What fruits and berries can be frozen at home for the winter

For a woman, summer is not only a vacation, but also a time for creating blanks. And not only in the form of jams and pickles. You can also create cold desserts from the sweet gifts of nature. After all, if you know what fruits and berries you can freeze for the winter, then you can really create a stock of healthy products. In the cold season, it becomes possible to enjoy a variety of desserts, berry pies and delicious cakes. And also frozen fruits do not lose nutrients.

Are there vitamins in frozen foods?

To the question of an ordinary person - whether vitamins remain in food after freezing at home, nutritionists answer: "Yes, and in large quantities." By keeping the temperature low, all processes slow down, which allows you to preserve the beneficial components in fruits and berries.

However, do not forget about following basic rules:

1. You need to take only fresh fruits. Berries and fruits of last year's harvest will not work, since they have already lost a large amount of vitamins before freezing.
2. No air is left in the containers in which the workpieces are stored. It leads to oxidation of food. It is necessary to do home processing by simulating a vacuum.
3. But do not forget that frozen berries and fruits increase in volume. From this, the lids are lifted, the packages are damaged. When the hostess begins to take out the container, its contents will fall out onto the floor.
4. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature regime in the freezer remains the same. With temperature jumps, the food will either defrost or plunge into the cold again. This will lead to spoilage of berries and fruits, loss of useful qualities and former taste.

Any food has a certain expiration date. In fruits at -17 ° C vitamins and nutrients are preserved for 9-12 months.

When the temperature rises to -10 ° C, the period is halved.

What fruits and berries can I freeze in the freezer?

All fruits, many garden and forest berries can be frozen. Do not store blueberries in the freezer, as they are watery, with thin skin. After defrosting, there will be a mushy mass in the bowl. They do not freeze the bones, since there is practically no juice in it, only bones. Melons should also not be frozen. The pulp will turn into ice, which, when defrosted, will become colored water.

What container do you need?

To keep the fruits for a long time, you need to choose the right packaging. Suitable:

• containers, trays made of plastic, which are tightly closed;
• tin products;
• ice molds;
• paper boxes;
• cut plastic bottles;
• plastic bags;
• food parchment, film and foil.

Wise housewives for freezing do not use ordinary PVC bags, but special ones. After all, they are durable and have fasteners. They are reusable, it is convenient to take out a small amount of frozen food from them.

Non-food and garbage bags, fabric bags, and wrapping paper are not suitable for storing food in the freezer.

Do you need a strong freeze?

Different temperatures are used for freezing.

1. 0 ° C ... -8 ° C. Cooling of the fruit occurs. The percentage of stored vitamins is high, but the shelf life is reduced to three months.
2. -10 ° С ... -18 ° С. Ideal for soft berries. After all, the pulp is preserved without damage.
3. -18 ° C ... 23 ° C. Ideal for super fast freezing and long shelf life. But juicy fruits can deform after being exposed to heat.

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These modes are determined by the capabilities of the freezer. Before starting work, it is recommended to study the instructions for the refrigerator and set the freezing range. Do not forget that the doors of old household appliances do not always close tightly. Therefore, the temperature in them is higher than indicated. And in ultra-modern models, a different freezing range is adjusted on different shelves of the freezer.

How to properly freeze fruits and berries for the winter at home?

There are certain rules for freezing semi-finished products at home:

1. First, a freezer is prepared. The refrigerator is turned off, all the food is taken out of it. All surfaces are washed with soapy water and wiped with a soft, clean cloth. The household appliance is left open for several hours to dry out. The freezer is covered with plastic wrap. The refrigerator is connected. Only after the air has cooled down can food be stored.
2. They select undamaged, not overripe fruits, without traces of rot and damage by insects. If you take unripe specimens, then after defrosting, their taste will leave much to be desired. And if they are overripe, they will become very soft and turn into a puree-like mass.
3. Berries and fruits are thoroughly washed at first. Then dry on a clean towel. Or by throwing it in a colander.
4. If necessary, pits and peels are removed from the fruit and cut into pieces.
5. After all the manipulations, the products are placed in the refrigerator.
6. The best way to store it is in portions so that defrosted food can be immediately used for its intended purpose.
7. You should attach a piece of paper to each container, which indicates the date of placement in the refrigerator and the approximate expiration date.
8. Smelling foods, meat, fish are not placed next to fruits. "Bad" neighborhood will negatively affect the smell and taste of the sweet preparation.

