Sorrel for preserving

How to make it

1. 1

   The best time to preserve sorrel grown in the garden is late September or early October; but large, lush field sorrel is picked before the hay harvest.

2. 2

   Pull the stalks cleanly off the leaves, rinse the leaves in several changes of water, press them up out of the last one and shake them in a sieve or a clean basket.

3. 3

   Warm the pot they are to be cooked in a little and grease it with pork rind so they do not scorch; put the sorrel in with no water other than what clings to it, and cook it well for 45 minutes, stirring regularly, especially towards the end once the juice has boiled off.

4. 4

   When they are nearly done, add a little salt; rub the mass through a colander and fill it hot into crocks or jars, which are shaken or tapped against the table so it settles and no air pockets remain.

5. 5

   After a couple of days the crocks are sealed over with fat and tied down.

6. 6

   If a crock holds more than is used at one time, the leftover sorrel must be sealed over with fat again.

7. 7

   It keeps well into the summer and tastes just as good as fresh sorrel.

8. 8

   Since it is preserved so dry, a little water must be added when it is stewed. It can also be used for sorrel soup.