Grape leaves are an essential component of delicious dolma (or tolma). While you can conveniently buy them ready-made in a shop, the following recipe share how you can pick and preserve your own!

Ingredients:

For a small batch:

42 grape leaves
4 heaping tablespoons of coarse sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4th teaspoon citric acid
3-4 lemon wedges, or lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Remove the end stems from your grape leaves and place them in a bowl
Rinse them thoroughly
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and submerge your leaves for about one minute for them to soften
Remove from heat and either rinse them off with cool water or submerge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process
Separate them in piles (in this case, 3 piles of 14)
Begin stacking the leaves in each pile on top of each other, with the veiny side facing up
When you are halfway through your pile (in this case, at the seventh leaf), sprinkle on some coarse sea salt
Once you complete your pile sprinkle coarse sea salt on it again
You can now place the different bunches into freezer bags and freeze them, defrosting them when needed
Alternatively, you can roll up each bunch and place them in a sterilized jar
If using lemon wedges, distribute them within the jar
Make your brine by mixing in 4 heaping tablespoons of coarse sea salt and 1/4th teaspoon of citric acid into two cups of boiling water
Pour your brine into your jar and seal it
Once the jar reaches room temperature, place it in the fridge
You can use it in a few days, or keep the jar unopened in the fridge for use in the winter

Note: To use the fresh grape leaves the same day you plan on making dolma, simply boil them in salted water for one minute, remove them from the heat, and allow them to cool. You can add lemon juice to the broth you cook your dolma in for more flavor!

Vegan Armenian Kitchen

Preserved Grape Leaves

Ingredients:

Directions:

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