There is a trick to help save space in the freezer. First, the berries are frozen in one layer in a flat container. Then they are transferred to a larger bag. If you do not carry out this procedure, then the fruits will also stick together.

The most important thing is to observe the shelf life so that expired products do not cause food poisoning. This rule is especially important for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and young children.

Strawberry

First, the stems are removed from the strawberries. To prevent the berries from losing their taste, they are frozen in granulated sugar. Fresh berries are laid out in one layer in shallow containers and covered with sugar. After the appearance of the juice, the container is removed. Strawberries can be mashed and placed in ice cube trays.

Plum

Plums are stored in any container. Fruits are good because they are not thawed before eating. Immediately put in compote or as a filling in homemade cakes. Whole berries with seeds or halves without nucleoli are placed in the freezer.

Apples

Apples can be frozen, cut into pieces, mashed or in sugar syrup. In any case, the core is removed first. First, apple slices are placed in water for half an hour, in which citric acid is dissolved. Then they put it in a colander and put it dry in plastic bags.

The applesauce is placed in a small container. To get a sweet dessert, the fruits are crushed, poured with syrup, and left in a cold place for a day. Then the fruits are laid out in a colander. After the liquid has drained, they are removed to the freezer in suitable containers.

Grapes

The grapes are frozen with bunches or hotel berries. In the first case, packages are good. The second contains trays with lids.

Strawberry

Small strawberries are kept in pieces of ice. Moreover, the tails in this case are not removed. 1-2 berries are distributed into the cells of the ice container, filled with bottled water and placed in the freezer. This blank is used for making cocktails.

The fruits can be mashed or stored in sugar syrup. The method for preparing the treat is the same as for strawberries.

Raspberry

Raspberries are first soaked in salt water to float up the insects inside the fruit. Then the berries are dried and placed in small portions in trays. Or you can make raspberry puree and freeze it.

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Blackberry

Blackberries will retain their appearance for a long time if they are laid out in one layer in a shallow container.

Currant

The currants are laid out in containers, covered with white sugar and stored. Or they just freeze the berries.

Cranberry

Cranberries are good because they have a very dense skin, they won't wrinkle or stick together when frozen. Therefore, the fruits are laid out in any containers and placed in the freezer.

Blueberry

It is better to freeze blueberries with hotel berries or puree.

Gooseberry

First, the stalks and "tails" are removed from the gooseberry. Only after this long procedure is left for the winter with whole fruits.

Cherries and cherries

Cherries and sweet cherries are frozen with seeds for making compotes. And for jelly, jelly or as a filling for pies - without them. Plastic boxes are used as containers.

Also cherries and cherries can be stored in their own juice. The seeds are removed from the berries. The ripe and softest specimens are crushed with a blender and mixed with granulated sugar. Strong fruits are placed in high trays in one layer, poured with sugar mass, placed in the freezer.

How long are frozen foods stored in the freezer?

The shelf life of fruits and berries varies.

Do not delay the storage of fruits, as they gradually lose vitamins and nutrients.

Defrosting rules

It is very important to properly defrost fruits and berries. First you need to decide for what purpose the blank will be used.

If for the purpose of eating directly, without heat treatment (that is, put in a salad, mixed with sour cream or kefir), then the simplest method is used. The required amount of fruits in the evening is transferred from the freezer to a bowl, which is placed on one of the shelves of the refrigerator. In the morning, in the container, you can see the fruits in a liquid consisting of juice and melted water. The first are eaten immediately. And you don't need to wash them. And the second is poured out.

This method is considered the best, since the pulp of berries and fruits is not damaged. When the defrosting process is carried out at room temperature, the appearance of the fruit deteriorates markedly.

If a dessert is prepared from the fruits, then there are two ways to defrost. To create fruit drink, tea, liqueur or as a filling for homemade baked goods or dumplings, the fruits are not defrosted, but sent from the freezer to a saucepan or kettle.For mousses, casseroles and jellies, the workpiece is thawed in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that watery, defrosted fruits can change the consistency of the dough. Therefore, this point must be taken into account when pies or cakes are baked.

Huge freezers allow you to prepare a large amount of fruits and berries for the winter. In winter, they are useful for preparing various delicacies. In the summer, do not be lazy, you need to put as many fruits as possible in the refrigerator. If you follow the storage rules, then their appearance and taste will remain at their best.