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Cloudberry is a healthy northern berry that grows in the tundra and Arctic Circle of our country. In order for it to bring maximum benefit and reveal its nutritional properties, it is not enough to collect it correctly - it must also be preserved according to all the rules. Not all lovers of delicious vitamins know how to store cloudberries, and most importantly, how to transport them without spoiling them.
Cloudberry harvest time
First of all, the product must be collected on time. The berry should be slightly unripe, especially if it needs to be transported over long distances. Collection times may vary by region. On average, the optimal harvest period for storing cloudberries for the winter is July-August. If you miss this period, the berries will be overripe and will not be able to be transported.
How to properly store cloudberries
For storage, strong specimens without bruises or oozing juice are selected. It is better if the berry is strong and whole. This way you can save it for as long as possible.It is optimal to leave it fresh, because the less it is processed, the more beneficial properties it will retain.
How long can cloudberries be stored?
Storage periods depend on the method chosen for storage. Frozen berries can stay in the freezer all winter, and even for more than one year, but after defrosting they cannot be frozen again. A product made using cooking will keep well in the basement for a couple of years, but a fresh product will last no more than a week in the refrigerator. If the fruits are collected overripe, the shelf life is reduced to several hours.
How to preserve cloudberries for the winter without cooking
You can preserve cloudberries for the winter in the form of jam or jam, but most housewives prefer not to treat vitamins with heat so that they are better preserved. Therefore, there are several basic ways to store cloudberries without subjecting them to heat treatment.
First of all, this is fresh storage, but this method does not allow you to preserve the crop for a long time. Honey or granulated sugar are also used as preservatives. Another common method is in your own juice.
How to keep cloudberries fresh
Fresh untreated berries can last up to three months. To do this, it must be poured into clean, sterilized jars. You should first sort out and wash.
In jars, it is recommended to crush or compact the berries a little. After filling the container, place a moistened piece of gauze on top and cover the jar with a nylon lid.
The berries packed in a jar must be placed in a dark and cool room. For three months, fresh vitamins will always be at hand.
If you place the berries on a plate and cover with cling film, you can store cloudberries fresh in the refrigerator for a week.
How to preserve cloudberries in sugar
To keep cloudberries fresh and with sugar, you will need to take a kilogram of fruit and granulated sugar. A third of the sand should be left, and the rest should be mixed with the berries in a blender. Pour the resulting mixture into sterilized glass jars and cover with the remaining sugar.
Cover with nylon lids. Store in a basement or cellar. In an apartment, you can store it on the balcony, as long as it is cool and dark there.
How to preserve cloudberries in honey
If the fruits are not ripe, an excellent method for storing cloudberries is to pour them with honey. You will need half a liter of honey per liter jar of berries.
The harvest needs to be sorted and washed. Then carefully pour layers into a sterilized jar. This is done as follows: a small layer of raw materials, 4 tablespoons of honey on top. And so on until the jar is full. The last layer should be honey.
Cover with a nylon lid and place in a cool place for storage. It is convenient to store cloudberries this way for the winter, but expensive, since honey is not a cheap pleasure. But the benefits of the final product in winter, at the peak of colds, are invaluable.
How to preserve cloudberries in their own juice
This is a unique recipe that helps preserve a storehouse of vitamins for a long time without losing nutritional properties. The berries need to be washed and sorted out of debris. And also remove sepals and twigs. Pour raw materials into jars in layers. Sprinkle granulated sugar between layers of berries. Sprinkle 2 tbsp onto a 2 cm layer of berries. spoons of sugar.After filling the jar, sugar must be poured so that it lies in a heap, and only then cover with pre-boiled lids.
The jars should stand in this form for about 5 hours for the berries to release juice.
The next step is to sterilize the jars of product in a saucepan for 15 minutes. Then roll it up and wrap it in a blanket.
Freezing cloudberries for the winter
Freezing is considered the best way to preserve all the vitamins and nutrients in raw materials. To make the process as simple and problem-free as possible, it is necessary to properly prepare the product.
For freezing, select whole, unspoiled berries without signs of disease or bruising. Then it must be washed and dried. You need to freeze in bags where the berries will lie in one layer. One package should contain a single serving, since defrosting and re-freezing have a bad effect on appearance and nutritional properties.
In addition to freezing as a whole, freezing in the form of purees is also used. To do this, washed and sorted fruits are crushed in a blender and 250 g of sugar are added per kilogram of raw material. In this form, the puree is frozen.
Storing unripe cloudberries
Unripe raw materials do not release juice as actively, and therefore are easier to transport. From unripe raw materials you can make jam, as well as jam. Many people use an old recipe and prepare soaked berries. They can be stored for several years. You can lay the berries on the windowsill and let them ripen.
The only recipe that is not very suitable for unripe berries is in their own juice. Cloudberry berries can be preserved for the winter in their own juice only if they are fully ripe and can release this juice.
Cloudberry preparations for the winter
From the beautiful northern berry you can prepare a whole range of delicious preparations that will be stored for a long time. First of all, drying is applied. You can dry it in the oven, as well as in an electric oven. Storing and harvesting cloudberries is similar to storing and harvesting its relative, raspberries.
In addition to drying, you can make jam, as well as jam or confiture. Jelly is made using gelatin.
For lovers of vitamin drinks, there are numerous recipes for compotes made from northern berries of varying degrees of sweetness and taste.
How to transport cloudberries over a long distance
The royal product grows in the north of our country, and therefore people often travel for it by train from other regions. In this case, the question arises about the safety of raw materials during transportation. If the distance is long, then it is recommended to collect unripe berries: they will not leak juice, will retain their integrity, and will also ripen on the way. This is especially true if the berries are being transported for sale.
How to bring cloudberries on the train
It can be too hot on the train, so there are two ways to transport raw materials. You can use special cooler bags and put the berries there so that they freeze slightly and reach home in this form. If there is no rescue bag, simply sprinkle the berries with sugar and cover tightly. To do this you will need jars or a saucepan with a lid. In this form, the cloudberries will release juice and calmly survive the journey.
How to store cloudberries on the road
Before setting off on a long journey, it is recommended that you carefully sort through everything you have collected. You should not take wrinkled or diseased berries with you, as they can ruin the entire harvest during the journey. Only a whole and strong berry can survive a long journey.It is recommended to transport raw materials in jars or containers where the berries will be minimally wrinkled. Cloudberries that are too compacted will quickly release juice, so it is better to store fresh cloudberries if they are slightly unripe.
Conclusion
There are many recipes for storing cloudberries, each of which is useful and simple. Housewives themselves choose the optimal method of preserving the vitamins and taste of the northern beauty for the winter.
