Berries are a valuable source of vitamins. In addition, they are considered an excellent decoration for dishes and a real delicacy. To have it all year round, you need to know how to freeze berries. Because in this form it retains more valuable substances compared to canned food. And thanks to modern refrigerators and freezers, the procedure can be made simple and quick.

Benefit

If storage conditions are followed correctly, it will retain its appearance and beneficial properties. The decrease in the value of fruits when frozen is insignificant. Vitamins that are soluble in water almost never disappear. The product retains carotene, vitamins B1 and B2. When frozen, vitamin C remains in almost the same amount as in fresh fruits.

Frozen berries have a valuable advantage over fresh ones. They contain less pesticides, lead and cadmium. When comparing frozen products with fresh, but not seasonal ones, which are available in stores in winter, experts believe that frozen fruits are healthier than those grown in greenhouses.

During vitamin deficiency and exacerbation of viral diseases, such fruits will be an excellent salvation. It is enough to include them in your daily diet to eat not only tasty, but also healthy dishes. Frozen berries in Moscow and other cities are sold all year round in markets and supermarkets. But frozen foods yourself will be much healthier.

Preparation

Freezing a berry does not mean simply placing it in the freezer. There are several rules for preparing for storage.

It is necessary to select only ripe fruits. In some cases, if culinary processing is planned after defrosting, for example, a filling from frozen berries or compotes will be prepared, then you can take the fruits at the initial stage of ripening. They will also retain valuable vitamins. For example, a layer pie with frozen berries in winter would not be bad.

Under no circumstances should you store overripe, damaged or rotten fruits.

It is advisable to place in the freezer a product that was collected no later than 2 hours ago. In this case, it will be of high quality. This is most likely only possible if you have your own garden plot or dacha.

At the first stage, they get rid of:

• stalk;
• leaves;
• seed nests.

Care must be taken with soft berries - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, so as not to damage them during mechanical processing. In some cases, you can freeze berries with the stems, and peel them after defrosting.

Before moving to the freezer, the fruits must be washed and dried. To do this, they are laid out on paper towels. To ensure quick drying, place another towel on top to remove excess moisture.

Selection of containers

To preserve the shape of frozen berries, mushrooms, and vegetables, you can use plastic bags and plastic containers with lids. You should not choose already used cellophane bags. They may retain the smell of past products. In addition, microcracks may appear in them, which can lead to depressurization. Also, you should not choose glassware, as it will crack in the cold.

For freezing, it is advisable to choose a small container. Then freezing will be faster, and it will also create convenient portions for defrosting. It is advisable that the dose be no more than 600-700 g. The fruits should be placed in dry containers, compacted well and the air released. If the container is opaque, it must be labeled.

The container or bag must be tightly closed. This affects the evaporation of moisture during storage, which condenses on the walls of the chamber, which causes frequent shutdowns of the refrigerator to remove ice. In addition, the quality of the product also depends on the tightness of the packaging.

TZF "Frozen berries"

Now there are many companies involved in the sale of frozen fruits and vegetables. For example, the trading and purchasing company “Frozen Berries” in Moscow. Its important specialization is the sale of frozen fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.

Now let's reveal some tricks.

Strawberry

You should choose large, undamaged, not bruised or unripe strawberries. It must be washed, and then laid out on a tray to dry and left until frozen. Then the berries are poured into a container or bag and placed in the freezer.

If the fruits are soft, then they can be placed in portioned forms and placed in the freezer. Before this, they can be sprinkled with sugar. Or beat it in a blender with sugar, then place it in molds and freeze.

Strawberries

Large and medium berries should be washed, dried, placed on a tray and placed in the freezer. Before freezing, strawberries are sprinkled with sugar. It can also be frozen in sugar syrup. To do this, they need to be placed in a jar, filled with syrup (300 g of sugar per 1 liter of water) and cooled, and then kept in the freezer for a day. The containers must be closed with plastic lids and placed in the chamber.

There is another way to harvest strawberries. It should be placed in an enamel container, sprinkled with sugar, and then placed at the bottom of the refrigerator to form juice. The finished strawberries are transferred into portioned forms, filled with juice and frozen.

Raspberries

It should be fresh, clean, not overripe. You don’t have to wash it, you just need to cool it. Raspberries can be prepared with or without sugar, but sugar changes color. Ripe berries should be placed in small containers.

