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Don’t Throw It Away: This is How You Can Use the Rind of the Watermelon

In summer, watermelons are a refreshing dessert. You don’t have to throw away the shell, you can use it. We’ll show you what else you can use watermelon peel for.

Of course, many people think of the fruity-sweet and refreshing watermelon flesh first when they think of watermelons. In fact, all parts of the watermelon are edible, including the seeds and the skin. There are many easy ways you can use watermelon rind in delicious recipes. We introduce them to you below.

Use watermelon peel quickly

Do you have some leftover peel and you are cooking anyway? Then try one of these ideas:

1. Grated watermelon peel

The simplest method: grate the zest and mix into salads. For example, you can spice up a coleslaw with watermelon peel or add it to a cucumber and dill salad. Or you mix the finely grated zest with cold soups.

Tip: Roasted watermelon seeds are a good topping for soups and salads.

2. Smoothie with watermelon peel

The next time you make a watermelon smoothie (or any other fruity blended drink), just throw the watermelon rind into the blender. So you don’t have to throw away the leftovers, but give the smoothie additional fiber.

Tip: How about a breakfast smoothie bowl or summer smoothies with regional ingredients? Both recipes are good for using watermelon peel in an uncomplicated way.

Recipe for pickled watermelon rind

The watermelon peel is also welcome to take the leading role in some recipes. In other countries this is nothing unusual. For example, in the United States, pickled or candied watermelon peels are common. For example, you can pickle the peel of the watermelon in a sweet and sour way.

For about two to three glasses, each with 400 milliliters of pickled watermelon peel, you need the following ingredients:

1 large watermelon
3 tbsp salt
1 organic lemon or 1 organic lime
1/2 l balsamic vinegar
750g brown sugar
1-2 cm fresh ginger
2-3 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
8 allspice corns
Now follow these steps:

Eighth the watermelon. Remove the red pulp. There should now be about an inch of peel left.
Remove the dark green, bitter outer skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
Cut the peel into bite-sized pieces.
Mix the zest with the salt and the juice of half a lemon and leave to stand under a kitchen towel overnight.
After the brewing time, wash the bowl off briefly.
Put the bowl in a saucepan. Fill it with water until the bowl is just covered.
Bring everything to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Strain the peel and catch the water.
Finely slice the ginger and the other half of the lemon. Coarsely grind the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
Mix a quarter of the cooking liquid with the balsamic vinegar and sugar, add the spices and bring to the boil.
Add the melon cubes and let the brew simmer over low heat for about 50 minutes. The skins should now be translucent.
Pour the hot mixture into sterilized jars and seal immediately. Let them rest for at least two to three weeks. Serve the pickled watermelon peels as a sweet and sour side dish, for example.

Watermelon rind jam recipe

You can also use the watermelon peel to make jam.

For about six to seven jam jars with a capacity of 250 milliliters you need the following ingredients:

1 kg watermelon peel
2.5 liters of water
200 ml apple cider vinegar
1 lemon
1 kg preserving sugar
1 packet of vanilla sugar
How to make jam from watermelon rind:

Eighth the watermelon. Remove the red pulp. There should now be about an inch of peel left.
Remove the dark green, bitter outer skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.
Cut the peel into bite-sized pieces.
Add two liters of water and 200 milliliters of apple cider vinegar and let everything boil for two hours over medium heat.
After cooking, drain the shells and rinse them in cold water.
Put the peels back in the saucepan, add half a liter of water, the juice of the lemon, a kilo of preserving sugar and a sachet of vanilla sugar. Cook everything until the mass has thickened. You can now puree them completely or partially.
Pour the hot jam into jars. Close the jam jars and turn them upside down for five minutes. Wrap the jars in a kitchen towel and let them sit for half a day.

2 good reasons to use watermelon peel

1. Watermelon rind contains many nutrients

There are many valuable ingredients in the watermelon peel: it contains a lot of fiber that quickly fills you up. It also contains amino acids, which support the body in muscle building, among other things, as well as lots of vitamin A.

