How to freeze plums for the winter in the freezer at home and is it possible

To enjoy the taste of fragrant berries in winter, you can not only preserve them in the traditional way, but also freeze them. This method of storage is becoming increasingly popular because of its simplicity and accessibility. Plums are not only delicious, but also a very he althy berry. These fruits contain extremely useful dietary fiber, as well as acids, minerals, vitamins A, B, E necessary for the human body. It lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and also helps to eliminate heavy metals from the body. It helps to normalize the work of the intestines, and also strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

Canning is a rather laborious process. Freezing is easier and more convenient. There are several ways to properly freeze a plum, while retaining all the beneficial properties. How to do it right to get the maximum benefit?

Features of freezing plums for the winter

Properly frozen plum perfectly preserves not only the aroma and appetizing appearance, but also all the useful substances contained in the fruit.

To properly freeze it, you need to follow a few basic rules:

You can freeze plums with or without pits, as well as in sugar, syrup or vacuum packaging. In this way, you can save not only fresh fruits, but also prunes.
Freeze in small portions for ease of use.
During the pre-freezing process, the fruits should be in a container or on a dish in one layer to avoid damage.

It is also recommended to remove the bags on the second day to completely remove the air from them, and then put them back in the freezer.

Preparing the product for freezing

Freezing plums, like prunes, is a simple matter. But it is very important to properly prepare the berries. Fruits must be selected only whole, cracked or spoiled should be removed. They need to be thoroughly washed and then dried. For freezing fruits, plastic bags with or without a slider (special fastener) are suitable, as well as various containers made of food-grade plastic.

Preparing the freezer

The freezer compartment of the refrigerator where the berries will be stored should first be washed and dried well. Enough space should be left in it so that the fruits can be placed for the first few hours for the initial freezing in one layer.

It is worth considering where exactly the product will be stored. Food with a strong smell, such as meat, fish or seafood, should not be placed near plums in the refrigerator.

How to freeze plums at home

Various recipes for preserving goodies for the winter can be found on the Web in the public domain. Next, we will talk about the most famous methods.

With bone

This is the least expensive method as there is no need to peel the berries. Washed and dried whole fresh plums should be laid out on a tray so that the berries almost do not touch, then sent to the freezer for several hours. This is done so that they do not deform when frozen.

After 3-4 hours, the plums are taken out and transferred to prepared containers or bags and returned to the freezer.

Stoneless

If pitted fruits are to be frozen, then they are washed first, dried with a towel, and then the pit is removed. Berries should be fresh and firm.

In this case, it is better to give preference to those varieties in which it is removed without difficulty - the preparation process will be better and faster.

Halfs of fruit should be laid out in one layer on a dish, covered with cling film and sent to the freezer. They should lie in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Plums need to be placed at a small distance from each other so that they do not touch.

Then, the hardened fruits must be put into bags or containers for freezing and sent to the freezer for long-term storage. It is preferable to freeze the fruits of the Hungarian variety.

Slices

Can also be frozen in slices. In this case, the fruits are also washed, dried, the stone is removed from them, and the flesh is cut into slices with a sharp knife so as not to cause damage. Further, the process is the same as freezing pitted plums.

In sugar

There is also a way to freeze these berries in sugar. For such storage, the selected berries should be washed, allowed to dry or blotted with a towel to remove excess moisture.

A small number of slices or halves are put into a freezer dish, a small amount of sugar is poured.

This is done until the container is fully loaded. For 1 kg of fruit, 200 grams of sugar or powdered sugar will be required.

If you intend to store plums in bags instead of containers in the future, then you should proceed as follows:

spread the prepared fruits on a dish or tray so that they do not touch;
sprinkle berries with sugar or powder;
send the berries to freeze for 3-4 hours in the chamber;
after this time, transfer the frozen plums to prepared dishes and return to the freezer;
remove frozen berries from the freezer, put them in bags and return to the camera for further storage.

In syrup

For this freezing option, not only selected, but also slightly overripe berries are suitable. First, the syrup is made. To prepare it, you should take 800 grams of sugar for every liter of water. If the berries are very sweet, then you can add one teaspoon of lemon juice to this amount of water and sugar. If the berries are not too sweet, then you can do without it. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring lightly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Then the syrup should be cooled. When it has completely cooled down, you need to fill it with plums prepared and placed in suitable containers and send it to the freezer for storage.

It should be remembered that plums do not need to be packed too tightly and fill containers to the very top, because the liquid will increase in volume when frozen.Properly frozen fruits will please the whole family in the future.

In a vacuum

Dense and fleshy fruits are suitable for freezing, but even overripe berries can be used in some methods. Vacuum-packed plum also keeps well at low temperatures. To freeze fruits in this way, you need a special device - a vacuum cleaner. The plum is frozen and stored in special bags.

Frozen food storage

Frozen plums can be stored at -10 for up to six months. If the temperature is lower (within -19 degrees), then the shelf life will be longer - up to 9 months.

You can put a piece of paper in a bag or container with frozen plums, on which the date of freezing is recorded. This will help determine which fruits to use first.

Rules for defrosting plums

The frozen delicacy can be used in the preparation of various fillings in confectionery, in the preparation of drinks, baby food, and also in its pure form.

To preserve all the useful properties, as well as the appearance, you should defrost following some recommendations:

do it only in a natural way. You can not defrost the berries in warm water or in the microwave, the berries in this case will be hopelessly spoiled;
after defrosting, a small amount of liquid will appear in the container. It can be drained into a separate bowl and then used;
if the plums have been thawed, they should be used. There is no need to freeze them a second time.