In winter, when there are so few vitamins, you want to enjoy fresh berries from your garden. But they often don’t know how to preserve strawberries for the winter so that they retain useful vitamins and microelements. The fruits of the garden crop are so tender that within a few hours after picking they yield juice and their pulp spreads. But there are recipes that will help preserve the berries in winter.
How to choose or pick strawberries correctly
Before storing garden strawberries, you need to select them correctly, sorting out the damaged specimens. You should definitely choose fruits that are hard and dense. Overripe ones with dark red, almost brown flesh will not last long.
When harvesting during periods of high humidity, make sure that there are no mold particles on the surface of the berries. After all, a spoiled fruit will infect the rest, and the entire harvest will be spoiled.
Purchased strawberries are taken out of the store container. If there are pieces of pulp left on the walls, then it is better to immediately use the berry for cooking. It cannot be preserved for a long time.
How to preserve fruits for the winter
To keep strawberries fresh you need:
- do not wash the berries before storing;
- prepare containers with holes;
- spray with a vinegar solution to prevent molding of the crop;
- Dry the fruits by placing them on paper towels or napkins.
Place the berries in one layer so that they do not touch each other.
How to Store Fresh Strawberries in the Refrigerator
In the lower compartment of the refrigerator, where the air temperature reaches +2 degrees Celsius, garden strawberries can remain fresh for up to 2-7 days.
Before storage, it is necessary to place dense berries at a distance of 0.5-1 centimeter from each other. It is better to take containers from wood, cardboard or plastic. Cover the berries with cotton cloth or gauze in 2 layers. This way the air will circulate and not stagnate.
Do not forget to monitor the condition of the fruits every 2 days. If mold appears, it is better to use healthy fruits for food or for making desserts.
Freezing
Freezing has long been used as an effective way to preserve berry harvests. Select whole specimens of fruits, put them in a container in one row, after drying them. Cover the top with cling film. Once the berries are frozen, they can be placed in bags and left in the freezer.
Fresh frozen immediately after harvest. Strawberries are placed in containers with the stems facing up and placed in the chamber.
It is better to freeze strawberries in sugar. To do this, whole fruits laid out in a container are sprinkled with granulated sugar. In winter, such strawberries will decorate desserts and drinks.
It is worth pouring whole berries or their halves with syrup. To do this, prepare a filling of 300 grams of sugar per liter of water. When the syrup boils, add 5 grams of citric acid or a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. After the syrup has cooled, pour it over the strawberries in a container and put them in the freezer.
Strawberry puree will also be delicious. It is prepared by grinding strawberries in a blender. Then mix the berry mass with sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Place the puree into containers and freeze. In winter, you can cut off pieces of the product and add it to porridge, cottage cheese, and drinks. A cocktail made from kefir, banana and 2-3 spoons of frozen puree is also tasty.
Sugaring
The color and aroma of garden strawberries can be preserved throughout the year by preparing candied fruits. For preparation:
- select fruits of the same size;
- washed under running water;
- put in a colander and leave for better drainage;
- the berries are placed in a saucepan, covered with layers of sugar (400 grams per 1 kilogram of berries);
- keep under the lid for a day;
- drain the resulting juice, adding sugar to it;
- bring the syrup to a boil and lower the berries there for 7 minutes;
- make sure that the pulp does not boil.
Now all that remains is to remove the fruits with a slotted spoon, free them from excess syrup, and keep them in a colander. The finished product must be dried in a dryer or oven at a temperature of 50 degrees. To do this, lay the berries on a wire rack or baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The finished products are placed in dry jars, sterilized in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator or cupboard.
They eat candied berries instead of sweets and add them to pastries, muffins, pastries, and pies. And the syrup left over from cooking can be poured into jars and placed in the refrigerator.
Storing dried strawberries
The easiest way to dry the berries is in the oven. To do this, take whole fruits or cut them into 2 parts. For tea, you can cut it into cubes or slices. The product is washed and laid out on a towel to dry. Heat the cabinet to 45 degrees, place a baking sheet with strawberry slices laid out in 1 layer. You can place parchment paper on a baking sheet. During the drying period, the berries are turned over several times. At the end of the procedure, you can increase the air temperature to 60-70 degrees. If, when squeezing the fruits, they do not stick to your fingers, then they are ready for storage.
The temperature in the strawberry dryer is set to 50-55 degrees. Slices 4 millimeters thick dry faster. Place the fruits on the grill in one layer so that they do not touch each other.
In an air fryer the process proceeds faster. The berries are ready in 1-2 hours. They do not need to be turned over, as the process proceeds evenly.
The finished product is cooled and placed in linen bags or dry glass jars. It can be stored for 2 years at room temperature.
How to store strawberry products
Many preparations are made from garden crops for the winter. This includes jam, marmalade, and compotes. But to preserve the benefits of strawberry products, you need to store them correctly.
Strawberry jam often becomes moldy. The reasons for this may be low-quality berries or a small amount of sugar. The penetration of air into the workpiece depends on the lids and their density. It is recommended to seal jars of jam with metal lids.
It is better to put the jars in the refrigerator or cellar, then they will need to be used within a year. You can't keep strawberries longer.
Mashed berries remain fresh only in the refrigerator for 3-6 months. You can freeze the puree, but its taste will change after defrosting. It will not be as fragrant and tasty.
Compotes with strawberries are stored in the refrigerator. If they are under the screw, then you can go to the basement or cellar, where it is dark and cool. The preparation must be used within a year.
Wine from the berry is often made. Store the drink in dark glass bottles. If the wine is not strong, then it cannot be kept for a long time.
All strawberry-based desserts and drinks are sold within 1 to 6 months. If mold appears on top, you need to hurry up with consumption, carefully removing the film.
How to properly store strawberries for sale
When they plan to sell garden strawberries, they follow the storage rules especially strictly. Fresh fruits should be kept in a plastic container with holes at a temperature of plus 1-2 degrees. Choose solid, high-quality specimens for storage.
Strawberries from the greenhouse do not need to be washed before selling. There will be a lot of liquid left in it, and the berries will spoil faster. And so you can keep it fresh for 7-12 days.They give shine and a bright appearance to the fruits if they are wiped with a cloth soaked in a vinegar solution.
