Good day to all!

• freeze cherries with pits,
• freeze pitted cherries.

How to freeze cherries with pits for the winter.

In the summer, at the height of the berry season, there is so little time! All the berries ripen quickly, right after each other. We didn’t even have time to roll it up, but the cherries were already ripe. The easiest way to prepare cherries is to freeze cherries with pits.

To do this, rinse the berries, drain the water or scatter them on a towel to dry them, then put them in bags or special containers and put them in the freezer. Just containers or bags need to be tightly closed.

The method of freezing cherries with pits is good if you make compote from cherries in winter or just eat the berries. You can freeze berries with tails, then you can decorate dishes with them.

In the same way, you can freeze any other berries - currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, wild strawberries, blueberries. Wash it, pour it into a container and into the freezer. All vitamins are retained to the maximum.

If you want to freeze cherries so that they can be quickly used for filling pies or dumplings, it is better to use the method of freezing pitted cherries.

How to freeze pitted cherries for the winter.

I prefer to freeze pitted cherries. That's how appetizing and tasty it is!

In this case, in winter it is enough to take the berries out of the freezer, slightly defrost them, and you can add them to the oven, my favorite, make dumplings, add to champagne, milkshakes. And just eating these cherries is delicious.

So, the cherries need to be washed and allowed to drain. Then we take out the bones with an ordinary pin. It is better to wear thin medical rubber gloves on your hands, because cherry juice is difficult to wash off your hands and nails.

Sprinkle pitted cherries with sugar. For 1 liter of cherries, 2-4 tbsp is enough. l. Sahara. You can freeze without sugar, but when the berries are sprinkled with sugar, they will become sweeter and tastier during storage.

For freezing, I use either ready-made plastic containers or juice or milk boxes.

The boxes must be opened, washed well and filled with berries. Square and rectangular packages are convenient to place in the freezer - they fit tightly to each other and save space in the freezer. And packaging recycling is possible.

They are just the right height for me in the freezer compartment. But just in case, check. If liter packages are too tall, use half-liter or ready-made freezer containers.

We will eat frozen cherries in the winter, bake pies with them and make compotes, but in the summer we will prepare salads from fresh vegetables and fruits.

Take away - An exclusive collection of salads for beauty and health that help you lose weight.

You know how to freeze cherries for the winter, now it’s up to you to decide whether you do it with or without pits. In any case, it will be tasty and healthy! If you liked this method of preparing berries, share it on social networks. Buttons under the article.

And as a farewell, I offer a video on how to make pitted cherry jam from my friend Elena Mak.

In the summer, when there is an abundance of berries and fruits, everyone tries to replenish their body with vitamins, often buying raspberries, currants, strawberries, and cherries. You can also prepare them for future use in the form of jam or fresh frozen berries. Frozen cherries are very popular among housewives, as they are not only tasty, but also very healthy, because when frozen, all the nutrients remain intact in the berries.

Useful properties of cherries

• Cherry fruits contain glucose, fructose, vitamins A, C, PP, citric and malic acid, tannins, as well as copper, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
• Cherry has an expectorant, antiseptic, and laxative effect.
• Cherry improves digestion, appetite, and quenches thirst.
• Cherry decoction (the same compote) has a calming effect on the nervous system.
• Cherry fruits with milk are useful for arthritis.

Warning. Cherry seeds contain amygdalin glycoside, which can cause poisoning because, once in the intestines, it releases hydrocyanic acid. This must be taken into account when preparing cherries with pits for future use.

How to prepare cherries for freezing

Cherries are harvested in dry but cool weather. It is carefully removed from the tree using ladders or stepladders. To prevent the cherry from spoiling and starting to ferment, it cannot be left for a long time without further processing.

• The cherries are cleared of debris and leaves, the stalks are torn off, while removing wormy and dried berries.
• Then the berries must be washed, thereby protecting yourself and your loved ones from possible infection with an intestinal infection. The berries are placed in small portions in a colander and washed under running water. You can also put the berries in a basin and, sorting them with your hands, wash them.
• Then the berries are placed on sieves or left in a colander and wait until the water has completely drained.