There is still a white layer between the green outer skin and the red flesh of the fruit, which is considered to be one of the best sources of the amino acid citrulline. The body converts citrulline into the amino acid arginine, which is said to dilate blood vessels and thereby improve blood flow.

According to US researchers, arginine can increase male potency. Whether you can produce this effect by eating watermelon, however, is considered controversial. According to critics, the concentration of amino acids is too low.

2. Watermelon rind is not food waste

Food waste is a big problem of our time. According to the consumer center, 12 million tons of food end up in the garbage every year in Germany alone. Much of what we throw in the bin is actually still edible.

If we waste food, this also has disadvantages for the environment: Because to produce food you need energy, water and other raw materials. If we consume too much of it, our ecological footprint increases – we use up the resources that should be available to future generations.

The climate is also negatively influenced by food waste. For example, according to the consumer association, the annual food waste in the EU causes the same amount of CO2 as the entire Netherlands.

34 percent of the food waste in households consists of fruit and vegetables. If you start recycling peels and other “waste” items, you too can eliminate waste and reduce litter.

Buy organic watermelons

If you want to use the peel, you should make sure that the melon comes from controlled organic cultivation. Conventional watermelons are usually sprayed with pesticides. In China, for example, forchlorfenuron is used as a growth regulator. (More information: Watermelon: The summer fruit really is that healthy)

Pesticides not only harm pests but also other animals and insects – in this respect they threaten biodiversity. In addition, many of the agents are suspected of being harmful to health – glyphosate is just one of many examples. Even after washing, there could still be residues of pesticides on the bowl. Organic watermelons, on the other hand, are not treated with chemical pesticides.

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Flat White: This is How Cappuccino Works Down Under

It has been the trend in hip cafés and bars for some time: the flat white – translated as “flat white”. This coffee specialty is something like the little Australian cousin of the Italian cappuccino. But what exactly is a flat white – and how is it prepared? Find out here.

The little difference between flat white and cappuccino

Although the delicious coffee specialty only recently came to Europe, the Flat White is actually a child of the 1980s. It was at this time that the recipe first spread to Australia and New Zealand. Basically, it’s a version of the world-famous Italian cappuccino, but with its own character.

The main difference between flat white and cappuccino is already evident in the name: the “flat white” contains a lower proportion of milk foam. It is also more liquid and homogeneous overall than the half-solid, half-liquid froth of the cappuccino. This is because, unlike cappuccino, the milk is frothed with just a little air.

This so-called micro-foam should be a maximum of 5 mm high for Flat White. Accordingly, the almost liquid foam of the “flat white” ends with the rim of the cup. With a cappuccino, on the other hand, it typically curves up a bit.

What the flat white lacks in foam, it makes up for in espresso: instead of a simple one, like a cappuccino, it has an espresso doppio intus and accordingly contains twice the amount of caffeine. The right drink for everyone who likes milk froth but likes to have a little more punch in the cup.

Make Flat White yourself: The recipe

You need:

Coffee machine with steam nozzle for milk froth (preferably a portafilter machine or fully automatic machine)
milk can
cappuccino cup
50ml espresso
130 ml whole milk
That’s how it works:

Warm up the cappuccino cup.
Prepare double espresso in the cup.
Make milk froth: Pour milk into the jug and use the steam nozzle to prepare the froth. Tip: The typical “hissing” should only be heard briefly when foaming, so that not too much air gets into the foam and it remains nice and fine-pored and creamy. Swirl the jug under the nozzle for an even consistency.
Pour the milk froth onto the espresso: the froth should have a consistency that blends well with the espresso and is flush with the rim of the cup.
Tip: Want to impress your guests? Try your hand at latte art and conjure up a work of art out of milk foam and crema on the top layer of the flat white.

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Cooking Tips

Prepare Hand Filter Coffee: Here’s How

More and more people appreciate the original coffee taste of filter coffee. In particular, the hand filter method is more popular than ever. You can read everything about the preparation and its advantages here.

What is hand filter coffee?

