How to properly store fresh blackberries, drying berries and shelf life

This shrub bears fruit in August or September. Sweet dark red berries, jams and preserves made from them will be a wonderful table decoration. However, in order to make full use of them, you need to understand how to properly store fresh blackberries.

Preparing the berries

These fruits are fresh, tender and juicy. Therefore, when working with them, special care must be taken: it is easy to damage the skin, which will cause juice to leak out.

How to properly store fresh blackberries

When storing in the refrigerator, please pay attention to the following:

1. The berries are not washed because they are easily damaged.
2. When placed in a suitable container, fresh blackberries are laid out in a single layer. If you put more of it, it may damage the fruit.
3. Since they contain moisture, it is recommended to place the fruits on napkins so that they absorb excess liquid.

If you want the shelf life to be longer, beat the blackberries with sugar. Before this, it must first be cleared of tails. This treatment allows you to extend the shelf life to three weeks. At the same time, the taste and vitamins contained in it will remain during this time.

Freezing berries

In order to ensure high-quality storage, it is necessary to pre-treat the blackberries. It must be taken into account that these berries, being picked unripe, remain so in the future. They are able to ripen only by remaining on the branch. Therefore, when harvesting, pay attention only to fully prepared fruits.

Their preparation for storage occurs as follows:

1. You need to carefully inspect the material and remove twigs, dirt and insects if they are found.
2. It is necessary to carefully inspect the fruits. Those that are crushed or damaged are not suitable for storage - they must be put aside.
3. Although there is a high risk of damage when washing, it must be done nonetheless. It is recommended to use not a strong stream from the tap, but a very weak stream or rinse using a shower.
4. In order to drain the moisture from the glass, you need to put the washed fruits in a colander and wait a while.
5. You need to carefully examine and tear off the tails from them.This must be done very carefully and not allow the berries to burst.
6. Prepared berries must be spread in one layer on napkins and wait until completely dry.

Blackberries can be frozen. With this storage method, it is able to retain its taste and nutrients well.

For freezing, two methods can be used.

When performing quick freezing, you will need to do the following:

1. Prepare a large vessel (for example, a dish) and place the blackberries in one layer.
2. When prepared, you need to put the fruits in the freezer. The temperature in it should be as low as possible.
3. You need to wait an hour or an hour and a half. After this, the frozen blackberries are poured into specially prepared containers or suitable plastic bags.
4. In this form they are put back into the freezer, where they will be stored in the future.

When carrying out this treatment, the fruits freeze thoroughly, and they will not stick together.

When it's time to eat the blackberries, they are taken out of the freezer, defrosted at room temperature or using a microwave, and served.

The defrosting procedure can be speeded up by rinsing the fruits with hot water from the shower..

With the second freezing method, the fruits are placed in the refrigerator immediately, skipping the stage of rapid pre-freezing. This procedure is performed as follows:

1. The berries prepared as described above are placed in small bags. It is important to consider that the size must be selected so that the contents can be eaten in one meal.
2. The packages are placed in containers. At the same time, neither the first nor the second are closed. Then they are placed in the refrigerator.They need to be placed in the freezer for a day.
3. When the time designated for freezing has passed, you will need to check the condition of the berries to see if they are frozen well.
4. Now the bags and containers need to be closed, then you need to shake them and put them back.

The shelf life in the freezer is one year. This period is not a deadline, since blackberries in this state can be stored for some time. However, it would be more reasonable in this case to send freshly harvested berries for storage.

Drying blackberries

The berry, dried according to all the rules, can be preserved for two years. In order for it to retain its taste and nutritional qualities well during this time, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. When storing, you need to choose fully ripe blackberries.
2. Before the drying procedure, preliminary preparation of the material is necessary. The berries are slightly withered, kept in direct sunlight for two or three days.
3. When holding blackberries in the sun, you need to cover the berries with gauze. This is important to do in order to protect the product from midges and other insects.

After this, the blackberries are dried.

In the oven

Berries, pre-dried in the sun, should be placed on baking sheets and placed in the oven. The drying procedure will take four or five hours. After this, the berries are placed in a closed container and stored in a dry and dark place.

The shelf life of berries processed in this way is two years..

In an electric dryer

Pre-dried berries should be placed loosely on a wire rack and placed in an electric dryer. They are kept for 12 hours.After the procedure is completed, pour into containers and store in a dry and dark place.

Storing mashed berries with sugar

An important feature of this method is the absence of heat treatment. For this cooking method, you can take not only whole, but also damaged berries.

Processing is carried out as follows:

1. The blackberries are washed and placed on napkins to dry.
2. Then it is poured into a deep container and the required amount of sugar is added (usually this is done in a one to one ratio).
3. The resulting mixture must be stirred and rubbed with a masher. Some people put blackberries and sugar through a meat grinder.
4. The resulting composition is left in a cool place for 12 hours. During this time, the pureed blackberries will infuse.
5. Now the mixture is stirred one more time and then placed in jars, where it will be stored in the future. The dishes are covered with plastic or metal lids.

It is recommended to store the product in the refrigerator or in the basement. Taste and nutritional qualities will be preserved for a year or a little longer.

Dried blackberries

To prepare you need:

1. Take ripe berries and lay them out, sprinkle with sugar. For 1 kg of blackberries, it is enough to take 450 g. Leave for a day.
2. A lot of juice is produced. It can be poured into jars and stored.
3. Prepare sugar syrup: take 350 g of sugar for 200 g of water. Place blackberries there and simmer for 10 minutes over heat, avoiding boiling.
4. The cooled syrup needs to be decanted.
5. Drying is carried out in the oven with the door open. It is performed three times for 20 minutes, taking four-hour breaks.

Dried blackberries are stored in jars, which should be placed in the refrigerator.

Shelf life

Fresh berries can be stored for no longer than a week.Dried blackberries do not lose their properties for four months. When using freezing or drying, the shelf life is at least a year.