How to store fresh blackberries: preparation of berries, timing and harvesting rules

This shrub brings a harvest 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.

Preparation of berries

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

How to properly store fresh blackberries

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

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

It is advisable to place containers with blackberries in the part of the refrigerator where the temperature does not exceed zero. In this case, the shelf life of fresh fruits reaches one week.

If you want the shelf life to be longer, blackberries are beaten with sugar. Before that, it must first be cleaned of ponytails. This treatment allows you to extend the shelf life up 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-process blackberries. It should be borne in mind that these berries, being plucked unripe, remain so in the future. They are able to ripen only by remaining on the branch. Therefore, when harvesting, they pay attention only to fully prepared fruits.

Their preparation for storage is 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 fruit. Those that are dented or damaged are not suitable for storage - they should be put aside.
3. Although there is a high risk of damage when washing, it must be done. It is recommended to use not a strong stream from the tap, but a very weak one or rinse using a shower.
4. In order for the moisture of the glass, you need to put the washed fruits in a colander and wait a while.
5. You need to carefully examine and cut off the tails from them. It is necessary to do this very carefully and not allow the berries to burst.
6. Prepared berries must be laid out in one layer on napkins and wait for complete drying.

Blackberries can be frozen. When stored this way, it is able to retain its flavor and nutrients well.

Two methods can be used for freezing.

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

1. Prepare a large dish (like a dish) and put 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. The frozen blackberries are then poured into specially prepared containers or suitable plastic bags.
4. In this form, they are put back in the freezer, where they will be stored in the future.

When carrying out such processing, the fruits freeze qualitatively, while they will not stick together.

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

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

With the second method of freezing, fruits are placed in the refrigerator immediately, skipping the fast pre-freezing stage. This procedure is performed in this way:

1. Prepared as described above, the berry is placed in small bags. At the same time, it is important to consider that the size must be selected in such a way that the contents can be eaten in one meal.
2. 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 appointed time for freezing has passed, it will be necessary to check the condition of the berries - to see if they are well frozen.
4. Now the bags and containers must be closed, then you need to shake them and put them back.

In the freezer, the shelf life is one year. This period is not the limit, since blackberries in this state can be stored for some time. However, it would be more reasonable in this case to store the berries of a fresh harvest.

Drying blackberries

Dried according to all the rules, the berry can be stored for a two-year period. 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, choose fully ripe blackberries.
2. Before carrying out the drying procedure, preliminary preparation of the material is necessary. The berries are lightly dried by keeping in direct sunlight for two or three days.
3. When holding blackberries in the sun, cover the berries with gauze. This is important to protect the product from midges and other insects.

After that, the blackberries are dried.

In the oven

Berries, previously dried in the sun, should be placed on baking sheets and put in the oven. The drying procedure will take four or five hours. After that, 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 the electric dryer

Pre-dried berries should be placed loosely on the wire rack and placed in an electric dryer. They are kept for 12 hours. After the end of the procedure, they are poured into containers and stored in a dry and dark place.

Storage of grated 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 done in this way:

1. 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 ratio of one to one).
3. The resulting mixture must be stirred and rubbed with a pusher. Some grind blackberries with sugar through a meat grinder.
4. The composition that was received is left in a cool place for 12 hours. During this time, the mashed blackberries will infuse.
5. Now the mixture is stirred one more time, and then placed in jars, where it will be further stored. 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 nutrition will last for a year or more.

Dried blackberries

For cooking you need:

1. Take ripe berries and lay them out, sprinkled 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 drained into jars and saved.
3. Prepare sugar syrup: take 350 g of sugar for 200 g of water. Place the blackberries in it and simmer for 10 minutes on the fire without boiling.
4. Cold syrup should be drained.
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 that must be placed in the refrigerator.

Shelf life

Fresh berries can be stored 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.

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