If you want to prepare a coffee with the hand filter, you only need two utensils: the filter holder and a filter. In addition, of course, the appropriately ground coffee powder and hot water are required for the preparation. Hand filter coffee is characterized by a clear aroma and full-bodied taste. The difference between filter coffee and hand filter coffee is already evident in the name. While normal filter coffee is usually prepared in a machine and the brewing process runs automatically, with hand filter coffee the water is poured over the ground coffee by hand.

This is how you prepare the perfect hand filter coffee

The hand filter method is a little more complex than the automated brewing process with the coffee machine. It takes several manual steps and of course your time. But it’s worth it. We explain how to brew hand filter coffee correctly.

Ingredients needed for one liter:

60 grams of ground coffee with a medium degree of grinding
1 L of water with a temperature between 93 and 96 degrees

Step 1: grind beans

For the preparation with the hand filter, the beans should be ground to a medium degree of grinding. The coffee powder is perfect when it is a little finer than for the French Press, but not as fine as for an espresso. The ground coffee should be as fresh as possible so that the extraction process works optimally. In addition, the ground coffee loses more and more aromas the longer it has been roasted and ground. The reason for this is oxidation.

Step 2: Fold filter paper, insert and rinse

First fold the filter paper at the lower end. Why? It’s very simple: the filter fits exactly into the filter holder due to the buckling. So there is no slipping that could cause coffee powder to get into the drink. Then insert the paper filter into the hand filter. Before brewing, the filter should be rinsed once with boiling water to remove any flavors.

Step 3: Add ground coffee

Put the ground coffee into the filter. Pay attention to the crowd. For one liter of coffee you need about 60 grams of powder. For a cup with 250 ml you calculate with about 15 grams of coffee powder. How many spoons that is depends on the size of your spoon. Just weigh the amount and you have the perfect dosage of coffee spoon to ground coffee.

Step 4: Boil water and let coffee swell

Boil the water, ideally it should be between 93 and 96 degrees. There is a reason for this: the coffee beans contain oils. At the specified water temperature, these combine best and ensure an aromatic taste. In the first step, pour enough water onto the coffee powder until it is completely covered. Now the coffee begins to swell, which is also called “blooming”. This “pre-brewing,” where small bubbles appear, should last about 30 seconds.

Step 5: Top up with water

After about 30 seconds, slowly pour the remaining water into the filter in a circular motion. Gradually add more water to the filter until you have the desired amount in the jug. When pouring the water, make sure that the ground coffee is wetted and not the edge of the filter. This prevents the water from running past the powder. It should take a total of two to four minutes – depending on the amount of water – until you have poured the liquid completely over the ground coffee.

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Food

Cook and Preserve Horseradish: This is How It Works

You can prepare horseradish in the form of dips, sauces and soups, for example. If you bought too much or had a particularly rich harvest, horseradish can also be easily preserved.

Horseradish is a particularly hot type of radish that is in season in Germany between October and January. The horseradish root is considered healthy because it is rich in vitamin C and is said to have an antibacterial effect due to its mustard oils. At the same time, the mustard oils ensure the characteristic spiciness of horseradish, which gives various dishes their special flavor.

In this article, we will show you how you can prepare horseradish and how best to store it.

Cook horseradish: This is how you use the root

Due to its sharpness, horseradish is hardly edible on its own. In the kitchen, it is therefore used in small amounts to flavor sauces and similar dishes – often in combination with cream or other ingredients that reduce the heat somewhat.

The classic horseradish sauce is traditionally often served with meat or fish, but it also goes well with potatoes, dumplings, vegetables or vegetarian patties. You can also prepare salad dressings, dips or soups with horseradish.

If you are particularly fond of horseradish, you can plant it in your own garden and harvest the roots yourself. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this in our guides on harvesting and planting horseradish. If you buy the horseradish at the weekly market or in the shop, you should do so in season if possible and pay attention to organic quality. In this way you avoid unnecessarily long transport routes and residues of harmful pesticides.