Then the raspberries should be placed in a cool place for 3-4 hours. Then it must be overlapped with the edges of the film, closed with lids and placed in the freezer. The suitable storage temperature is -12 degrees. If the raspberries are large and strong, they are harvested like strawberries - first on a saucer in 1 layer, and then poured into a storage container.

Blackberry

For harvesting, you need to choose large and ripe fruits. They should be washed and the stalks removed. Then the blackberries are frozen in bulk on a cardboard tray with sides of 2-2.5 cm. Then they must be poured into plastic bags, closed and placed in the freezer.

Currant

This berry must be washed and dried. The stalks of the black ones must be removed, and the clusters of the red and white ones must be removed. Then the fruits are placed on a plate and frozen. Frozen currants should be placed in bags, closed and placed in the freezer.

Since these fruits are dense, they can be poured into containers or bags and placed in a chamber without laying them out on a dish. After defrosting, blackcurrants have almost the same taste as fresh ones.

Cranberry

This berry is unpretentious in preparation. Before frost, in cities it is stored on balconies, and in villages - in the air, filled with water in advance. With the arrival of frost, you need to remove the water and leave the cranberries until they freeze. It can be preserved until spring without loss of valuable properties.

The cranberries are frozen in bulk, and then they are transferred to containers or bags and put into the chamber. Or you don’t have to lay it out in bulk. The cranberries must be sprinkled with sugar in advance.

Blueberry

Large and ripe berries are needed for freezing. They should be thoroughly washed and dried. First, blueberries are frozen in bulk on a tray with sides of 2-2.5 cm. Then the berries must be poured out of bags and put into a chamber.

Gooseberry

To freeze it, choose yellow-green berries. Before this, they are sorted, the stalks and inflorescences are cut off, and then washed. Then they need to be dried. When the gooseberries are frozen in bulk on a plywood board, they are poured into bags and hermetically sealed.

Cherries and sweet cherries

These berries need to be washed and dried. If they are used to prepare compote, the seeds do not need to be removed. And for future dumplings or pies you will have to do this. Cherries can be placed in bags and frozen. To keep the product intact, it must be placed in 1 layer and quickly frozen. Then pour into containers or bags and put in the freezer.

You can also sprinkle cherries with sugar and pack them in containers lined with polyethylene. It is preferable to store such products at -12 degrees.

Vegetables

You can cook not only frozen berries. Vegetables are also prepared this way. Moreover, they retain their taste, appearance and valuable properties.

The following vegetables are suitable for preparation.

1. Green peas, corn kernels, green beans. The products are blanched, after which they are cooled and dried, and then put into bags.
2. Bell pepper. The vegetable can be frozen whole for stuffing, as well as sliced.
3. Carrot. It must be grated on a coarse grater and put into bags.
4. Eggplant. The vegetable is prepared raw and baked. It can be cut into cubes or circles.
5. Zucchini. It is cut into circles or cubes.
6. Cauliflower and broccoli. The first vegetable needs to be boiled, divided into inflorescences, cooled and dried. There is no need to cook broccoli.
7. Tomatoes. Small ones are frozen whole, large ones - in circles or cubes.

Mixtures can also be prepared in this way. It is better to freeze each product separately first and then combine them.

Mushrooms

The freezer produces more than just healthy frozen berries. Mushrooms are also prepared. All edible species are suitable for this. It is advisable to chop large fruits, and place small ones whole. Mushrooms must be boiled in advance, changing the water several times.

Storage and defrosting

Berries should not be stored near meat, fish and other “odorous” products, otherwise they will perceive their smell. You need to freeze quickly, so you shouldn’t fill the entire chamber. It is advisable to do this in small portions. Then you will be able to save a lot of vitamins.

Before freezing, you need to prepare the chamber. Many refrigerators have a freezer pre-prep function. It is advisable to turn on the “Freezing” option one day before placing the product and turn it off a day after that. Then you need to set the “Storage” mode.

It is advisable to set the temperature from -18 to -23 degrees. At this temperature, the fruits are quickly and reliably frozen and stored for 8-12 months. But you can set it from 0 to -8 degrees, but then the products are stored for no more than 3 months.

Defrosting should be done gradually, placing the berries in the lower section of the refrigerator. But you don’t have to do this either if you cook compote. Without defrosting, the products are added to porridge during cooking. There is no need to freeze it again.

Berries after freezing can be used for various purposes. Compotes, fruit drinks, and jelly are prepared from them. They are used as components of cocktails and refreshing drinks. These fruits and vegetables are also used to make pie filling. They are added to cereals and baby food. The berries can be used in the preparation of ice cream, cottage cheese desserts and casseroles, as well as jellies, mousses and sauces. Moreover, in any form they retain their beneficial properties.

