Is it possible to freeze plums for the winter and how to do it correctly in the freezer, with sugar and with a bone
To enjoy the flavor of the aromatic berries in winter, you can not only preserve them in the traditional way, but also freeze them. This storage method is becoming more and more popular due to its simplicity and availability. Plums are not just tasty, but also a very healthy berry. These fruits contain extremely useful dietary fiber, as well as acids, minerals, vitamins A, B, and E necessary for the human body. It lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood, and also promotes the elimination of heavy metals from the body. Helps to normalize bowel function, and also strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
Canning is a rather laborious process. Freezing is easier and more convenient. There are several known ways to properly freeze plums, while retaining all the useful properties. How can you do it right to get the most out of it?
Features of freezing plums for the winter
Correctly frozen plum perfectly retains not only the aroma and appetizing appearance, but also all the beneficial substances contained in the fruits.
To properly freeze it, you must adhere to several basic rules:
- You can freeze both plums with pits and without them, as well as in sugar, syrup or vacuum packed. In this way, you can save not only fresh fruits, but also prunes.
- Freeze in small portions for convenient use.
- During the pre-freezing process, the fruits should be in a container or on a platter in one layer to avoid damage.
It is also recommended to remove the bags on the second day to completely remove the air from them, and then place them back in the freezer.
Preparing the product for freezing
Freezing plums, like prunes, is a simple matter. But it is very important to properly prepare the berries. Only whole fruits should be selected; cracked or spoiled ones should be removed. They need to be thoroughly washed and then dried. For freezing fruits suitable plastic bags with a slider (special fastener) or without, as well as various containers made of food grade plastic.
Freezer preparation
The freezer of the refrigerator, where the berries will be stored, should first be thoroughly washed and dried. There should be enough space in it to place the fruit for the first few hours for the initial freezing in one layer.
It is worth considering where exactly the product will be stored. There should be no strong smelling food such as meat, fish or seafood in the refrigerator next to plums.
How to freeze plums at home
Various recipes for preserving goodies for the winter can be found freely available on the Web. Next, we will talk about the most famous methods.
With bone
This is the least costly method as there is no need to peel the berries. Washed and dried whole fresh plums should be laid out on a tray so that the berries hardly touch, then sent to the freezer for several hours. This is done so that they do not deform when frozen.
After 3-4 hours, the plums are taken out and transferred to prepared containers or bags and returned to the freezer.
Seedless
If fruit without seeds is to be frozen, then they are first washed, dried with a towel, and then the bone is removed. The berries should be fresh and firm.
In this case, it is better to give preference to those varieties in which it is removed without difficulty - the preparation process will be better and faster.
The halves of the fruits must be laid out in one layer on a dish, covered with cling film and sent to the freezer. They should lie in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Plums should be placed at a small distance from each other so that they do not touch.
Then the hardened fruits must be laid out in bags or containers for freezing and sent to the freezer for long-term storage. It is preferable to freeze the fruits of the Hungarian variety.
Slices
Can also be frozen in slices. In this case, the fruits are also washed, dried, the stone is removed from them, and the pulp is cut into slices with a sharp knife so as not to cause damage. Further, the process is the same as for freezing pitted plums.
In sugar
There is also a way to freeze these berries in sugar. For such storage, the selected berries should be washed, allowed to dry or blotted with a towel to remove excess moisture.
A small number of slices or halves are added to the freezing dish, a small amount of sugar is poured.
This is done until the container is fully loaded. 1 kg of fruit will require 200 grams of sugar or powdered sugar.
If you intend to store the plum in packages in the future, and not in containers, then you should proceed as follows:
- spread the prepared fruits on a dish or tray so that they do not touch;
- cover the berries with sugar or powder;
- send the berries to freeze for 3-4 hours in the chamber;
- after this time, transfer the frozen plums to a prepared dish and return to the freezer;
- remove the frozen berries from the freezer, put them in bags and return to the chamber for further storage.
In syrup
For this type of freezing, not only selected, but also slightly overripe berries are suitable. The syrup is made first. To prepare it, you should take 800 grams of sugar for every liter of water. If the berries are very sweet, then you can add one teaspoon of lemon juice to this amount of water and sugar. If the berries are not too sweet, then you can do without it. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring slightly, so that the sugar is completely dissolved.
Then the syrup should be cooled. When it has completely cooled down, you need to fill it with prepared and placed plums and send them to the freezer for storage.
It should be remembered that plums do not need to be stacked too tightly and containers should be poured to the very top, because the liquid will increase in volume when freezing.Properly frozen fruits will delight the whole family in the future.
In a vacuum
Dense and fleshy fruits are suitable for freezing, but in some methods, even overripe berries can be used.Vacuum packed plums also store well at low temperatures.To freeze the fruit in this way, you need a special device - an evacuator. Plums are frozen and stored in special bags.
Storing frozen food
Frozen plums can be kept at a temperature of -10 for up to six months. If the temperature is lower (within -19 degrees), then the shelf life will be longer - up to 9 months.
You can put a piece of paper in a bag or container with frozen plums, on which the date of the freeze is written. This will help determine in the future which fruits should be used first.
Plum defrosting rules
The frozen delicacy can be used in the preparation of various fillings in confectionery, in the preparation of drinks, baby food, and also in its pure form.
To preserve all useful properties, as well as appearance, you should defrost, adhering to some recommendations:
- this should be done in an exclusively natural way. You can not defrost the berries in warm water or in the microwave, the berries in this case will be hopelessly spoiled;
- after defrosting, a small amount of liquid will appear in the container. It can be drained into a separate bowl and then used;
- if plums have been thawed, they should be used. You do not need to freeze them a second time.
Often, when preparing confectionery, housewives use a plum without defrosting it to the end. Frozen plums will become a real delicacy in the cold season.