When cooking, you often only need small amounts of horseradish root. Because of this, it’s easy to end up buying or harvesting more horseradish than you can cook. So that you don’t have to throw away the excess horseradish, you can make it last longer. We’ll show you a simple method to do this.

Preserve horseradish: Simple method with salt and vinegar

Ingredients:

200 g fresh horseradish
1 tsp salt
1 squirt vinegar (plus more for topping if needed)

Directions:

Wash the horseradish, peel it and grate it finely.
Mix the grated horseradish with a teaspoon of salt and a dash of vinegar. Important: Make sure that the vinegar is evenly distributed so that the entire horseradish mixture can be preserved. Otherwise it will quickly turn gray later.
Pour the mixture into a sterilized jar, covering the surface with a little extra vinegar if necessary. Then close the jar tightly.
It is best to keep the pickled horseradish in the fridge. Unopened, it will keep for at least four weeks. Just like with fresh horseradish, you can use it to prepare various horseradish dishes. Once opened, you should use the jar within a few days if possible.

By the way: As an alternative to this method, you can also preserve horseradish by freezing it. This is possible with both the unpeeled whole root and with grated horseradish, which you should mix with a little vinegar or lemon juice before freezing. The horseradish will keep in the freezer for about half a year. However, it may lose some of its flavor when frozen.

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Food

How Many Calories Does Coffee Have?

Sooner or later, igur-conscious people ask themselves how many calories are in coffee. The good news is that coffee itself has no calories. The bad news: Coffee variations such as cappuccino, latte macchiato and Co. make a big difference. Find out here what the calorie count of coffee is.

Whether for breakfast, in the office or after a delicious meal, coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world. But do you know how many calories coffee has? This question divides minds: While some claim that the hot drink even helps you lose weight, others say that it can be a real calorie trap. But which of these is true now? The answer: both! But from the beginning…

What are calories anyway?

Calories are known to be those little animals that sew clothes tighter at night. No, seriously – first of all, calories are actually kilocalories, abbreviated to kcal. This is nothing other than the unit that indicates the energy contained in food. The precise definition is:

One kilocalorie of a certain food supplies exactly the energy required to heat up one liter of water by one degree Celsius.

If you want to lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories than your body actually burns. All those who want to gain weight must consume more calories than they burn. The average calorie requirement per person is around 2000 kcal.

However, factors such as gender, height, weight and level of activity also play a decisive role. For example, a tall, physically active person burns more calories per day than a smaller person who hardly moves.

A lightweight: coffee itself is low in calories

Coffee drinkers who enjoy their drink black can rejoice: there are actually no real coffee calories. However, if you take it very seriously, a normal cup of coffee has just 4 kcal. A regular espresso only has 2 kcal per cup. These are indications that figure-conscious people can certainly neglect in their diet.

On the contrary, black coffee can even be beneficial for burning energy. Because the drink can boost the metabolism in the body and ensure that fat is burned faster. The popular hot drink helps with weight loss. However, this only applies to active people who exercise, and only to black coffee without any additives.

Milk and sugar make coffee a calorie trap

Unfortunately, not all coffee is created equal. What you put in the coffee is also decisive for the calorie count. This means sugar and milk. If you like sweetening your coffee, add 20 kcal per teaspoon of sugar. Milk also contains calories, more or less depending on the fat content. For example, if you add a third of whole milk to your cup of coffee, you will consume 40 calories.

Coffee types such as latte macchiato or cappuccino that contain milk and sugar also have more calories. The more of it is drunk, or the more milk and sugar it contains, the more calories the drink has.

Of course, coffee can also cause weight gain because the body is supplied with energy that first has to be burned off again. This means that what is actually a low-calorie drink can quickly become a calorie trap.

