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 preparations. And not only in the form of jam and pickles. You can also create cold desserts from nature's sweet gifts. After all, if you know which fruits and berries can be frozen for the winter, then you can really create a supply of healthy products. During the cold season, it becomes possible to enjoy a variety of desserts, berry pies and delicious cakes. And frozen fruits do not lose their beneficial substances.

Are there vitamins in frozen foods?

When asked by an ordinary person whether vitamins remain in foods after freezing at home, nutritionists answer: “Yes, and in large quantities.” By maintaining a low temperature, all processes slow down, which allows you to preserve the beneficial components in fruits and berries.

However, do not forget to follow the basic rules:

1. You need to take only fresh fruits. Berries and fruits from last year's harvest are not suitable, 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 carry out home treatment, simulating a vacuum.
3. But we must not forget that frozen berries and fruits increase in volume. This causes lids to lift and bags to be damaged. When the housewife begins to take out the container, its contents will fall out on the floor.
4. You need to ensure that the temperature in the freezer remains the same. When the temperature fluctuates, the food will either defrost or plunge into the cold again. This will lead to spoilage of berries and fruits, loss of beneficial qualities and former taste.

Any food has a certain expiration date. Fruits at -17 °C retain vitamins and nutrients for 9-12 months.

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

What fruits and berries can be frozen in the freezer?

All fruits, many garden and forest berries can be frozen. Do not store blueberries in the freezer, as they are watery and have a thin skin. After defrosting, there will be a porridge-like mass in the bowl.Drupes are not frozen, since there is practically no juice in them, only seeds. Melons should also not be frozen. The pulp will turn to ice, which will become colored water when defrosted.

What container will be needed?

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

• containers, plastic trays that close tightly;
• tin products;
• ice trays;
• paper boxes;
• cut plastic bottles;
• plastic bags;
• food parchment, film and foil.

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

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

Is hard freezing necessary?

Different temperatures are used for freezing.

1. 0 °C…-8 °C. The fruits are cooled. The percentage of preserved vitamins is high, but the shelf life is reduced to three months.
2. -10 °C…-18 °C. Ideal for soft berries. After all, the pulp is preserved without damage.
3. -18 °С…23 °С. The best way for super-fast freezing and long-term storage. But juicy fruits can become deformed after exposure to heat.

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 older household appliances do not always close tightly. Therefore, the temperature in them is higher than indicated. And in ultra-modern models, different freezing ranges can be adjusted on different freezer shelves.

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, prepare the freezer. The refrigerator is turned off and all 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. The freezer is covered with plastic wrap. The refrigerator is connected. Only after the air has cooled can food be stored.
2. Select undamaged, not overripe fruits, without traces of rot or 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 soften greatly and turn into a puree-like mass.
3. Berries and fruits are first thoroughly washed. Then dry on a clean towel. Or throwing it in a colander.
4. If necessary, remove seeds and peel from the fruit and cut into pieces.
5. After all manipulations, the products are placed in the refrigerator.
6. The best storage method is in portions, so that defrosted food can be used immediately for its intended purpose.
7. Each container should have a piece of paper attached to it, indicating the date it was placed in the refrigerator and the approximate expiration date.
8. Smelling foods, meat, and fish should not be placed near fruits. A “bad” neighborhood will negatively affect the smell and taste of the sweet product.

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, the fruits will also stick together.

The most important thing is to respect 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 stalks of the strawberries are removed. To prevent the berries from losing their taste, they are frozen in granulated sugar. Fresh berries are laid out in a single layer in shallow containers and covered with sugar. After the juice appears, the container is removed. Strawberries can be pureed and placed in ice cube trays.

Plums

Plums are stored in any container. The good thing about the fruits is that they are not defrosted before use. Immediately put into compote or as a filling in homemade cakes. Place whole berries with seeds or halves without kernels in the freezer.

Apples

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

Applesauce is placed in a small container. To obtain a sweet dessert, the fruits are crushed, poured with syrup, and left for a day in a cold place. Then the fruits are placed in a colander. After the liquid has drained, they are placed in the freezer in suitable containers.

Grape

Grapes are frozen with clusters or individual berries. In the first case, packages are good. The second contains trays with lids.

Strawberries

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

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

Raspberries

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

Blackberry

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

Currant

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

Cranberry

The good thing about cranberries is that they have a very thick skin that won’t wrinkle or stick together when frozen. Therefore, the fruits are placed in any containers and placed in the freezer.

Blueberry

It is better to freeze blueberries as individual berries or in a puree state.

Gooseberry

First, the stalks and “tails” of the gooseberries are removed. Only after this lengthy procedure are the whole fruits left for the winter.

Cherries and sweet cherries

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

You can also store sweet cherries in their own juice. The seeds are removed from the berries. The ripest and softest specimens are crushed in a blender and mixed with granulated sugar. Strong fruits are placed in high trays in one layer, filled with sugar mass, and placed in the freezer.

How long do frozen foods last 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 defrost fruits and berries correctly. First you need to decide for what purpose the workpiece will be used.

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

If dessert will be 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 defrosted in the refrigerator.

Do not forget 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 will come in handy for preparing various delicacies. In summer, you shouldn’t be lazy; you need to place as many fruits as possible in the refrigerator. If you follow the storage rules, their appearance and taste will remain at their best.