Answers:
Not every filling tolerates the freezer well.
Some housewives complain that after freezing, cabbage sometimes loses its structure, and mashed potatoes sometimes darken. But you can always get used to it and find a way out. For example, the cabbage in the filling can be chopped finer and fried drier, and mushrooms can be added to the mashed potatoes in the filling. Cool the fully cooked pies/pie, place in a plastic container with a lid and place in the freezer. The container will prevent the pies from absorbing foreign odors. If there is no suitable one, then use a plastic bag or cling film. Recommends storing for no more than two weeks with meat filling, for the rest up to a month.
The best way is to defrost in the microwave, modern models have a “pie/bread” defrosting mode, the duration depends on the weight of the product, if your model does not have such a mode, you will have to defrost it using a trial method in several steps.
For those who don’t have a microwave, simply fry the fried pies over low heat under a lid or keep them in a water bath for a while.
Heat the baked pies/pie in the oven, first wrapping it in foil, then removing it, allowing the pies/pie to dry for a few minutes and then remove from the oven. Personally, I like it better in the oven, but you won’t turn it on just for one pie; the microwave is faster. Many people believe that it is best and tastiest to freeze the pies as raw semi-finished products, defrost them in the refrigerator and cook them in a frying pan or in the oven. But this, of course, is not always the right time. Therefore, prepare the pies completely, freeze them and, if necessary, reheat them in a way convenient for you.
Choosing the best recipe
Recipes for home baking were passed down “by inheritance” in tattered, plump notebooks.
Which tried to crumble into separate pieces of paper, covered in the handwriting of the great-grandmother, grandmother and mother.
Now, thanks to the Internet, many family “secret” recipes are quite accessible.
This is a selection of the best options that will appeal to the vast majority of people due to their ease of preparation, and most importantly, that unique homemade taste that many are familiar with from childhood.
The dough for pies with potatoes in a frying pan can be anything - yeast or without yeast, simple with kefir and unusual custard. There are also Lenten options.
The filling can also be varied - from simple mashed potatoes to complex options: with liver, mushrooms, eggs and herbs, and other vegetables. You can even add sausages, sausage, and fish. The main thing is that all the ingredients are already prepared - fry the pies quickly, only until the dough is ready.
If you are on a diet, then this dish is not for you - any fried pie with potatoes has such a high calorie content that it is unlikely to fit into your diet - on average, 1 pie contains about 400 kcal. Less in those that were cooked in a dry frying pan.
Fried pies with potatoes
It’s not at all difficult to prepare tender and tasty fried pies with potatoes - we’ll make a soft, airy dough with yeast, and add a golden onion to the filling. Consolidation! Their preparation is a relatively long process. The majority of the time is spent proofing the dough. However, this inconvenience is more than compensated by the excellent taste of fried pies with potatoes.
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This recipe for pies with potatoes in a frying pan is probably familiar to our mothers and grandmothers - these are exactly the kind that were once sold in canteens a long time ago. Very tasty!
Recipes for home baking were passed down “by inheritance” in tattered, plump notebooks.
Rules for freezing dough and storage temperature
If you decide to freeze the dough and don’t know how to do it, then you can use the advice of experienced housewives.
The process of freezing yeast dough:
- Immediately after kneading, the dough should be divided into portions and sent to the freezer.
- Pre-pack it in cling film, foil or a plastic bag to limit moisture penetration.
- Sprinkle the container for freezing with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- It is advisable to first set the temperature in the freezer to a minimum and bring the product to a state of deep freezing (usually -20° or -30°), and after the dough has frozen, gradually change it to -10°, -18°.
Freezing baked goods
How to freeze
- In general, biscuits, breads and other baked goods are good for freezing.
- The cooled biscuit can be frozen whole or cut into pieces. To freeze, place cake pieces in appropriately shaped cooling trays.
- It's also easy to freeze baked goods.
- Cakes and cookies can be frozen with or without frosting, as buttercream tolerates freezing well.
Tip: prepare 2-3 times more dough than required. Use 1/3 for baking and freeze the rest. This way you will save time and energy.
Pies and pies can be frozen raw or cooked.
How to defrost dough correctly?
An equally important stage is defrosting. You need to defrost the dough gradually. In order to save time, some housewives defrost yeast dough in warm water, after placing it in a plastic bag. Dough thawed this way will be ready in a few hours.
The process of defrosting yeast dough:
- First, you should remove it from the freezer and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, and then defrost it at room temperature.
- The dough should rise once completely thawed.
- Never start baking with dough that has just been taken out of the refrigerator: it must be brought to room temperature.
- As soon as you notice that it has come up, knead it once and feel free to form buns.
Some people advise using a microwave for quick defrosting, because now even the simplest oven has such a function. If there is no defrosting function, then you need to set the oven to 80-100 W. Just do it very carefully: even with slight overheating, the dough will begin to cook. By the way, experienced cooks do not welcome this method of defrosting: it is believed that the yeast may lose its properties.
In general, the best way to defrost is natural, that is, at room temperature. If all the rules are followed, then you can easily prepare any dish from frozen yeast dough.
Yeast dough cannot be re-frozen - its properties are completely lost.