Overview: This is how many calories coffee and individual types of coffee have

Because coffee has many facets, the calorie information varies accordingly. To give you an overview of which varieties contain the most calories, we have sorted the drinks according to their nutritional value:

Pretty figure-friendly: A cup of espresso has just 2 kcal.
The following applies: the purer, the better. Even a cup of black coffee doesn’t matter. She comes to 4 kcal.
A cup of latte that consists of half low-fat milk and half coffee has about 65 kcal.
All cappuccino lovers consume just over 90 kcal with a cup of their beloved pick-me-up. Each teaspoon of sugar adds 20 kcal.
A latte macchiato also has almost 100 kcal due to the milk. With the whole milk variant, it can quickly become 150 kcal. That doesn’t even include the sugar.

Minimize calories in coffee – this is how it works

Anyone who pays attention to their diet and energy intake in order to maintain their weight or even lose pounds should opt for the lower-calorie coffee variants.

If you don’t want to do without latte macchiato or cappuccino, it’s best to choose low-fat milk. Instead of milk, you can also use milk substitutes such as soy or almond milk. This reduces the number of calories, the coffee gets a pleasant aroma and people with lactose intolerance can also enjoy it without regret.

You should avoid sugar if possible. However, if you really need something sweet in your coffee, you can use sugar substitutes. Try it with sweeteners from the health food store such as agave syrup, maple syrup or stevia. These substitutes contain significantly fewer calories than sugar, but still taste almost as good.

You should also be careful with coffee variations that you get on the go. Here, large mug coffees can contain added syrup and cream and can quickly exceed the 300-calorie mark. Then the drink sometimes turns into a small meal, at least if you go by the calorie count.

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What is a Macchiato and How Does This Coffee Specialty from Italy Work?

A cup of macchiato promises coffee enjoyment like in Bella Italia. But what is the difference between an espresso macchiato and a latte macchiato – and how can the specialties be perfectly prepared?

The fine difference between espresso macchiato and latte macchiato

Espresso macchiato and latte macchiato sound similar in name, but they are two different drinks. The espresso macchiato (also known as macchiato for short) is a genuine Italian specialty. With this type of coffee, the espresso is “stained” with milk (macchiato). It is characteristic of the drink that the barista only adds a little milk froth to the espresso.

The latte macchiato, on the other hand, consists of espresso and significantly more milk. Conversely, with this variant, the milk is “stained” by the espresso.

How do you make latte macchiato?

The perfect latte macchiato is served in a glass, because this is how the color nuances of the espresso and the milk can be seen. The hot drink consists of a total of three layers: the milk is at the bottom of the glass, then the espresso follows in the middle and the relatively firm and creamy milk foam is enthroned at the top.

How can the layers be separated? Quite simply: When pouring espresso and milk froth, caution and the right order is required.

First pour the milk into the glass.
Now add the milk froth.
Finally, carefully pour the espresso through the milk froth.

Prepare espresso macchiato: Here’s how

The preparation of an espresso macchiato does not require quite as much skill as the latte. To serve the perfect espresso macchiato, first froth the milk. Tip: The froth is particularly firm and retains its consistency longer if you use milk with a high fat content.

Prepare the espresso separately. First pour the espresso into the cup and garnish it with the milk froth.
The delicious hot drink is available in different versions:

● Italians like to drink a doppio macchiato, which consists of twice the amount of espresso. This variation is also often served in a glass. Incidentally, an espresso macchiato tastes particularly good when the cup is warm.
● Cold macchiato is a pleasure, especially on warm summer days. This is prepared without foam. Instead, the espresso is simply mixed with some cold milk and called espresso macchiato freddo.

 

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Freeze Strawberries: This is How the Sweet Fruits Taste Longer

You can easily freeze strawberries without losing much of their flavor. Not only whole fruits are suitable for freezing, you can also preserve strawberry puree in this way. You can find out more about the various options here.

You can freeze strawberries after the strawberry season and thus preserve them. Depending on the weather, the strawberry season varies slightly from year to year. However, the bright red fruits can usually be harvested between May and July. Then they also have high season in supermarkets and organic shops. In order to have delicious strawberries for the rest of the summer and even in winter, we show you different ways to freeze them.

