How to properly store fresh black and red currants

In winter, when viruses are activated and vitamins become less and less, the body requires additional nutrition. For this, housewives begin to prepare fruits, herbs and berries in the summer. However, in order for the collections to retain their beneficial properties and aroma longer, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the storage conditions in advance. Many housewives, for example, are interested in how best to keep blackcurrants fresh.

Currants are black, white and red. How to preserve vitamins in berries?

Currants of any kind are healthy and have a bright taste. Therefore, every housewife tries to stock up for the winter. However, heat treatment kills a large number 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 that are not damaged by fungus. For this purpose, currants undergo careful selection.

Preparing berries for storage

Preparation begins with the collection or purchase of currants. You need to make sure 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, the currants need to be washed well under running water and get rid of unsuitable berries and stalks. Then they need to be dried thoroughly; it is recommended to additionally throw the collection onto a dry towel to absorb excess moisture. And only after all the procedures are it allowed to begin processing the workpiece.

Methods for preparing harvested currants

There are three main ways to keep currants fresh until winter:

• drying;
• freezing;
• grinding with sugar.

Important! Each method requires certain storage conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare the place and container in advance. There will be no difficulties when storing preparations for a small family, but it is recommended to plan the storage of larger volumes in advance.

Fresh storage

If currant jam does not require certain storage conditions, then it is recommended to keep fresh collection at the same temperature and air humidity:

1. Frozen berries require a low 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.
2. The ground collection also requires a cool room. The general compartment of the refrigerator works best.
3. It is recommended to store dried berries in a warm, but most importantly dry place.

Important! If there are frequent power outages in the region and the refrigerator does not perform its functions fully, it is recommended to abandon freezing and resort to another storage method.

Can currants be stored in the refrigerator?

The answer to this question is obvious: yes, it is possible. The refrigerator is the most suitable place for storage, especially in apartment conditions. Modern appliances have a temperature control function, which has a beneficial effect on how long blackcurrants are stored in the refrigerator.

We select the best container

The optimal container for fresh harvesting for the winter also differs according to the harvesting method. For example, for dried berries it is recommended to use wicker baskets or cloth bags. It is necessary to store the collection away from other, more fragrant, collections, otherwise an exchange of odors is possible.

It is recommended to close the grated currants in small glass jars. There is no need to roll them up with lids; just wrap them with cloth on top and secure them around the circumference. When freezing, plastic containers, baskets or ordinary plastic bags are used. The bags allow you to keep the collection in portions, in small doses.

Duration and storage conditions for berries

Depending on storage conditions and “packaging” methods, the shelf life of currants changes:

• in fresh, unprocessed form, the berries can be stored in the general compartment of the refrigerator for up to a month;
• the completed collection can be stored in the freezer for up to 8 months;
• dried berries are stored for 10 months to a year;
• Grated currants with sugar, under optimal conditions, will last until next year.

Freezing fruits

Regardless of the variety (red, white, black), the berries are frozen identically. To begin with, it is recommended to sort through the collection and get rid of excess debris, since after defrosting it will no longer be possible to do this. It is also necessary to dry the collection well so that at low temperatures the berries do not stick together (only suitable 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;
• simply ground, without additives;
• and as a puree.

Drying berries for the winter

At home, it is recommended to dry currants for the winter in the oven. This requires processing the collection as described above. Spread dry whole berries in a thin layer on a baking sheet and dry, observing the temperature regime. Optimally, the oven requires no more than 60 degrees. It is recommended to leave the cabinet door slightly open to allow excess moisture to evaporate. How many? The process will take two to four hours.

The procedure is considered complete when the berries no longer stick when squeezed. It is important not to overdry the collection, otherwise both the beneficial properties and the aroma itself will be lost.

Grinding method with sugar

Grinding with sugar requires strict adherence to proportions. The optimal ratio, according to the traditional recipe, is two parts sugar to one part currants. It is recommended to grind in a way convenient for the housewife.

However, storage jars must be sterilized. Some microbes remain in the unprocessed ones; in general, they are not harmful, but often cause fermentation of the collection.

What's the best way to store it?

How to store currants is up to each housewife to decide for herself. Much depends on the purpose of use in winter. To add when preparing dishes, it is recommended to freeze whole or ground, but without additives. Both dried berries and ground mixture with sugar are suitable as an addition to drinks.

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.