What is the best way to keep blueberries fresh for the winter at home?

In the summer, everyone begins to prepare for winter, stocking up on vegetables from the garden. It is customary to make various preparations. Let's figure out how best to preserve blueberries for the winter. The berries are widely preserved fresh or frozen; they are made into compotes, preserves, pastilles, and jams. It is especially useful to prepare stocks of blueberries. Wild berries are famous for their sweet-dessert taste and are full of healthy vitamins that boost immunity. Anyone who wants to enjoy blueberries in winter should familiarize themselves with the methods of storing them.


Best collection time for storage

Only fully ripened fruits can be stored. Collect berries 2-3 days before the start of harvesting, usually the end of July or the beginning of August. Blueberries that are not completely ripe can also be harvested, but they will quickly lose most of their beneficial components and the taste will not be as rich.

Requirements for choosing berries

You can buy blueberries at the market, in a store, or grow them yourself in the country. Before you start harvesting it, you need to choose the right fruits and prepare them. To do this, follow these tips:

  • the fruits must be intact, without damage - stains, traces of beetles;
  • blueberries are dense to the touch, strong, but not soft;
  • When palpating, make sure that the berries do not burst or wrinkle.

It is also important to properly prepare blueberries so that when frozen, they retain their taste, aroma and beneficial properties.

  1. First, select and leave only good berries. Damaged specimens should be disposed of or used for jam, jam, compote.
  2. Rinse under cool, but not hot water, and place on a flat surface.

ripe blueberries

Blueberries need to be sorted as early as possible, then there is less chance that they will become moldy. When the fruits are dry, pack them into bags.

How to store fresh blueberries

Fresh fruits of the blueberry bush are an amazing delicacy that you want to consume all year round. The best storage option is the natural method, without any processing.

How to preserve fresh blueberries for a long time for the winter:

  1. Selected berries in small quantities can be stored in the refrigerator, but do not delay eating. If they lie for a long time, after 1-2 days they will become moldy and disappear.
  2. Frozen blueberries can be stored for no more than 2 years.After two years, even berries stored in the freezer will lose their taste.
  3. Keep dried fruits in glass jars. The storage period is approximately 2 years. At the end of this time, the blueberries will disappear.

blueberries and sugar

The most popular method of storing blueberries is freezing.

How and how long are blueberries stored in the refrigerator?

Most modern refrigerator models are equipped with the functionality of setting the optimal temperature for storing blueberries at 5 degrees Celsius. Sort the berries in the standard way, remove leaves and beetles, and pour into a plastic container. There is no need to pour it to the top; the container should close tightly. Place on the middle shelf against the wall, where they remain fresh for up to 1 week.

You can also pour syrup over the blueberries, close the container tightly and place in the freezer.

Ways to preserve strawberries for the winter

There are many methods for storing blueberries. Among them are the following methods:

  • freezing;
  • soaking in plain water;
  • sugaring;
  • making jam, preserves, marshmallows;
  • drying in the oven.

fresh blueberries

Each technique is discussed in detail below.

Freezing

The easiest way to preserve blueberries for a long time is to place them in the freezer. Place the fruits in a polyethylene bag. First, wash the berries and dry them naturally. In order for blueberries to retain all their beneficial properties and not turn into mush, it is important to place them in the freezer only when they are completely dry. You should not wash it with tap water; it is better to use a deep container. This will help avoid damaging the thin skin.

Water soaking

An unusual method of storing blueberries is to soak them in water. Thanks to this technique, the berry remains fresh and healthy for about a year.It is necessary to prepare for soaking, because if you violate the rules, the fruits will spoil.

  1. Pour the peeled and washed berries into glass jars.
  2. Fill with boiled water to the top, it should be cold.
  3. Boil the soaked berries over low heat for about 10 minutes if we are talking about 0.5 liter jars. Boil liter containers for 20 minutes.
  4. Close the jars tightly or roll them up.
  5. Place upside down so the lids are free of germs.

blueberries in a basket

It is necessary to store soaked blueberries in a dry, cool room. A cellar or upper compartments of the refrigerator compartment are suitable.

Sugaring

To prepare blueberries in their own juice, you only need the fruits and the same amount of sugar. Rinse them in water and wait until the liquid drains. Afterwards, add granulated sugar so that it covers the wild berries completely, leave for 1 day in a cool room. This method of preserving blueberries allows you to preserve a maximum of vitamins than with heat treatment. Within a day, the berries will release juice and become saturated with sugar. You can add less of it if you want to enjoy less sugary blueberries. The next day, pour the fruits into jars and close the lids.

blueberries and sugar

In the form of jam

Blueberries are widely prepared for the winter in the form of jam. It is impossible to preserve all the vitamins using this method, but you will be able to enjoy a delicious dessert.

The principle of making homemade jam:

  • sort the berries, rinse, place on the bottom of a pan with 250 milliliters of water;
  • set to simmer, gradually add 850 grams of sugar to form a thick syrup;
  • boil the mixture for 20 minutes;
  • Afterwards, pour the jam into jars, roll them up and put them upside down.

When the prepared mixture has cooled to room temperature, place the jars in the cellar or refrigerator. This is a classic recipe for blueberry jam, but there are many more ways to prepare a delicious treat. Below is a recipe for jam that can be prepared in 5 minutes.

blueberry jam

You will need the following products:

  • 180 grams of bee nectar;
  • 2 tablespoons of rum.

Wash the berries, set the dry fruits to boil. Stirring constantly, add honey and a packet of gelatin. Cook until bubbling, about 5 minutes, over low heat. At the last moment, add rum, turn off the heat. A priori, a mixture with a gelling component should not be boiled for a long time, since pectin then loses its thickening properties. You don't have to add gelatin, but then the jam won't be thick.

Method 2.

Five-minute jam is cooked in a different way:

  • in equal proportions, take the berries, sprinkle them with granulated sugar and leave for a day;
  • During this period, the crystals will dissolve and a sweetish syrup will appear.

blueberry jam

Boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Due to its thick consistency, jam can be used not only as a snack for tea, but also as a filling for baked goods.

To preserve maximum beneficial substances, taste, the volume of raw materials should not be 6 glasses.

Then the berry will have time to cook in 5 minutes, without significant loss of vitamins. Fill the pre-prepared jars with the prepared mixture and roll up with tin lids.

By drying

Blueberries can be prepared for the winter by drying. They use a special dryer for this, but a simple oven will do.

  1. Place the berries on a baking sheet in a thin layer and place in the oven.
  2. Turn on the temperature to 40-50 degrees, leave the door ajar.
  3. Constantly check the condition of the fruit and stir if necessary.
  4. Dry for 1.5-2 hours, then another 1 hour at 60 degrees.

bucket of blueberries

Store dried blueberries in an airtight container in the cellar or refrigerator. Can be eaten after 1 month.

Possible storage errors

Without knowing, you can make a number of mistakes in storing blueberries. They lead to disastrous consequences.

  1. When stored in the refrigerator, the berry can be subject to a number of pathologies, including gray rot and anthracnose. Sometimes the fruits simply become moldy.
  2. Dried blueberries can turn into dried out berries that are impossible to bite into. This happens when dried blueberries are stored not in the refrigerator, but in the kitchen.
  3. Jam may become moldy if kept at room temperature in the summer.
  4. Frozen berries, washed with plenty of water and not dried, turn into porridge.

If you follow all the above storage conditions for blueberries, they will remain safe and sound for a long time.

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