Freeze strawberries: instructions for whole fruits

You can easily freeze fresh strawberries – whether from the organic market or harvested yourself – as whole fruits:

It is important that you wash the strawberries thoroughly before freezing. It is best to clean them in cold, standing water, for example in a large bowl or in the sink, so that you do not damage the fruit.
Now remove all stems and remaining foliage.
Then pat the berries dry with some kitchen paper or a towel. They must not be wet when freezing, so that a layer of ice does not form.
To prevent the fruit from sticking together later when defrosting, freeze them first: place berry by berry next to each other on a flat plate or tray. The berries should not touch each other. Then place everything in the freezer for an hour or two.
To make room again, you can then fill the strawberries into their final freezer container. Place the pre-frozen berries in a stainless steel freezer box and store in the freezer. Frozen fresh strawberries will keep for about eight months.

Tip: Only use freshly harvested soil without dents or holes for freezing. Damaged fruit spoils faster even in the freezer – better eat it now.

Freeze strawberries as a puree

You can also puree the strawberries before freezing them. After defrosting, you have fresh strawberry puree at hand that is perfect for pancakes, with homemade Bircher muesli or to be enjoyed on its own. You can also cook strawberry jam or combine it with rhubarb to make strawberry rhubarb jam.

Wash the undamaged, fresh fruit in standing, cold water (as described above).
Remove the stems and foliage, then gently pat the strawberries dry with a towel.
Place the strawberries in a tall container and puree them into a smooth cream.
If you want the puree to be even creamier and finer, spoon it through a fine sieve before freezing. So you can easily catch the small seeds.
Pour the strawberry puree into a freezer bowl or glass.
Tip: You can also pour your pureed strawberry puree into ice cube molds. Frozen strawberry ice cubes taste wonderful in sparkling wine, mineral water or homemade cocktails.

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Cooking Tips

Freezing Chanterelles: This is How You Preserve the Mushrooms

If you freeze fresh chanterelles, you can keep them for a few months. In this article you will learn how this works.

Chanterelles are in season from the end of June to September: If you know what you’re doing, you can pick lots of delicious mushrooms on a walk in the forest. You’ll often find more than you can eat in one meal. You can freeze the chanterelles to keep them from going bad. With just a few moves, the mushrooms stay fresh and you can extend the chanterelle season.

Tip: Often chanterelles from the region are offered at the weekly market. Worth buying here and freezing them for fall and winter.

Freezing chanterelles: How to prepare the mushrooms

To prepare the chanterelles for freezing:

Thoroughly brush the chanterelles with a small brush.
Wash them off very gently.
Cut out bad spots with a small knife.
Blanch the chanterelles in salted water for a few minutes. This way they don’t taste bitter after defrosting.
Scoop the mushrooms out of the water with a spoon and gently dry them with a towel.
Let them dry a bit before you freeze them.

How to freeze chanterelles

You can easily freeze chanterelles in just a few steps:

Arrange the mushrooms on a board or tray.
Then place this in the freezer.
Take the board out again after about half an hour. Now the chanterelles are “pre-frozen” – so they won’t stick together when you freeze them afterwards.
Now fill the mushrooms in a freezer container and store them in the freezer.
Tip: Don’t use plastic bags to freeze the chanterelles. Instead, you can use, for example, freezer-proof glasses, cans or cotton bags.

Mushrooms that you collect yourself can stay in the freezer for up to ten months and still taste good. Mushrooms from the supermarket, on the other hand, lose their taste more quickly.

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Here’s How You Can Use Fennel Greens Instead of Throwing Them Away

Fennel green is healthy and brings a lot of aroma. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it to flavor many dishes. You can find out how to use it and how to make a delicious fennel green pesto here.

Almost all parts of fennel are edible: apart from the hard stalk, you can use everything it has to offer – even the green fennel. It’s too good to end up in the trash. Because fennel green not only tastes very spicy, but is also healthy.

In Germany, the fennel season runs from June to November. Outside this period, the vegetables come from Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Italy.

Fennel green is so healthy

Fennel is considered an extremely healthy vegetable. It contains many minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, which, among other things, ensure strong nails, healthy hair and strong bones. In addition, it provides vitamins A, C, and B, as well as essential oils.

