I stock up on grape leaves for the winter for dolma: I tell you what I do with them

Three years ago I attended an Armenian wedding. The tables were laden with dishes, but what impressed me most was the dolma with different fillings. Since then, I fell in love with it and started cooking it myself. At first I bought canned grape leaves at the supermarket, but quickly realized that it was better to prepare them myself. It's not as difficult as many people think. I make grape leaves for winter for dolma in 2 ways.

Small leaves for freezing, large leaves for preservation

The first time I prepared grape leaves for dolma, I made a grave mistake. There are 2 types of grapes growing at the dacha: white and black. I took leaves from both varieties. Moreover, I chose larger ones so that more filling could fit. Narwhal and frozen. In winter I was disappointed. After preparing the dolma, I found that it was difficult to chew. The veins on the leaves are hard and impossible to chew. I had to eat the filling and throw away the “wrapper”.

The next year I did everything right: I cut the grape leaves for dolma at the end of May, during the flowering of the vine, and only from white grapes. The edges of the regular leaves are rounded, and they themselves are glossy on both sides, without “bristles.”

They say that only small grape leaves about the size of your palm are suitable for dolma - 3 and 4, if you count from the top of the vine. But I also use large ones. I throw the small ones in the freezer, and make the larger ones in brine for the winter.

The veins of salt soften and become quite edible.With fish, lamb, chicken, lentils - everything is delicious!

How to freeze grape leaves for dolma for the winter?

For freezing, I recommend the best leaves - fresh, young, bright green, thin. They are kept at their best in the freezer. Dolma turns out especially tasty and aromatic. The leaves melt in your mouth.

I prepare them for the winter like this:

I cut off the petioles on the leaves with scissors.
I scald it with boiling water so that it doesn’t break when frozen (green leaves are very brittle when frozen).
I cover the table with paper and lay it out in one layer to dry.
Once they are completely dry, I put together a stack of 10 pieces and roll them into a tight roll. Why 10? This way I can plan how much dolma to prepare.
Next, I put the rolls in a regular plastic bag, tie them, and put them in the freezer. They take up minimal space.

To prepare dolma, I do not defrost the leaves, but throw them into boiling water for 5 minutes. While they are leaving, I prepare the filling.

Advice. If the leaves seem too small to you, use them in pairs: place one on top of the other with a 2 cm offset. The area will increase and it will be easier to wrap the filling.

In general, preparing dolma requires practice. Over time, you learn to twist it quickly, no matter how big the leaf is.

Grape leaves for dolma for the winter - stored in the pantry for 2 years!

I like this method because you can harvest medium and large grape leaves for the winter. I seal them in a jar with a salty solution. After 1.5-2 months they soften and become tender. I use a little salt - 3 tbsp. spoons per 1 liter of water. There is no need to soak the leaves to prepare dolma. Just rinse with water.

How I prepare grape leaves for dolma for the winter:

I cut off the petioles with scissors.
I put it in a deep bowl and fill it with boiling water. I leave it for 2 minutes. Leaves turn yellow in boiling water.
I pour out the boiling water. I make a stack of 10 leaves, turn the edges under, and roll them into a roll. The edge needs to be tucked in so that the rolls fit comfortably into the jar.
I place the leaf rolls vertically in a liter jar, sterilized in advance. I can fit 8 rolls in one jar.
I boil the water and pour boiling water over the leaves again, this time in a jar. I leave it for 5 minutes.
I pour this water into a small saucepan. I pour 3 tbsp there. spoons of coarse table salt, and boil for 2-3 minutes.
I pour the brine into a jar and cover it with a sterilized lid. Then, as usual, I put the jar upside down and wrap it in a towel. Once it cools completely, I transfer it to the pantry.

This liter jar is enough for me for 1.5 kg of filling. I usually only use half at a time.

3 favorite dolma recipes

I like to experiment with dolma, so I often cook it not only with chopped lamb and minced meat, but also with other fillings.

Favorite recipes:

Lenten dolma with chickpeas. For the filling I take: 200 g chickpeas, 0.5 cups long rice, 2 onions, 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste, dried savory, basil, paprika, salt and black pepper to taste. I soak the chickpeas for a day, boil the rice for 10 minutes and wash it. I grind chickpeas in a meat grinder with onions. I mix all the ingredients. I cover the bottom of the pan with grape leaves. I spin the dolma. I pack it tightly. I pour water (it should barely cover the dolma). I add 2 tbsp. spoons of sunflower oil. Cook over low heat for 40 minutes. This dolma is especially tasty cold, with garlic sauce.
Dolma with chopped chicken. For the filling I use: 300 g of chopped chicken legs, 150 g of semi-cooked long rice, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 0.5 bunch of dill, black pepper, salt. I fry the onions and carrots, mix them with chicken, rice, chopped dill, salt and pepper. I wrap the filling in grape leaves, place it in a saucepan, pour hot water with the addition of 2 tbsp. spoons of sunflower oil. Cook for 40 minutes over low heat. Serve with sour cream.
Cheese dolma with suluguni. For this recipe, only fresh and frozen grape leaves, not salted, are suitable. The cheese should also be unsalted and creamy. I cut approximately 400 g of suluguni into small cubes and wrap it in leaves. I heat up the frying pan. I put 100 g of butter and 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable. I fry the dolma on both sides. Serve with a sauce of 100 g of honey, a clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Very tasty with red wine.

Advice. I recommend cooking dolma in a wide pan with thick walls. Envelopes should be stacked in no more than 3 layers.

If white grapes grow on the plot, I think it’s a sin not to prepare grape leaves for dolma. From the cans that are sold in the supermarket, it is not like that - too salty, unflavoured. I had to soak it in boiling water and then rinse it well. This caused the leaves to tear. The good thing about the preparation methods that I described is that the grape leaves retain the correct taste. Dolma turns out tender, juicy, in the best traditions!