How to freeze raspberries for the winter in the refrigerator at home

The summer season allows you to saturate the body with useful trace elements and vitamins. At this time, there are many fresh berries that are beneficial. Unfortunately, in winter, it is either difficult to find fresh berries, or they are not affordable. You can solve the problem by preparing them in the form of compotes and jams, however, this option is not very attractive either. Raspberry jam, during heat treatment, loses two-thirds of its benefits. Experts recommend freezing the product fresh. The main thing is to know how to freeze raspberries properly.

Features of freezing raspberries for the winter

When preparing raspberries for freezing, be sure to take into account the storage location of the product.If you have a large refrigerator or a separate freezer, this is not a problem. It is enough to put the berries in a separate container and put it away from meat and fish products that have a strong smell. If the refrigerator is small, you need to choose the container more carefully. It must have a tight-fitting lid. Such containers can be found in any hardware store.

It is also better to defrost and wash the freezer beforehand to remove odors.

Can be used for storage and plastic bags that have a special fastener. This will allow you to pack the berries in small portions that can be used immediately after harvesting. This will make it possible to exclude secondary freezing, after which a significant part of the vitamins is lost. In addition, a large number of raspberries can lose their shape under their own weight before they freeze.

Product selection and preparation

To get dry raspberries after defrosting, and not a sticky mass covered with a layer of ice, you need to know the rules of this process:

1. You need to choose for freezing only freshly picked, whole berries, without defects and damage. This is an important circumstance that must be observed.
2. The collected raw materials should be carefully sorted out, putting aside the crushed and rotten berries, as well as removing the leaves and other debris that got there. If the raspberries are not too clean, it is better to wash them carefully.
3. To remove insects, raspberries need to be soaked for 15 minutes in s alted water at room temperature. After the time has elapsed, remove the debris with a slotted spoon, and rinse the raspberries several times to remove the s alt.
4. Processed raspberries should be dried on a cotton towel to absorb excess moisture. For freezing use only dry berries. The container must also be clean and dry.

It is best to initially freeze the raspberries in one layer, carefully spreading it on a special board so that the berries do not touch each other. Cover with cling film on top and send to the freezer for several hours. When they are frozen, they are transferred to prepared containers.

Many advise to abandon the packages, although it is convenient, and use small containers, as raspberries are quite fragile. If the choice is made in favor of this method of storage, then you need to put them in a separate place in the top layer.

It is important that freezing occurs at a temperature not higher than minus 18 °C. This so-called deep freezing allows you to save all the useful properties of the product for a year.

How to freeze raspberries at home

The main thing when freezing is to avoid mistakes. To do this, you need to carefully study the entire harvesting process:

1. It is not recommended to use overripe raspberries for freezing. She will sap and spread.
2. Berries prepared for freezing must first be cooled for several minutes in the refrigerator or in a draft. Otherwise, condensation will form, and in the freezer they will be covered with a layer of ice.
3. When dry freezing, you can not wash raspberries. Best used for purees or desserts.
4. At temperatures below 18 ° C, all harmful bacilli and bacteria die, so do not be afraid that unwashed berries will be dangerous after defrosting.
5. For convenience, it is better to use small flat containers with a lid. They will fit a little product. It is worth remembering that you can not fill the container to the very lid. It is better to leave a small gap between the lid and the product.

The ideal option would be to choose plastic containers. Glassware can burst, and iron can oxidize. The minimum freezing temperature is -18-22 °C, the maximum is up to -40 °C. Let's take a closer look at the different types of freezing.

Whole berry

To freeze raspberries without boiling, the berries are sorted and prepared as described above. Wash and dry if necessary. Laying fresh raspberries on a board or flat surface, put them in the freezer. After a few hours, they are laid out in prepared containers and sent for storage.

Whole raspberries with sugar

Usually this method is used if the berry is very ripe and juicy. The basic steps are the same as for normal freezing. The difference is that each layer is sprinkled with sugar.

Raspberry Puree

To get mashed potatoes, grind raspberries with a blender or mortar. Usually the bones are not removed, as they are small and almost not felt. The ratio of berries and sugar is 1:3. The composition is poured into containers and sent to the freezer.If stored in the refrigerator, the period is six months.

Pitted raspberry puree

To get pitted puree, it is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe, but additionally rubbed through a colander. The finished product is stored in the freezer.

Sugar free

Sugar Free Frozen Raspberries are a great nutritional supplement for he alth conscious people. The berries pre-prepared in the classical way are packed in bags or containers and sent for storage. It is even better to freeze raspberries with other berries, resulting in he althy vitamin mixes that are nice to eat in winter.

In a container

Preparation in containers is an ideal option that allows you to save all the vitamins and useful properties in the berries. The main thing is to prepare the berry correctly. You can put whole raspberries and puree in containers.

With sugar

Collected berries must be properly prepared, add sugar in the proportion: a glass per kilogram of raspberries and mix gently without violating their integrity. Pack the resulting product in containers or bags and send it to the refrigerator or freezer.

Further storage

To get the maximum benefit from the prepared product, you need to know how long it is stored in the freezer without losing its qualities:

1. If the storage temperature is within -18 °C, the shelf life is one year.
2. Higher temperatures, down to -15°C, reduce shelf life to six months.
3. Storage temperature -12°C means that you need to eat the product within three months.

Also keep in mind that whole berries keep slightly longer than pureed berries.

Rules for defrosting berries

Adhering to the following recommendations, you can eliminate many errors during defrosting:

1. It is better to freeze freshly picked berries, they have a lot more nutrients.
2. Refrigerate the raspberries to keep their shape. It will not go sour after defrosting.
3. Make puree with a wooden spoon or spatula. This will avoid oxidation from the metal.
4. Tare should be small to use its volume immediately after defrosting.
5. You need to defrost the product in the refrigerator. This will preserve the integrity and flavor of the fruit.
6. Re-freezing is excluded. With it, the berries lose two-thirds of their useful qualities.

To enjoy raspberries in the winter, you just need to learn some rules for freezing this berry and strictly follow them.

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