How to properly freeze raspberries for the winter in the refrigerator at home
The summer season allows you to saturate the body with useful trace elements and vitamins. During this time, there are many fresh berries that are beneficial. Unfortunately, in winter, it is either difficult to find fresh berries, or they are not affordable. You can solve the problem by preparing them in the form of compotes and jam, however, this option is not very attractive either. Raspberry jam, when cooked, loses two-thirds of its benefits. Experts recommend freezing the product fresh. The main thing is to know how to properly freeze raspberries.
Features of freezing raspberries for the winter
When preparing raspberries for freezing, be sure to consider the storage location of the product. With a large refrigerator or separate freezer, this is not a problem. It is enough to put the berries in a separate container and put it away from meat and fish products that have a strong smell. If the refrigerator is small, you need to choose the container more carefully. It should have a tight-fitting lid. These containers can be found at any hardware store.
It is also better to defrost and wash the freezer beforehand to remove foreign odors.
You can also use plastic bags for storage, which have a special fastener. This will allow you to pack the berries in small portions, which can be used immediately after harvesting. This will make it possible to exclude secondary freezing, after which a significant part of the vitamins is lost. In addition, large amounts of raspberries can lose their shape under their own weight before they freeze.
Product selection and preparation
So that after defrosting you get dry raspberries, and not a sticky mass covered with a layer of ice, you need to know the rules of this process:
- You need to choose for freezing only freshly picked, whole berries, without defects or damage. This is an important circumstance that must be observed without fail.
- The collected raw materials should be carefully sorted out, putting aside the crumpled and rotten berries, as well as removing leaves and other debris that have got there. If the raspberries aren't too clean, it's best to wash them gently.
- To remove insects, raspberries need to be soaked for 15 minutes in salted water at room temperature. After the time has passed, remove the debris with a slotted spoon, and rinse the raspberries several times to remove the salt.
- Processed raspberries should be dried on a cotton towel to absorb excess moisture. Only dry berries are used for freezing. The container must also be clean and dry.
It is best to initially freeze the raspberries in one layer, carefully laying them out on a special board so that the berries do not touch each other. Cover the top with cling film and send to the freezer for several hours. When they freeze, they are transferred to prepared containers.
Many people advise to refuse packages, although it is convenient, and use small containers, since raspberries are quite fragile. If the choice is made in favor of this storage method, then they need to be put in a separate place in the upper layer.
It is important that freezing occurs at a temperature not higher than minus 18 ° C. This so-called deep freeze allows you to preserve all the useful properties of the product throughout the year.
How to freeze raspberries at home
The main thing when freezing is to avoid mistakes. To do this, you need to carefully study the entire procurement process:
- It is not recommended to use overripe raspberries for freezing. She will let the juice out and spread.
- The berries, prepared for freezing, must first be cooled in the refrigerator or in a draft for several minutes. Otherwise, condensation will form, and they will be covered with a layer of ice in the freezer.
- When dry-frozen, do not wash raspberries. Better to use it for mashed potatoes or desserts.
- At temperatures below 18 ° C, all harmful bacilli and bacteria die, so there is no need to fear that unwashed berries will be dangerous after defrosting.
- For convenience, it is best to use small flat containers with a lid. They will fit a little product. It is worth remembering that you cannot fill the container to the very lid. Better to leave a small gap between the lid and the food.
The ideal option would be to choose a plastic container. Glassware can break, and ironware can oxidize. The minimum freezing temperature is -18-22 ° С, the maximum temperature is up to -40 ° С.
Let's take a closer look at the different types of freezing.
Whole berry
To freeze raspberries without boiling, the berries are sorted and prepared as described above. Rinse and dry if necessary. After spreading fresh raspberries on a board or flat surface, put them in the freezer. After a few hours, they are laid out in a prepared container and sent for storage.
Whole raspberries with sugar
Usually this method is used if the berry is very ripe and juicy. The basic steps are the same as for normal freezing. The difference is that each layer is sprinkled with sugar.
Raspberry puree
To get mashed potatoes, grind raspberries with a blender or mortar.
Usually, the bones are not removed, since they are small and practically not felt. The ratio of berries and sugar is 1: 3. The composition is poured into containers and sent to the freezer. If stored in the refrigerator, the period is six months.
Pitted raspberry puree
To get seedless puree, it is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe, but additionally rubbed through a colander. The finished product is stored in the freezer.
Sugarless
Sugar-free frozen raspberries are an excellent nutritional supplement for health conscious people. The berry pre-prepared in the classical way is packed in bags or containers and sent for storage. It is even better to freeze raspberries with other berries, as a result, useful vitamin mixes are obtained, which are pleasant to eat in winter.
In container
Harvesting in containers is an ideal option to preserve all vitamins and beneficial properties in berries. The main thing is to prepare the berry correctly. You can put whole raspberries and puree in containers.
With sugar
The harvested berries must be prepared properly, add sugar in the proportion: a glass per kilogram of raspberries and mix gently without disturbing their integrity. The resulting product is packed in containers or bags and sent to the refrigerator or freezer.
Further storage
To get the most out of the prepared product, you need to know how much it is stored in the freezer without losing its qualities:
- If the storage temperature is within -18 ° C, the shelf life is one year.
- A higher temperature, up to -15 ° C, reduces the shelf life to six months.
- A storage temperature of -12 ° C means that you need to eat the product within three months.
It should also be borne in mind that whole berries are stored for a little longer than pureed ones.
Rules for defrosting berries
By adhering to the following recommendations, you can eliminate many errors during defrosting:
- It is better to freeze freshly picked berries, they contain much more nutrients.
- Chill the raspberries to keep them in shape. It will not turn sour after defrosting.
- Mashed potatoes should be done with a wooden spoon or spatula. This will avoid oxidation from the metal.
- The container should be shallow in order to use its volume immediately after defrosting.
- You need to defrost the product in the refrigerator. This will preserve the integrity and flavor of the fruit.
- Re-freezing is excluded. With it, the berries lose two-thirds of their beneficial qualities.
In order to feast on raspberries in winter, you just need to study some of the rules for freezing this berry and strictly follow them.