Homemade raw frozen fruit pie
- Preheat the oven to 220°C and place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Storage methods
The average shelf life of pies is about 2-3 days. Of course, it is important to take into account the composition of the pastry dough and the type of filling.
Before storing the pies for a long time, you should wrap each of them in cling film (this should be done after they have cooled completely). The film limits the contact of baked goods with oxygen, and the products are stored longer. If you leave the products open, the oxidation processes that occur when they interact with air will quickly make the product unsuitable for consumption.
When the baked goods are still hot, cover them with a cotton towel until they cool completely.
If the product has already become stale, you can “refresh” it: cover it with a damp towel and place it in the oven or microwave for a few minutes. But you can only use this method once.
There is an opinion that the product will last longer if it remains intact. But practice shows that the cut product has a great chance of maintaining quality.
Shelf life of pies with filling at room temperature, depending on its type:
- meat filling - 24 hours;
- potato - 48 hours;
- jam - 72 hours.
Storing pies in the refrigerator increases their shelf life to 7 days.
Baked goods filled with vegetables and meat can be frozen and then reheated. And products with jam after defrosting can change their taste.
Before storing the pies in the freezer, each of them is hermetically wrapped in cling film.
Is it possible to freeze yeast dough for pies?
There is an opinion that it is better to bake pizza or buns from frozen dough, but pies are not always successful. In fact, you can bake anything from frozen yeast dough that you can bake from regular dough: pies, buns, pizza. Moreover, many housewives freeze even finished products. Only when baking, frozen pies should be immediately placed in a hot oven without defrosting. And if the baking still fails, then it is possible that you did not select high-quality flour or yeast.
Experienced housewives share another secret: in order for frozen dough pies to turn out as fluffy, you need to freeze it after the first kneading.
Oil
To fry pies in a frying pan, you will need quite a bit of oil, so there is no need to skimp on quantity and quality. If you want tender baked goods, then combine vegetable and butter in a ratio of 3 to 1. It is also recommended to exclude all oils with a smell.
To determine when you can put the pies in the pan, you can first drop water into the hot oil. If it starts to sizzle, then it's time to start frying.
Don’t forget to change the oil too, because with each serving it burns and the dish may turn out bitter.
Source
How to Dry Pistachios If They're Damp
For a long time I thought that pistachios were impossible to find raw. After all, they are sold everywhere fried and salted, and the most I found was unsalted fried. But then in my hometown of Irkutsk I found raw pistachios! True, their price is such that you can’t get much. More than 600 rubles/kg, I don’t remember the exact price. But their quality is excellent - fresh, germinates quickly, and delicious!
I imagined that raw pistachios would be very different from the roasted ones we are all used to, just as roasted and raw peanuts are very different. But they turned out to be very similar, also with a pronounced pistachio taste. Awesome thing! If it weren't for such a high price, I would eat raw pistachios every day.
They are sold in shells, slightly cracked. Externally, raw pistachios are very similar to fried ones; they are almost indistinguishable. Look at the photo to see what raw pistachios look like in shell, peeled, soaked and sprouted.
Some facts about pistachios:
— Pistachios (Pistácia) belong to the Sumakh family (Anacardiaceae).
— Pistachios are considered drupes.
— Distributed in the Mediterranean, Northeast Africa, Western, Central and Eastern Asia. Some types of pistachios are native to Central America.
— Pistachio trees can withstand temperatures not lower than -25 degrees. They are resistant to drought, love light, grow on gray soils, on mountain-steppe brown soils, on cliffs and slopes.
— The fruits of pistachio trees ripen between September and November.
— Pistachios are grown in the largest quantities in Iran and the USA, as well as in Turkey, Syria, China, Greece, Afghanistan, Tunisia and Italy. Pistachios also grow in the Caucasus and Crimea.
— In some varieties of pistachios, the shell itself cracks when ripe, but in others it does not, so this is done mechanically.
— Pistachios are called 'magic nuts' because they contain a lot of useful substances, and the Chinese call pistachios 'lucky nuts' because when they crack, they resemble a contented smile.
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— It is believed that pistachios relieve fatigue and give vigor; they are also useful for high physical and mental stress. They also have a beneficial effect on the brain.
— Pistachios reduce susceptibility to heart disease, perfectly improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and relieve heart palpitations.
— Pistachios improve liver function, help cure jaundice, relieve liver and stomach colic, treat anemia and ulcers, are very useful for diseases of the respiratory system, enhance sexual potency, improve sperm quality, increase the mobility and vitality of male germ cells.
— Pistachios are very rich in various vitamins and microelements. In particular, they contain a lot of vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, etc.
— Pistachios improve vision and reduce the risk of retinal dystrophy.
- Reduce the risk of cancer.
— Slow down the aging process of the body, promote cell growth and renewal.
— Pistachios also clear bile ducts from blockages.
— Composition of pistachios per 100 grams:
Fiber: 10.3 g
Calorie content: 557 kcal.
How to germinate pistachios:
You need to soak them overnight or for a day, right in the peel. After this, peel the pistachios and place them in damp gauze or a napkin (even toilet paper folded in several rows will do). You need to make sure it doesn't dry out and add a little water if necessary. The pistachios will sprout in a day or two, depending on their freshness.
How to germinate pistachios:
