The sorrel belongs to the Rumicaceae family and is very close to spinach and dock. It is non deservedly underestimated, because it is a very tasty and healthy food. The health benefits of sorrel are not one or two. This leafy vegetable improves eyesight, slows down the aging process, reduces skin problems, strengthens the immune system and improves digestion.
It also builds strong bones, stimulates circulation, increases energy levels, helps prevent cancer, lowers blood pressure, increases appetite, protects against diabetes, strengthens heart health and improves kidney functions.
Sorrel also provides a significant amount of fiber, very few calories, almost no fat and a small amount of protein. In terms of its nutritional composition, it is rich in vitamin C and also contains vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.
If you will be using the sorrel within 1-2 days, just keep it wrapped in a bag or stored in a box in the refrigerator. It's best that it's insulated, so that it doesn't absorb odors from other foods in your fridge.
For longer storage, rinse, dry and roll the leaves in paper towels before placing them in a plastic container. The paper towels will soak up the excess liquid, keeping the leaves dry but in a sufficiently moist environment.
Frozen sorrel is a great food. To freeze it, first wash the leaves and let them dry completely. You can arrange them on kitchen paper.
Then cut the leaves as for soup. Place them in bags in the freezer. Frozen like this, sorrel lasts up to several months. The best part is that fresh green spices can be added to it in the envelope. This makes a whole mix for dishes.
Another option for storing sorrel is to stew the leaves in a little oil. Freeze this puree to add to soups or stews at a later stage.
It is also an option to preserve sorrel in jars. For this purpose, freshly picked sorrel is cleaned and washed. It is stuffed into jars, which are hermetically sealed, while it's wet. It is sterilized for 1 hour, until the greens abundantly release their juice. The jars are turned over, until they cool, then they put away in a cold, dark place. You may want to blanch the sorrel before filling the jars.
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