Clean berries are ready to be frozen. Cherries are frozen with pits, without pits, in sugar, without sugar, in syrup.

How to freeze cherries with pits

• The washed cherries are poured onto paper towels for final drying.
• Then the dry berries are laid out in one layer on a tray so that they do not touch each other, and placed in the freezer for several hours.
• As soon as the cherries have hardened, they are taken out of the freezer and poured into dry, clean plastic containers with lids prepared in advance.
• Then the berries are placed in the freezer for permanent storage, without fear of them sticking together or releasing juice.

Pre-frozen cherries can be placed in small plastic bags made of cling film. The bags must be durable so that they do not break during storage. Otherwise, the berries, if they are next to frozen meat, fish or bell peppers, will absorb foreign odors. Ideally, of course, it is recommended to store berries separately from other foods, but in practice - in the absence of large refrigerators - this is problematic.

If cherries are frozen for compote, then after drying the berries can be immediately placed in containers. Even if the berries stick together a little, this will not greatly affect the quality of the finished dish.

Cherries can be immediately placed in thick food-grade plastic bags, but packed in small batches (for one recipe) so as not to defrost all the berries, since frozen products cannot be re-frozen.

How to freeze pitted cherries

Very often, frozen cherries are used as a filling for pies or for making sweet desserts. In this case, it is better to freeze the cherries without pits, because after defrosting, removing the pits will be problematic.

• Pits are removed from clean and dried cherries, trying to ensure that the berries lose as little juice as possible.
• Then the berries are placed in a colander or on a sieve and wait until the juice drains.
• Then the berries are laid out in a single layer on trays and placed in the freezer for pre-freezing.
• When the berries have hardened, they are poured from the trays into plastic containers, tightly closed and put back into the freezer for further storage.

How to freeze cherries in sugar

Washed and dried cherries with pits are placed in containers, sprinkled with sugar in layers, and placed in the freezer for freezing.

Pitted cherries are sprinkled with sugar after the juice has drained from the berries. These berries are also stored in well-closed plastic containers.

How to freeze cherries in sugar syrup

Cherries can be frozen in sugar syrup.

• First, boil the syrup at the rate of 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water. The syrup is cooled.
• Clean berries are placed in plastic containers and filled with syrup to two-thirds of the height, since the syrup will increase in volume when frozen and take up the remaining space.
• Filled containers are kept at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
• Cover with lids and put in the freezer.

If stored properly, any frozen cherries will not lose their beneficial qualities throughout the year.

How to defrost cherries

No matter what form the cherries are frozen in, they cannot be subjected to rapid defrosting, because in this case many useful substances are lost, and the appearance of the product is significantly deteriorated.

Therefore, frozen cherries need to be transferred from the freezer to the refrigerator and left there until completely thawed.

In the summer, be sure to prepare the most fragrant berry - cherries - for the winter if you have a spacious freezer. I will show you several ways to freeze it, from which on cool days you can make compote or jam, create aromatic pies or desserts, cakes, and make dumplings with cherries. During the ripening season, this berry is cheap, and for many it grows in the garden, so you definitely need to take some free time and freeze the cherries for the winter, so as not to buy them from resellers at exorbitant prices!

In our region, the most popular and juiciest cherry variety is Shpanka, many call it Cherry Noodle because of the mixing of cherry aroma and the juiciness of cherries.

So, pick, purchase fresh berries and let's start freezing cherries for the winter!

Peel the cherries from the cuttings, pour into a deep basin or bowl, cover with cold water and leave for 1-2 hours. This is done so that their inhabitants, if any, come out of the berries.

Then drain the water and rinse the berries several times. Divide the entire mass into 3 parts. Leave one as it is, remove the seeds from the other two by hand or with a special machine or pin.

Place half of the purified mass into the bowl of a blender or food processor.

Puree for 2 minutes.