Pie

Useful preparations allow you to prepare a layer cake with frozen berries. There are many different recipes. For the simplest one, you will need 500 g of berries and the same amount of dough. You also need sugar (1/2 cup), starch (3 tbsp) and an egg. Puff pastry can be purchased ready-made. It must be divided into 2 parts. One of them needs to be rolled out to the size of a baking sheet. Grease the container with oil and transfer the dough.

The berries must be mixed with sugar and left for 15 minutes. Then you need to remove the liquid and add starch. Now you can add the filling. After this, we lay out the second rolled out layer on which to make cuts. The baked goods are treated with egg. Place the pie in the oven for 30 minutes, which must be preheated to 200 degrees. Do not immediately remove the cake from the mold, let it sit a little. The result is a delicious dessert that will be an excellent addition to any tea party.

At the height of the summer and autumn seasons, housewives are interested in what vegetables can be frozen for the winter. Almost the entire crop is subject to this treatment. The exception is watery foods such as cucumbers. The same goes for berries, that is, watermelon is not suitable for freezing. If desired, they can be placed in the freezer, but after thawing they lose their shape and become tasteless. You don’t need to look for a long time for a way to properly freeze berries for the winter. By following simple recommendations, this can be easily done at home. In order for vegetables and fruits to bring maximum benefit, it is better to make preparations from your own garden or buy products from familiar farmers. This way you will be sure that the fruits do not contain nitrates and other harmful substances.

List of berries to freeze

How to freeze strawberries and other berries? The main secret of fruit preservation is freshness. They need to be harvested as they ripen and placed in the chamber on the day of harvest. It is important that the berries are not overripe; they must be dense and elastic, otherwise they will certainly spread when you defrost them. It is better to store any fruits in small portions. The point is that they cannot be re-frozen. Products removed from the chamber must be completely used the same day. Many berries can be frozen for the winter. Here's a short list:

raspberries, strawberries;

blackberries, currants;

blueberries, gooseberries;

strawberries, lingonberries;

cranberry, blueberry.

In order for the fruits to retain their appetizing appearance, it is advisable to place them in small airtight containers and store whole berries in the refrigerator. Some housewives prefer to puree the berries and freeze them for desserts. The preparation method depends on the preferences and tastes of family members.

List of fruits

Fruits, like berries, may not be washed as a whole before freezing. If you decide to do this, lay them out on a clean cloth and wait until they are completely dry. Many people are interested in the question of what fruits to put in the freezer to prepare delicious dishes in winter. Most seasonal fruits freeze well and retain their shape and vitamins when defrosted. Excellent taste retention:

apricots.

It is convenient to store cherries whole in plastic bags or as puree in containers. Apricots and plums should be halved and the pits removed. Larger fruits, such as pears and apples, should preferably be cut into pieces. If you like to treat yourself to fresh assorted fruits, but don’t know how to freeze strawberries and other berries and fruits for this, use a simple method. Prepare individual pieces of apples, pears, halves of apricots, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Then mix, divide into equal portions and pack in a suitable container. In winter, it is easy to get the preparation and use it for compotes, smoothies and other delicious dishes.

What berries and vegetables can be frozen for the winter, and how to do it correctly?

List of vegetables

Before freezing vegetables for the winter, they need to be washed and completely dried. Some fruits should be blanched to prevent oxidation and spoilage, but many can be placed in the freezer fresh. Ideal for storage:

Asparagus. It needs to be cut into even pieces, boil for 2 minutes, drain the water, cool and wait until it dries. Then seal it tightly in cling film and place it in the freezer.

Peas of milky ripeness. It keeps well fresh until spring.

Bell pepper. To prepare soups, it is recommended to cut it into small rings or cubes, place it in a thin layer on a wooden board and freeze. Then you need to collect it and store it in polyethylene in small portions. If you want to freeze it whole, be sure to cut off the tail and remove the seeds.

Cauliflower. It needs to be disassembled into inflorescences, boiled for a couple of minutes, dried and stored in a container that does not allow air to pass through.

Tomatoes should be frozen fresh. For stews and soups, cut them into slices or cubes, freeze them in a thin layer on a flat surface, and pack them in a suitable container.

