Grape leaves are a popular ingredient in oriental cuisine. In Turkey, they wrap rice and minced meat, in Greece they season the same filling with tomatoes, cinnamon and lemon juice, in Egypt they put feta and lamb - there are many recipes, but the basis for them is one. Before use, the grape leaf must undergo special processing.
Pick your recipe
It is better to collect leaves from the vine in late spring and early summer (May-June), while they are still tender and not covered with dust. It is better to catch grapes from pests before processing, since in spite of the fact that most modern sprays are non-toxic and dissolve in water, a slight smack of sulfur cannot be removed by anything.
Choose young whole leaves of medium size (10-15 centimeters), light green in color and without holes. Too small grape leaves will tear during use, while too large leaves are likely to be hard and difficult to chew. Leaves should also be shiny and smooth. Do not tear foliage with asymmetrical edges, thick and dull.
Most of all, it’s not the new leaflets on the top of the vines that suit you, but those that are lower. Leaf collectors are guided by the rule of three - count the top three leaves from the end of the plant and pick the three following after them, then go to the next vine and repeat again.
To cook about 1 kilogram of leaves, you need to collect about 200-250 pieces. This amount of raw material is best processed in batches of 80 pieces. For one such batch, you will need 8 glasses of water and 2 glasses of salt. Bring the water to a boil, add salt and boil again. At the leaves, cut the cuttings. Dip the grape leaves in boiling water, laying them out gently to effectively use the space of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bowl filled with cold ice water.
Pour water from the leaves and immerse them in an ice "bath" - blanch them. Then dry with kitchen paper towels. Grape leaves are ready to use. As such, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If this period does not suit you and you need longer, fold the leaves in stacks of 10 pieces, gently rubbing them again to remove all excess moisture, pack them in plastic zip bags and freeze. Do not forget to indicate the date on each package. In this form, the leaves can be stored for 2 to 6 months. To defrost them, you just need to put the leaves in a colander and let a little warm running water.