Place the cherries with pits in a separate bag - you will need them in winter for creating aromatic compotes. Pitted cherries - also in a separate bag. The blank can be used to create pies, dumplings, buns, added to desserts, cakes, etc. Pour the cherry puree into a container for freezing or into plastic containers - it can be added to porridges, casseroles, made into fruit drinks, teas, etc. Tie or seal bags or containers carefully. Place them in the freezer. Freezing cherries for the winter is complete.

Have you collected a large harvest of cherries and don’t know what to do with them? Or do you just love this berry and want to eat it all year round? The best way to preserve it is to freeze it. This way, most of the vitamins that are found in fresh fruits just picked from the tree will remain in it. Today we will talk about how to freeze cherries for the winter.

Some people doubt whether cherries can be frozen. Someone may quite rightly fear that the result will not be the best: the berries will lose their taste, shape, or even turn into mush. Of course, thawed cherries will differ from fresh berries, but if all freezing conditions are met, these differences will be so insignificant that you will hardly notice them.

Preparing the Freezer

To make you happy with the result, you need to prepare the freezer before freezing the cherries. Adjust the temperature: berries should be stored at minus 18-23 degrees. Make room in the compartment for pre-freezing fruits: there should be no other products there (especially those that have a specific smell). This is primarily due to the fact that cherries absorb surrounding aromas when frozen. In addition, the tray on which the berries will lie must be level so that they do not roll off or stick to each other.

Of course, standard cleaning must be done in the freezer: the drawers must be clean, without pieces of snow and ice on the walls.

Consider the container in which you plan to store the cherries - the space that needs to be freed up for the berries depends on this.

Methods for freezing cherries at home

There are different options for freezing cherries yourself. When making a choice in favor of any of them, be based on personal preferences and the purposes for using the frozen product. For example, berries with seeds are unlikely to be suitable for baking, but will be an excellent option for compote.

With sugar

Cherries frozen in this way completely retain their flavor. They are perfect for making pies, dumplings and other baked goods; sugar berries can also be added to desserts. Such cherries need to be stored only in a container.

Place the prepared seedless fruits in one layer on the bottom of the container. Add sugar and compact lightly. Repeat layers as long as there is room left. Sugar must remain at the top. Once the container is filled, close it with an airtight lid and immediately store it in the freezer.

With a bone

This is the easiest way to prepare red berries for the winter. Place the prepared berries on a tray lined with cling film. Make sure they don't touch each other's arcs. Carefully place the tray in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Send containers or bags there for storage.

After this time, remove the fruits from the freezer and quickly pour the berries into the prepared cooled container. Remove as much air as possible from the bags, and close the containers with airtight lids. If you act correctly, you will get an excellent preparation of whole berries, which can later be used when cooking compote. Containers or bags need to be cooled so that the cherries do not melt when exposed to heat.

Pitted

Despite the simplicity of the previous method, it is better to freeze pitted cherries. If you freeze whole berries, then most likely you will still need to get the seeds, and it is much easier to do this with fresh fruits.

First, remove the seeds from the prepared berries. Place the cherries in a single layer on a tray so that they are not touching each other and let them sit for a while. Then place in the freezer for a few hours for initial freezing. Don’t forget that the container also needs to be cooled. After the specified time has passed, remove the cherries, transfer them to containers or a storage bag and send them for final freezing.

Such berries are more versatile: they can be used for baking, desserts, compotes, and can also be eaten as an independent dish.

In sugar syrup

Ingredients:

• sugar – 3 kilograms;
• water – 2 liters;
• cherry.

Cooking method.

Mix sugar with water and cook until it boils so that the grains dissolve. After this, cool the syrup. Place the prepared pitted cherries into containers and pour the resulting syrup over them. Leave to infuse at room temperature for a couple of hours. After this, close the containers (be sure to use airtight containers) and place them in the freezer for storage.

For cocktails

If you like to drink cocktails and you like to decorate them beautifully, then this type of freezing berries is for you.

Ingredients:

• water;
• mint;
• cherry.

Preparation.

Place a mint leaf in ice cube trays. Add one berry at a time and cover with water. Place in the freezer until completely frozen. After preparation, you can take out the pieces of ice with fruit and put them into bags for storage.