Grated carrots and beets are frozen without heat treatment. If you need to prepare them in pieces, then it is better to blanch the vegetables first. Wild mushrooms need to be boiled for 20 minutes, then dried and placed in bags for storage in the freezer. Oyster mushrooms and champignons can be preserved without cooking. They should be washed, cut into slices, dried and placed in the freezer in plastic.

What berries and vegetables can be frozen for the winter, and how to do it correctly?

How to freeze?

If you need an answer on how to freeze berries for the winter in the freezer, follow simple rules. First, prepare a separate shelf in the chamber, cover it with cling film or place a wooden board. Take care of the berries, remove the stems, make sure that the fruits are not overripe. Spread them in a thin layer on the shelf and leave for 2-3 hours. During this time they will become frozen. Remove the batch, place it in a container and place it back in the freezer. Strawberries and wild strawberries can be frozen in several ways. After thawing, whole berries lose a little taste and become deformed. They are great for compotes, but they are not very pleasant to eat. To preserve the flavor, it is useful to prepare strawberry and strawberry puree.

The berries need to be washed, dried and crushed in a blender into a lush puree.

Pour the prepared mixture into a plastic container, seal tightly and freeze.

If there is not enough space in the chamber for extensive supplies, after 2-3 days you can take out the container, remove the frozen puree, cut it into portions, wrap it in several layers of cling film and fold it compactly in the freezer.

This is a proven way to freeze strawberries to make delicious desserts for children and adults. Other berries and fruits are frozen in the same way. Wonderful puree is obtained from raspberries, peaches, blueberries, and apricots. For such preparation, it is advisable to use soft, ripe fruits; they are particularly tender. Before freezing grated berries for the winter, select a suitable container. It must be sealed. Otherwise, the prepared products will quickly absorb odors and may lose their taste when in contact with air.

Do you want to know how to properly freeze lingonberries for the winter without sugar and do it in the easiest way? We offer you step-by-step instructions and some tips for storing frozen lingonberries so that they retain all their beneficial properties. Let us remind you that last time we



Ingredients:
- fresh lingonberries.




Sort out the fresh lingonberries from the garbage and place in a sieve or colander. Make sure all the berries are whole and not spoiled. In general, for freezing, it is better to take lingonberries that were picked no more than 24 hours ago, so that they are not mint. The taste and aroma are also lost until the lingonberries are processed. Rinse the berries under running cool water and leave on a sieve for 15 minutes to drain off excess water.




Take a lint-free paper or cotton towel and spread the berries on it in one layer. Leave for another 10 minutes so that as little water remains as possible. The less water, the less ice there will be after freezing. When we buy frozen lingonberries in the store, there is more ice in the package than there are berries. But it’s clear that it’s profitable for them to sell frozen water at the price of berries. And we need clean berries that can be used to decorate baked goods straight from the freezer.




Now you can do it in two ways: first freeze the berries, then package them, or first package them, then freeze them. In the first case, you need to place the lingonberries on cutting boards or flat plates and put them in the freezer. Remove after an hour and pack into bags. Use smaller bags so you only open each bag once. That is, there should be enough berries in it for one time. In the second case, we simply put the berries in a bag and freeze them. Then we don’t move anything anywhere, we leave it like that. Just label the date of freezing. Store frozen lingonberries for 12 months.




There is no need to defrost the berries before cooking. If you want to eat lingonberries with sugar, remove the bag from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for five hours. Only then open the bag and pour the berries into a plate. Lingonberries defrosted in this way will look like fresh.
You can also cook delicious things from lingonberries.

Freezing berries for the winter is a convenient and profitable way to preserve food. How to prepare and freeze berries without them becoming a block of ice? How to preserve their vitamins and valuable macro/microelements to the maximum? Useful and practical life hacks in our review.

Freezing berries for the winter: nuances

Almost all berries can be frozen.

It is best to freeze berries in 200–250 g increments. The optimal temperature is –18–23 o C.

Before freezing, sort the berries and cut off the stems. Rinse and dry.

How to choose the right berries for freezing

Always take fresh fruits, but not overripe ones. Overripe berries do not “hold” their shape; even with proper defrosting, they can “transform” into puree.

Having collected “country berries” - strawberries, raspberries, currants - you need to freeze them as quickly as possible. The less time passes from the moment of picking berries (any), the greater the likelihood of retaining all the vitamins and usefulness of the fruit.

Stickiness may indicate that the cherries are not fresh. There is no need to freeze it. If two cherries placed one next to the other do not stick together, then the berry is fresh and suitable for freezing.

