Freezing cherries for the winter: how much can be stored, how to defrost and what to do

In the summer, we are accustomed to enjoying various fruits without restrictions. But with the approach of autumn, many wonder about the freezing of fruits and berries, in the winter to use them as an additional source of vitamins. The cherry is considered to be the most suitable for long-term storage, it contains a large amount of vitamins, it perfectly preserves its taste and beneficial properties even after long-term storage in the freezer. Let's try to figure out how to freeze cherries, how much to store and how best to use.

Are useful properties preserved?

The freezing of berries in recent years has confidently supplanted traditional canning in the form of jam or compotes from the front of winter blanks. This method is popular because it not only takes less time, but also allows you to keep a maximum of nutrients in frozen foods. Many are interested in how many specific nutrients are stored when frozen. For comparison, if you store cherries at room temperature, over a day, it will lose up to 10% of ascorbic acid contained in it, and when frozen, this will happen only six months after storage. Thus, freezing the berries will retain about 100% of the vitamins in the first six months of storage and up to 90% in the next.

Cherries are rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains fructose, glucose, vitamins C, E, B, various organic acids, in particular, folic acid, useful for expectant mothers.

Eating cherries in food brings undeniable benefits to the body. It is useful for the hematopoietic system due to the pectin contained in it, ascorbic acid strengthens the walls of blood vessels and cleanses them of cholesterol plaques. Beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, very useful for hypertensive patients with its ability to lower blood pressure.

The high content of vitamin C makes cherries an indispensable aid in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases in the autumn-winter period, decoctions, compotes can be used both in children and adults.

Frozen cherries are considered a dietary, low-calorie product. Only 46 calories per 100 grams of frozen food, and how much good! Due to the high content of carbohydrates, it will be an excellent snack and provide a charge of energy. Of course, like any product, cherry is not useful to everyone. It can harm people suffering from gastritis or stomach ulcers, due to its sour juice. Also, it is not recommended to use it and allergy sufferers, because the substances contained in it, which give the fetus a red color, can cause food allergies.

Nevertheless, the benefits of frozen cherries clearly outweigh the harm, and in their qualities, they are ideal for home-made products. Freezing is the best option for its storage, while the nutrients, appearance and taste are preserved.

Preparing Cherries

In order for the cherry to please you in winter with an excellent taste and look beautiful when cooking, it is necessary to carry out its thorough preparation for freezing. Consider how to do it correctly. First of all, it is necessary to decide in what the berries will be stored. You can choose different options - regular plastic bags, special bags with a clip for freezing, plastic containers. Special packages are more often used, they take up less space than containers, and are more convenient than simple packages, since the berries are stored in one layer.

Berries should be carefully picked, thrown out damaged or too soft, remove the stalks and leaves. After that, the cherry is washed several times, first with hands, soaked in containers with water, then under running water, placed in a colander. Washed berries are laid out on paper towels to dry.

Ways to freeze

To date, there are many recipes freezing, which will preserve the maximum benefit in the berries, let's get acquainted with them.

With bones

In order for the cherry to retain the maximum amount of vitamins, it is best to freeze it with seeds, consider how to do it correctly. This is probably the easiest and fastest way. In addition, it has an undeniable advantage. Berries, frozen for the winter in this way, retain a large amount of juice, and along with it, nutrients.

Proper freeze cherries with bone:

1. Prepare the berries, sort out, carefully wash under running water, lay out on a towel to dry.
2. As soon as the berries are completely dry, lay them in a single layer in any container or just to the bottom of the freezer and freeze for about 5 hours. This is a stage of preliminary freezing, it will allow to preserve the juice and usefulness of berries as much as possible and prevent their damage during storage.
3. After 5 hours, lay the frozen cherries in pre-prepared bags or containers, tightly close and put in the freezer. The less air is in the tank, the better the product will remain.

Seedless

Frosting pitted cherries is ideal if you plan to use it for making compotes, pies, dumplings.

The process differs little from the usual freezing of whole berries.

1. We dry the washed berries, then squeeze out the bones using a special tool or an ordinary safety pin.
2. We give to drain the excess juice, for which we leave the berries for a while in a colander.
3. Carefully lay the berries in a single layer and leave in the freezer for pre-freezing.
4. Put the pre-frozen cherries in prepared containers or bags and store them in the freezer.

In sugar syrup

One of the original recipes for freezing, which will surely please the sweet tooth, - cherry frozen in sugar syrup.

1. First you need to cook sugar syrup.To do this, pour 1 liter of water into the pan and gradually add 1.5 kg of sugar, stirring slowly, bring the syrup over a slow fire to thicken and leave to cool.
2. Prepared berries laid in containers for freezing, filling them up to half, then pour the cooled sugar syrup, leave for a couple of hours at room temperature.
3. Close the containers with secure lids and put them in the freezer.

Rubbed with sugar

Another unusual method of harvesting is freezing. berries, ground with sugar. Such a delicacy is also called raw jam, only, unlike classic jam, it does not require the addition of preservatives and retains the maximum of useful substances.

1. Prepared berry peeled, mince, mix with sugar in a ratio of 1: 1.
2. Pour the mixture into containers, cover and store in the freezer.

How long is stored

Frozen fruits are stored, as a rule, from season to season, that is, 1 year. This rule applies to the storage of frozen cherries. If you freeze it correctly, even after a year the berries will still be edible, but they significantly reduce the level of vitamins, and they simply cease to be beneficial.

How to defrost

We familiarized with the basic rules of freezing, but it turns out that improper defrosting can not only spoil the appearance, but also significantly reduce the content of useful substances in the product. How to properly defrost the cherry? Like any frozen product, it does not like quick defrosting and sudden temperature changes, so it is thawed gradually - first left in the refrigerator until it is completely thawed and only then brought to room temperature.

What can you cook

Cherries are not only a source of various vitamins and trace elements, but also a tasty dietary product. In frozen form, it retains its beneficial properties and appearance, which is always important when used in cooking. Frozen cherries are used in many culinary masterpieces.

The most popular and win-win option - bakery products. It can be a charlotte with cherries, dumplings, cottage cheese casserole with cherry filling, pies, twirls, puff buns. For baking, it is best to use berries without stones or in sugar syrup.

You can make excellent compotes, kissels, decoctions from frozen cherries, they increase the overall immunity of the body and have a tonic effect, which is especially valuable during the period of winter colds. And rubbed with sugar, it is almost ready fruit drink, you only need to dilute with boiled water to taste. So, we came to the conclusion that cherry is a very useful product, we learned how to freeze it at home, and we can safely assume that it will delight you with its summer taste and aroma even in the harshest winter.