool room.