A study found that there are even more minerals in the green fennel than in the tuber. In addition, fennel green contains omega-3 fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid, which according to the study should have anti-cancer properties.

Various essential oils have also been detected in fennel greens, including anethole, which is considered to be expectorant and slightly antibacterial.

100 grams of fennel green have the following nutritional values:

Energy: 84 kcal
Carbohydrates: 18.44 g
Protein: 1.16g
Fat: 0.6g

Here’s how you can use fennel greens

Especially in summer you can get particularly fresh fennel from the region. Not only the tuber is then suitable for many delicious dishes, you can also process the fennel green. We present you a recipe for fennel green pesto. In addition to the pesto, you can also try the following ideas with fennel greens:

Use it like parsley and season fish and meat dishes with chopped fennel greens. But the spicy aroma also goes well with salads and vegetables such as kohlrabi and cauliflower.
Top various dishes with fennel greens, for example bread topped with cucumber.
Try a classic Italian dish with fennel greens: pasta with fennel.
Tip: Find out the right dosage of fennel herb. The intense taste can quickly ensure that other flavors are masked.

Save the fennel greens

Like any herb, you should also use fennel greens as soon as possible, because it tastes the most intense fresh. If the herb looks limp and wilted, it is no longer fresh. However, if you have more fennel greens than you can use right away, you can store them for a few days. This is the best way to do it:

Pluck the fennel greens from the stalks.
Fill an oblong container with cold water and place the fennel greens in it.
Seal the container and put it in the fridge – but not in the back where it’s coldest. There it can get too cold for the fennel greens.
Alternatively, you can freeze fennel greens:

Pick off the green fennel, chop it finely and fill it into ice cube trays.
Fill them up with oil and freeze them.
You can thaw the ice cubes for salad dressings, for example.

Recipe for fennel green pesto

Ingredients:

150 g green fennel
3 EL pine nuts, toasted
20 g Pecorino (optional yeast flakes as a vegan alternative)
100 mlorganic olive oil
salt to taste

Directions:

Wash the fennel greens and dry them well with a clean kitchen towel. Pick the fennel greens from the stalks and chop them finely.
Finely chop the pine nuts and grate the pecorino cheese. You can also use yeast flakes as a vegan alternative to pecorino.
Mix together the fennel greens, cheese or nutritional yeast, pine nuts, and oil. Season the pesto with salt.
Pour the pesto into a sealable jar and keep it in the fridge. Tip: If the aniseed flavor of the fennel herb in the pesto is too intense for you, you can replace half with parsley or carrot greens.

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Cooking Tips

Freezing Spinach: This is How It Stays Fresh

You want to freeze spinach because you had a good harvest? Or do you have leftover fresh spinach and want to preserve it? Find out here how it works and what you should consider when freezing.

Freeze spinach: Here’s how

Spinach is a healthy, regional vegetable. So it’s no wonder he’s so popular. Fresh spinach is especially delicious. If you have bought too much of it or your harvest has been very rich, you can freeze it without any problems.

How to freeze spinach correctly:

Wash the spinach and remove the stalks. These taste mainly bitter and are also not very pleasant when you bite them.
Briefly blanch the spinach. Blanched it is easier to freeze, and because you only heat it briefly, most of the nutrients are preserved.
To do this, add the spinach in portions to boiling water and let it cook for a few seconds.
Immediately afterward, place in a bowl of ice water to pause the cooking process.
Spin it dry in a salad spinner. It is important that the spinach is completely dry, otherwise too much liquid will collect due to the ice crystals when defrosting. You can also press the spinach dry between tea towels. Make sure, however, that it is not exposed to room temperature for too long. Because then nitrite can form in the spinach.
If the spinach is dry, you can freeze it in glass or stainless steel containers.
Tip: Depending on how you want to use the spinach, you can also cut it up or finely chop it before freezing.

You can also freeze spinach raw. However, the spinach should be as fresh as possible and you should clean it well so that no dirt or bacteria are thawed again later.

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