How to keep fresh black and red currants
In winter, when viruses are activated, and vitamins become less and less, additional nutrition is required for the body. For this, housewives have begun harvesting fruits, herbs and berries since summer. However, in order for the fees to retain the beneficial properties and aroma longer, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the storage conditions in advance. Many housewives, for example, are interested in how best to keep fresh black currants.
Black, white and red currants. How to preserve vitamins in berries?
Currants of any kind are useful and have a bright taste. Therefore, each housewife tries to stock up on the winter for future use. However, heat treatment kills a large amount of vitamins and cannot fully preserve the medicinal properties of the product.
To preserve all the beneficial properties, it is recommended to leave the berries fresh. This can be done in several ways, but the main condition is to take whole berries not damaged by the fungus. For this, the currants are carefully selected.
Preparing berries for storage
Preparation begins with the collection or purchase of currants. It is required to make sure that the berries are fully ripe. However, it is not recommended to collect overripe elements, as the risk of fermentation of the workpiece increases.
At home, currants need to be washed well under running water, to get rid of unsuitable berries and stalks. Then they need to dry well, it is recommended to additionally throw off the collection on a dry towel so that excess moisture is absorbed. And only after all the procedures, it is allowed to proceed with the design of the blank.
Methods for harvesting harvested currants
There are three main ways to keep currants fresh until winter:
- drying;
- freezing;
- grinding with sugar.
Important! Each of the methods requires specific storage conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare the place and container in advance. When saving blanks for a small family, there will be no difficulties, however, it is recommended to plan storage of larger volumes in advance.
Fresh storage
If the currant jam does not require certain storage conditions, then it is recommended to keep the fresh collection subject to the temperature and humidity of the air:
- Frozen berries require a lower temperature, and it is recommended to keep them in the freezer. The best option is large, spacious refrigerators that can hold up to three kilograms.
- The ground collection also requires a cool room. A common refrigerator compartment works best.
- Dried berries are recommended to be stored in a warm, but most importantly, dry place.
Important! If there are frequent power outages in the region, and the refrigerator does not fully function, it is recommended to abandon freezing and resort to another method of storage.
Can currants be kept in the refrigerator?
The answer to this question is obvious: yes, you can. A refrigerator is the most suitable place for storage, especially in an apartment environment. In modern appliances, there is a temperature adjustment function, which has a beneficial effect on how much black currant is stored in the refrigerator.
We select the best container
The optimal container for fresh collection for the winter also differs in the harvesting method. For example, wicker baskets or cloth bags are recommended for dried berries. It is required to keep the collection away from other, more fragrant, collection, otherwise the exchange of smells is possible.
It is recommended to close the grated currants in small glass jars. There is no need to roll them up with lids, it is enough to wrap the top with a cloth and fasten around the circumference. When freezing, use plastic containers, baskets or ordinary plastic bags. The bags allow you to keep the collection in portions, in small doses.
Duration and conditions of berry laying
Depending on the storage conditions and methods of "packaging", the shelf life of currants changes:
- fresh, not processed, berries are stored in the common compartment of the refrigerator for up to a month;
- the complete collection in the freezer can withstand up to 8 months;
- dried berries are stored for 10 months or a year;
- grated currants with sugar, in optimal conditions, will stand until next year.
Freezing fruits
Regardless of the variety (red, white, black), berries are frozen identically. To begin with, it is recommended to sort out the collection and get rid of excess garbage, since after defrosting it will no longer be possible to do it. It is also required to dry the collection well so that at low temperatures the berries do not stick together (suitable only for freezing whole).
Further, the preparatory stage depends on the wishes of the hostess. After all, you can freeze berries:
- in the form of whole currants;
- ground through a meat grinder with sugar;
- just ground, no additives;
- and as mashed potatoes.
We dry berries for the winter
At home, it is recommended to dry currants for the winter in the oven. This requires you to process the collection as described above. Spread dry whole berries in a thin layer on a baking sheet and dry, observing the temperature regime. Optimally, no more than 60 degrees is required in the oven. It is recommended to leave the cabinet door a little open to allow excess moisture to evaporate. How many? The process will take two to four hours.
The procedure is finished when the berries no longer stick when squeezed. It is important not to overdry the collection, otherwise both useful properties and the aroma itself will be lost.
Grinding method with sugar
Grinding with sugar requires strict adherence to proportions. According to the traditional recipe, the optimal ratio is two parts of sugar to one part of currants. It is recommended to grind it in a way convenient for the hostess.
However, storage jars necessarily require sterilization. Some of the microbes remain in untreated ones, in general, they are not harmful, but often cause fermentation of the collection.
How best to store?
How to store currants - each housewife decides for herself. Much depends on the purpose of use in winter. For adding when cooking, it is recommended to freeze whole or ground, but without additives. As an addition to drinks, both dried berries and a grated collection with sugar are suitable.
Also, the choice of storage method depends on the existing conditions of detention and the time for harvesting.
Shelf life of currants
The shelf life of currants depends entirely on the storage method and varies from a month to a year.
