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Freezing currants in the freezer is an excellent preparation option for the winter period, when the body requires large portions of vitamins. At any time you can prepare jam, compote, juice or jam. You can also enjoy fresh black fruits, which retain more nutrients without heat treatment, and use them as decoration in confectionery products. There are proven methods from which you should choose the most suitable one, or use several to enjoy the aroma of summer on cold evenings.
The benefits of frozen blackcurrants
It is the black currant variety that is considered the leader in the vitamins, microelements and other beneficial substances it contains for the human body. Good housewives try to freeze it for future use.
Here are the main beneficial properties of black currant:
- The popularity of currants was brought by vitamin C, which helps strengthen and restore immunity in winter. During this period, a person is more susceptible to colds and infectious diseases. The daily requirement for ascorbic acid can be satisfied by only 20 berries.
- Eating currants will enhance the effect of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor during treatment. This is especially true for the group of penicillins.
- Freezing the product is necessary to make freshly squeezed juice in winter. It is often used topically, as a gargle for sore throat or in the mouth for stomatitis. It is also used as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds and cuts. Accelerates recovery from diseases of the upper respiratory tract. You should take a teaspoon orally up to 4 times a day.
- Tea with fresh blackcurrant calms the nervous system, relieves stress and anxiety.
- High performance in the fight against surges in blood pressure and heart problems.
- A mild diuretic effect will be beneficial for kidney and bladder diseases. Helps in the fight against swelling.
- People suffering from heartburn should freeze currants because they help reduce acidity in the stomach.
- The black variety helps remove toxins, bacteria and waste from the body, and fights intestinal disorders.
- Folic acid is simply necessary for pregnant women, and there is quite a lot of it in this berry.
- Juice from fresh and frozen black currants is used in cosmetology for whitening the face, in the fight against pigmentation and acne, as well as age-related changes. Substances from this berry strengthen nails. When diluted, it is used to rinse hair for softness and shine.
Ripening occurs once a year and the harvest period is short.It’s better to think through everything in advance and make preparations during the season so as not to buy low-quality goods in the store.
Preparing blackcurrants for freezing
People collect currants not only in their gardens, but also in forests. It should be remembered that you cannot use berries from environmentally unfavorable areas.
It is better to freeze ripe black currants for the winter in the refrigerator, which are collected in dry weather in the morning, when the berries have not had time to warm up under the sun. More often, housewives prefer to choose shrubs with large fruits for this method.
Necessary actions during preparation:
- First, sort through the harvest, discarding damaged berries.
- Free from leaves and debris.
- Sort overripe and underripe blackcurrants to choose the best freezing method.
- Be sure to rinse with plenty of water and dry, scattering it on a clean piece of cloth.
Now you can start freezing.
How to freeze blackcurrants for the winter in the freezer
4 preparation methods are presented. It all depends on the preferences of the family and the quality of the product to be used. It’s worth exploring each one to choose the best option and enjoy the taste of summer in winter.
Dry freezing of whole berries
Freezing whole ripe blackcurrants is easy. If done correctly, the result will be crumbly fruit, not an icy lump.
You need to immediately prepare:
- colander;
- napkins or kitchen towel;
- a sheet that will fit in the freezer;
- parchment;
- special bags (you can use simple bags) or plastic containers with a lid;
- whole black currants.
You can freeze it by following these steps:
- Rinse the sorted berries thoroughly to allow clear water to drain.
- Leave in a colander to get rid of excess liquid, scatter on napkins. The batch should dry completely.
- Transfer to a sheet lined with parchment paper and pre-cool on the top shelf of the refrigerator, and then transfer to the freezer.
- After about 4 hours, pour into bags and tie tightly.
All that remains is to immediately put the prepared fruits in the freezer for storage.
Blackcurrants with sugar for the winter in the freezer
This option is perfect if the housewife in the future wants to feed her family a delicious delicacy, prepare compote, jelly or jam, and also use the berries as a filling or decoration for desserts. You can freeze ripe currants with sugar for the whole winter using this recipe.
You will need:
- container;
- black currants;
- sugar.
Freezing algorithm:
- Sort the berries and rinse under the tap in a colander.
- Wait until the liquid drains, dry on a towel. It’s better if the moisture completely evaporates, but in this case the sugar will also take some amount and the currants will remain crumbly.
- Place in rows in a clean container (in this case it is better to use one), alternating fruits with sweet crystals.
You can seal it with a lid or cling film. Place in the freezer.
Freezing berries on branches
Pulling from the branches often damages the shell, leading to loss of quality.If black currants are frozen for medicinal purposes, it is better to use this method to preserve more vitamins.
Required tool:
- colander;
- fabric cut;
- board covered with food paper.
Freezing technique:
- Pick unripe, overripe and damaged black currants from the branches.
- Place in a colander, rinse and dry on a cloth for at least 2 hours.
- Carefully lay it out on the board, first put it on the top shelf for a couple of hours, and then move it to the freezer of the refrigerator.
- After 4 hours, pack into bags or containers.
Store in tightly closed bags to avoid losing nutrients.
Berry puree
Sometimes there are a lot of black overripe fruits or they are simply prepared for fruit drink, jelly or compote. Then an excellent storage option would be the method of grinding and freezing into convenient cubes that can be used at any time.
The proportions of the products will be as follows:
- currants – 1 kg;
- sugar – 400 g.
Step by step recipe:
- Prepare blackcurrants, first sort out rotten, green berries. If necessary, rinse and dry.
- For long-term storage, it is not recommended to use iron grinding devices. It is better to mash with a wooden masher or pestle.
- Mix with granulated sugar and leave for 2 hours until it dissolves.
- For convenience, it is better to place it in a container for freezing ice or in small plastic containers. For example, you can use disposable cups.
- Place in the refrigerator until completely frozen.
- Remove and place the cubes into bags.
Freeze blackcurrants for the winter in grated form, placing them in the freezer.
How to defrost berries correctly
Here it is important to consider what blackcurrants, frozen in different ways, will be used for.
If you need to cook jelly or compote, then there is no need for softened fruits. You can put the product into the pan straight from the freezer.
When you need to get whole berries, first transfer the currants to the top shelf of the refrigerator overnight. Next, you should wait until it is completely defrosted at room temperature. In extreme cases, you can put it in cold water.
Terms and conditions of storage
The shelf life of a frozen product is greatly influenced by the temperature and method of preparation. So, at -10 degrees, black currants will last only 4 months in the freezer. In shock mode down to -20 degrees, the time period increases to a year. It should be borne in mind that the loss of vitamin composition will begin after 8 months. It is better to mark the packaging with the date of manufacture.
Do not store frozen bags under heavy foods, as the fragile berries will crumble.
After thawing, currants cannot be re-frozen, because both quality and beneficial composition are lost.
Conclusion
Freezing currants in the freezer is easy if all the above conditions are met. Some may like this method of preparation when they have a large freezer. There is no need to store jars in the basement, but you will have the opportunity to strengthen the body all year round. The same methods are also suitable for red currants.