Is the white coating on black/red currants, which is popularly called “powdery mildew”, harmful? - Yes. This is a dangerous fungus that can cause food poisoning. For freezing, choose glossy, shiny berries without a white coating.

To find out if a berry has been treated with chemicals, you need to dip a few raspberries or strawberries in warm water. If greasy stains appear, it means the berry has been processed.

Little tricks of choice

How to choose berries that are not treated with chemicals? There is an easy way to check. Dip a few raspberries or strawberries in warm water. If greasy stains appear, it means the berry has been processed. You can also check it the “old-fashioned way”: throw the berry up; if it falls on the surface and does not lose its shape and springs back, it means it has been processed. If it “leaves” and releases juice, there are no chemicals.

WerbeFabrik

To wash or not to wash?

A mistake many people make is that they don’t need to be washed because of their delicate texture. This opinion is often expressed regarding raspberries. But... be sure to wash the berries! By doing this, we will further protect our dishes from small berry pests and microorganisms that... do not die at low temperatures.

Keep the berries away from running water. They can become deformed and “creep”. Wash in small portions to avoid damage. It is very convenient to do this in a sieve: pour in the berries, lower the sieve into a large container of water, rinse, and let the water drain.

How to wash berries?

Wash the raspberries in a solution of 1 liter of water + 1 tablespoon of vinegar or 1 tablespoon of salt. The berry will not become sour or salty. You can wash it again in plain water.

For cherries, a stronger solution is suitable - 1.5 tbsp per 1 liter of water. Small white worms in the berries are not dangerous. Soak the cherries for 2 hours and they will float.

How to properly dry berries?

An important condition is to properly dry the berries before freezing, so that ice crystals do not build up during storage. The less moisture remains on them, the better they will freeze.

On a paper towel is a great option. But you can dry the berries with... a hairdryer. Spread it on a paper towel and blow it on “cold air” mode.

Goumbik

Storage periods and rules

At –20 o C, berries can be stored for 8 to 12 months. At –8 o C they are stored for about six months.

Jams, compotes, preserves are not a panacea for preserving vitamins. Freezing berries for the winter is a good opportunity to enjoy “pieces of summer” in the winter cold.

Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries are delicate berries; they are best stored in a container rather than in a bag. It is better to freeze currants, gooseberries, cherries, and lingonberries “dry” (open) without stems and store them in bags with a slider closure.

An important condition is tightness. So that excess moisture does not freeze out of containers and bags and additional odors do not penetrate.

Freezing berries for the winter: choosing a method

Blast freezing is a quick and simple method. You will need a container/bag. Modern freezers have a special “fast freezing” indicator.

Dry (open) method. The berries are laid out in one layer on a flat surface (plate, board) and sent to the freezer. They get it. Pour into containers or bags. After removing the air, close it with a clasp or tie it.

You can also freeze mashed berries with or without sugar. This is the so-called “raw jam”. To do this, the washed and sorted berries are placed in a bowl and sprinkled with sugar (200-300 g of sugar per 1 kg). Place in the refrigerator for several hours to cool. Then beat in a blender until smooth. Pour into plastic bottles or disposable containers and freeze. Any berry is suitable for such freezing.

Freezing berries for the winter: a few more ways

You will need several disposable plates, plastic bags and containers with lids. Place the berries in 1 layer on a disposable plate. We cover the same.

The design is only 1.5 cm high. The spacious freezer will fit a lot of them. Place one on top of the other and freeze for 3 hours.

We take it out. We cover the container with a plastic bag and pour the berries from disposable plates; they should not protrude beyond the edges of the side. Cover with a lid and place in the freezer again for 1 hour. Having pulled out the berry “bricks”, we tie the bags, first releasing the air. Place in the freezer, emptying containers and making the most of the free space in the freezer.

You can also freeze the berries in ice cube trays to use in making cocktails or adding to tea.

Place the washed and dried fruits in ice cells, fill with water and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

Remove the molds from the refrigerator and carefully squeeze the ice cubes with the berries into a plate. Then place them in containers in which the berry cubes will be stored.

Secrets of proper defrosting

No less important. Don’t want your berries to turn out broken or mashed when defrosting? No need to break them off, use a microwave or hot water.

Place the berry briquette in a storage bag in water at room temperature, not warm. So, once defrosted, the berries will retain their taste and shape.

Berries, vegetables or fruits should not be re-frozen. This means you need to immediately prepare food in portions for freezing.

Read more about how to freeze berries for the winter.