Today, I am writing about preserving green leafy vegetables. Sometimes, people are unsure if freezing of leaves reduce the freshness when prepared. After experimenting, I suggest that leaves can be frozen till you're ready to cook. I used Ewedu and Spinach for the latest experiment.
I cant resist giving you a quick background on Ewedu Leaf before I discuss its preservation.
Ewedu leaf ,for those who dont kow it ,is the local name for the Genus Corchorus .
Different common names are used in different contexts, with the name "jute" applying to the fibre produced from the plant, 'Mallow-Leaves" for the leaves used as a vegetable. On a lighter note, a friend's 3year old daughter asked for the English name of Ewedu and her mum put it up on facebook,asking for answers.
she did get many hilarious answers (you'd understand this better if you are from an ewedu eating background) well, I suggested the english name "we-do"!
Corchorus has a mucilaginous (somewhat "slimy") texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The seeds are used as a flavouring and a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves. The leaves of Corchorus are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent vitamin E . I give my toddler ewedu soup as a meal on its own, its so rich in iron,I call it his PCV booster!
Back to my research, pluck the leaves from the stem, wash and freeze. the freezing, implies that ,at 0 degree centigrade, no bacterial activity can take place in the leaves thereby retaining the colour and freshness and preventing the food from rotting. When you are ready to cook it, bring it out of the freezer, thaw it, blend and cook it.(always remember not to overcook ewedu). the above pictures show the ewedu after freezing, thawing and blending . Still green isnt it?
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corchorus
I cant resist giving you a quick background on Ewedu Leaf before I discuss its preservation.
Ewedu leaf ,for those who dont kow it ,is the local name for the Genus Corchorus .
Different common names are used in different contexts, with the name "jute" applying to the fibre produced from the plant, 'Mallow-Leaves" for the leaves used as a vegetable. On a lighter note, a friend's 3year old daughter asked for the English name of Ewedu and her mum put it up on facebook,asking for answers.
Corchorus has a mucilaginous (somewhat "slimy") texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The seeds are used as a flavouring and a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves. The leaves of Corchorus are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent vitamin E . I give my toddler ewedu soup as a meal on its own, its so rich in iron,I call it his PCV booster!
Back to my research, pluck the leaves from the stem, wash and freeze. the freezing, implies that ,at 0 degree centigrade, no bacterial activity can take place in the leaves thereby retaining the colour and freshness and preventing the food from rotting. When you are ready to cook it, bring it out of the freezer, thaw it, blend and cook it.(always remember not to overcook ewedu). the above pictures show the ewedu after freezing, thawing and blending . Still green isnt it?
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corchorus
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