Content
Not every housewife knows how to freeze raspberries in the freezer. Most of them are afraid of loss of taste and quality of the product. It should be borne in mind that the result depends on the competence of the actions.
Is it possible to freeze raspberries for the winter?
This berry is a valuable source of a number of useful substances, so it is recommended to consume it all year round. And to enjoy it, you can make a supply in various ways: dry it, preserve it in the form of jam or compotes. But recently, housewives have given preference to another method: cooling the product to low temperatures. Use a freezer for this.
Pros and cons of freezing
Often on the Internet there are recipes with photos, where they suggest using raspberries harvested from the summer for preparation. Most people agree that freezing fruit is a great way to enjoy it during the winter months.
Benefits of the procedure:
- with proper cooling, the product does not lose its properties and appearance;
- budget savings;
- during the season when the fruits of the bush will not be available for purchase, the reserves will provide everything necessary.
The appearance of frozen berries will depend on the method chosen.
The scope of application of the finished product is very diverse: various compotes and juices, mousses, desserts, baked goods, fresh consumption. Housewives add raspberries after freezing to sauces and meat dishes.
Disadvantages of the procedure:
- Violations of the operating algorithm will lead to partial or complete loss of nutrients in the pulp.
- Fruits cannot be frozen again. Whole berries will harden into a monolith with excess juice, which will spoil the quality of the raspberries.
- If you do not seal the container, its contents will become saturated with odors during freezing.
- Electricity costs for storing workpieces.
Preparing berries for freezing
Most housewives are concerned not only about the ability to freeze raspberries for the winter, but also about how to do it so that after thawing they will be delicious to eat.
The success of the procedure depends not only on compliance with the rules of cooling the product, but also on the quality of the fruit. Therefore, before work, they need to be sorted, rejecting damaged or overly soft specimens, and also removing debris and leaves.
Do I need to wash raspberries before freezing?
Opinions differ on this issue. This is primarily due to the fact that the berry is very tender, easily wrinkles and releases juice. This forces the raspberries to be frozen for the winter without treatment with water. Housewives move it fresh into the freezer, only removing leaves and debris.
This technique is incorrect, since the fruits also contain dust and dirt that must be removed. To do this, just put the berries in a colander before freezing, and then prepare a container with cold water. The raspberries, along with the container, are placed in a basin so that they are immersed in liquid, and then carefully washed several times without squeezing the pulp. To drain the water, just lift the colander.
If you don’t have a sieve in your kitchen, you can choose a replacement - regular gauze.
Ways to freeze raspberries for the winter at home
The choice of method is at the discretion of the hostess. You should consider why raspberries are frozen in the freezer and what tools and equipment are available. It is also necessary to understand that each method takes a different amount of time to use.
Whole raspberries without sugar
This method is usually called dry. To do this, whole raspberries should be peeled, washed and left on a dry towel to absorb excess moisture. After 5-10 minutes, the fruits should be placed on a tray so that they do not touch each other, and then they can be frozen. At the end of the procedure, remove the finished product and pour it into a sealed bag or container for further storage.
Trays, plates, wooden boards or a variety of pallets can be used as freezing trays
Place the fruits on a flat dish or freezer rack so that they do not touch each other.
Another interesting option for freezing whole raspberries without sugar is ice cube trays. To do this, the berries need to be washed, peeled and placed individually in a mold. And carefully pour water on top.Place the mold in the freezer until completely frozen. After successfully freezing the raspberries, pour them into a container and close tightly.
Instead of water, you can use sweet syrup. To do this, you need to dissolve 200 g of sugar in 0.5 liters of water. Cool the resulting mixture slightly, and then pour it into the berries in the mold. This delicacy can be given to children instead of ice cream after freezing.
Ready-made cubes can be added to cocktails and other drinks as a decoration
Mashed raspberries with sugar
You need to take three parts of the berry and part of the sand. Before freezing, mix all ingredients in a bowl and then chop. You can use a sieve, meat grinder or blender, pestle. Continue stirring the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved.
Mashed raspberries should look like a thick, homogeneous mass.
Immediately before freezing, the finished product must be poured into a container with a lid and tightly closed. The container should be placed horizontally on the shelf to prevent the mixture from leaking out.
Whole berries with sugar
A method that allows you to preserve nutrients as much as possible is blast freezing raspberries. If you need to cool the fruits, you must first wash and dry them, and then pour them into a container. Some housewives prefer to distribute the sugar between the berries in layers, while others simply sprinkle sand on top to taste.
If you defrost a berry with sugar, the juice released will be sweet, so the product can be eaten immediately.
Freezing raspberry puree
You can cook the berries either with or without added sugar. Most often, housewives use this form of freezing for children, so the sweetness is kept to a minimum.For 1 kg of raspberries, you can add 250 g of granulated sugar, then thoroughly grind the mixture with a blender, and then grind through a sieve to remove all the seeds. Pour the resulting mass into containers and place in the freezer.
A convenient way to store raspberry puree in the freezer is in portioned molds
Conditions and shelf life
The finished product is recommended to be used within 4-6 months after cooling. Repeated defrosting and freezing of raspberries is not allowed. It is also recommended to allocate a separate shelf for the berries, placing it as far as possible from fish and other strong-smelling foods.
The maximum shelf life of raspberries after freezing at -15 °C is one year. During this period of time, ascorbic acid remains in the product almost completely in the previous volumes. And a substance such as retinol can be obtained from fruits if they are stored for no more than six months.
And if the volume of nutrients in raspberries gradually decreases after freezing, then the taste will remain unchanged for 12 months.
The finished product should be consumed within 24 hours. The exception is for products with sugar: they can be left in the refrigerator for several days.
Are frozen raspberries healthy?
It is generally accepted that if fruits are subjected to shock cooling, the concentration of nutrients in them will be maximum.Properly frozen raspberries, when consumed, will only bring health benefits to the body, and not harm:
- the immune system will increase;
- the risk of developing rickets and atherosclerosis will decrease;
- hemoglobin level will increase,
- blood clotting will improve;
- hormonal levels stabilize.
The only contraindication to eating berries is individual intolerance. Children should also limit their amount in the diet, as they have a high risk of developing allergic reactions.
How to defrost raspberries
The berry will be beneficial to the human body if it is properly defrosted. At home, you should not use a microwave or hot water for heating. Such processing of raspberries after freezing will cause the fruits to release juice and lose their taste and shape. And most importantly, the shelf life of the product and the concentration of nutrients will be reduced.
The optimal method for defrosting raspberries is to place the container on the refrigerator shelf for several hours. Periodically, the workpiece should be checked and, if necessary, the juice should be removed to maintain the shape of the berries.
The juice can be used to add drinks and desserts. After defrosting, raspberries can be eaten fresh or added to baked goods.
Conclusion
If you freeze raspberries correctly in the freezer, you can get a valuable product whose properties will be preserved for a long time. To make the preparation as healthy as possible, you can use several methods of cooling the berries. And the finished product should be properly defrosted so that it does not lose valuable substances.
