Preserved Grape Leaves Recipes

GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef and ground pork. Add the rice, dill, both onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and then mix.
• Make a puree by first melting some butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then add enough olive oil and tomato puree until the sauce is orange-red in color. Stir over medium heat but do not boil. Add enough of the puree to the meat so that it is moist but not soupy. Let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Cover the bottom of a large saucepan with a layer of grape leaves. De-stem the remaining leaves and place vein-side up on your work surface. Place about 3 ounces of meat filling on each leaf and roll them up. Once you have rolled all your grape leaves, stack them in a circular pattern in the pan. Add a little lemon juice, some olive oil and enough water to just cover the top of your last stack. Cover and let simmer for about an hour.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

PRESERVED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Place leaves vein side up on a cutting board. Trim the stem from the leaf. I found kitchen shears to be the best tool for this job.
• Bring 1 quart water and salt to a boil. Blanch the leaves for 30 seconds. Remove leaves from pot with tongs or a slotted spoon taking care not to rip them. Allow to cool in a bowl.
• Bring 1 1/2 cup water and lemon juice to a boil. Stack leaves in piles of 5 and roll up from side to side. Place rolls upright in a sterile wide-mouth pint mason jar. Fold over tops to allow 1/2 headspace. Pour hot water/lemon juice mixture over the leaves leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rim of jar with a clean towel. Top with a lid and screw down lid. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath or keep in the refrigerator.

GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef and ground pork. Add the rice, dill, both onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper and then mix.
• Make a puree by first melting some butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then add enough olive oil and tomato puree until the sauce is orange-red in color. Stir over medium heat but do not boil. Add enough of the puree to the meat so that it is moist but not soupy. Let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Cover the bottom of a large saucepan with a layer of grape leaves. De-stem the remaining leaves and place vein-side up on your work surface. Place about 3 ounces of meat filling on each leaf and roll them up. Once you have rolled all your grape leaves, stack them in a circular pattern in the pan. Add a little lemon juice, some olive oil and enough water to just cover the top of your last stack. Cover and let simmer for about an hour.

PRESERVED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• Bring salted water to a boil.
• Add washed grape leaves and blanch for 30 seconds.
• Drain.
• Stack them on each other into 2 piles then form into loose rolls and stand each roll up in 2 pint canning jars.
• Add lemon juice or citric acid to the second quart of water and bring to a boil.
• Fill jars within 1/2 inch of top with the hot mixture.
• Seal.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.