stuffed grape leaves
marge
katswhskr@aol.com
09/14/02 		I am wondering if this dish can be made now and frozen for use at the end of October..if so , would i freeze them before i bake them or after they are baked.thanks
ellen
ellenskitchen2017@gmail.com
09/21/02 		Hi, Marge,

I would freeze or can the leaves and make the stuffed grape leaves much closer to the date you want to use them. Freezing them will present problems with breakage as you reheat. If I did freeze, I would not use a meat filling, as reheating safely would be a challenge. I would also freeze them flat and separate on a cookiie sheet, themn bag them for storing, A block of dolades would be a headache.

Let us hear what you decide and how it turns out!

Lois
dalo@bossig.com
05/31/04 		to freeze grape leaves, should they be put in a brine mixture or frozen after being blanched?
ellen

06/01/04 		Exact unfo on freezing and preserving fresh leaves is on my site at:

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/dolmas.html

Carla
carkee1953@mcleodusa.net
06/14/04 		A friend told me to only use wild grape leaves to freeze for dolmades. Has anyone used cultivated leaves with the white on the back and what were the results.

Thanks

ellen

06/15/04 		Most of the commercial packages of grape leaves are from cultivated plants. Review the cautions about selecting the best fresh ones, whether wild or cultivated, they apply. And enjoy your project!
Marianne
mariannef2@hotmail.com
11/07/04 		I want to make stuffed grape leaves with a meat filling, cook them, and then freeze them. I would think that defrosting them in the refrigerator would be safe enough.
???
I will not be able to make them within a week of serving.
ellen

11/08/04 		First of all, use converted rice (such as "Uncle Ben's") to reduce the mush level of the frozen rice.

Do freeze them separately on a cookie sheet and not in a block. Thaw at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. Make a practice batch, freeze, thaw and try several methods of reheating. The big issue with the meat ones is, you have to get the temp at the middle of the roll to 165 or higher when reheating. If you are not satisfied with the results, take a look at the microwaved recipe on the grape leaves page- very fast.

Marianne

11/08/04 		If I make the (meat filling) grape leaves a few days ahead of time and refrigerate, will that be okay? If so, then how do I reheat them?