Cherry puree

Grind the prepared cherries to a mushy state using a blender or meat grinder. If desired, you can add a little sugar. The main thing here is not to overdo it. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into small containers. Keep in mind that the product cannot be re-frozen, so try to use its own container for each serving. Cover with a lid and freeze.

If you use puree as a pie filling, you don’t even have to defrost it. Just remove the bar from the container - in the oven it will melt on its own and release the juice.

Is it possible to can frozen cherries?

The answer to this question is unequivocal - it is possible. The only thing that can influence the decision to preserve frozen berries is their possible deformation after thawing. There are no other restrictions. From this we can conclude that freezing these fruits is the best option for harvesting for the winter. Indeed, it is no longer possible to freeze compote or jam, but you can make preserves from frozen cherries if you wish.

Further storage

For storing berries, special vacuum bags with a zipper or airtight containers are best suited. This way you can achieve a minimum amount of air, which negatively affects the safety of the fruit. Plus, you won't have to worry about syrup or puree spilling and dirtying the freezer.

Of course, you can use regular containers or plastic bags. But in this case, you need to ensure that the surface where the cherries will be stored is level and the bags are carefully tied. Be sure to check the presence of air in the container.

How long do frozen berries last?

If all storage conditions are met, cherries should be consumed within a year. Particular attention should be paid to whole berries frozen with pits. Unfortunately, over time, the seeds release hydrocyanic acid, which is extremely unhealthful for any person. For this reason, it is better to consume such fruits as soon as possible.

Don't forget to sign the date of packaging. You should not rely on your memory, especially if this is not the only preparation for the winter. Thanks to this inscription, you will not miss the deadline by which you need to use the product.

Defrosting rules

It turns out that defrosting cherries is not always necessary. For example, if you cook compote or plan to use it in baking (with the exception of sponge cakes and casseroles), you can take frozen berries. When adding fruit to most desserts, defrosting is also not required.

Unlike perishable fresh berries, frozen ones retain their aroma and taste for 3 years. They help housewives a lot in winter, when they really want juicy and bright pastries and summer desserts. We will tell you whether you need to defrost berries when preparing different dishes and how to do it correctly.

If you defrost the berries correctly, they will not lose their appetizing appearance.

Where are frozen berries used?

At any time of the year, frozen vegetables and fruits can be purchased at the supermarket. In industrial conditions, berries are harvested using shock freezing. If stored properly in the store, the fruits do not lose their shape and have the same color and taste as fresh ones.

If you wish, you can prepare berries for future use using the freezer yourself. The most popular among housewives are strawberries, cherries, blueberries, currants, and raspberries.

Berries frozen at sub-zero temperatures (–18–23 degrees) are suitable for consumption for 8–12 months. At temperatures from 0 to –8 degrees – no more than 3 months.

You can make jelly, fruit drinks and compotes from frozen berries. They are used as a component of dairy and alcoholic drinks, smoothies. They serve as the basis for creating berry creams, sauces, mousses, and jellies.

Frozen berries are ideal for ice cream and sorbet. They can be used to stuff dumplings, pancakes, muffins, pies, pies, and cottage cheese casseroles. However, thawed fruits are not suitable for decorating cakes and desserts. They don't look appetizing in fruit salads either.

How to defrost berries in different ways

Without defrosting, the fruits are placed in compotes and porridges during cooking. When semi-thawed, they can be ground in a blender for smoothies, fruit drinks or cocktails. You can prepare jelly only from melted products, otherwise it will not harden.

Should I defrost berries before baking? If you put the fruits in the pie as is, there is a high probability that they will leak a lot. On the other hand, defrosted berries in baked goods lack juiciness. You can get out of this situation by mixing frozen fruits with two tablespoons of starch. During baking, the thickener will absorb all the excess berry juice and prevent it from leaking out of the pie.

There is no need to defrost the berries before baking if you add a little starch to them

To defrost berries you can:

• place in a closed container in cold water for 10 minutes;
• Place on a plate in a single layer, after laying down paper towels;
• Place in a tightly closed bag under cold running water;
• transfer to the main compartment of the refrigerator for 6 hours.