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Freezing pears for the winter at home is a traditional activity for Russian housewives, who are accustomed to stocking up for future use. During the summer season, the body accumulates vitamins by “preserving” them in the fat layer of the body. But in winter, sometimes you really want to pamper yourself and your family not only with vitamins, but also with delicious products made from fruits and berries. There are many recipes for freezing food in the freezer for this. They are used in cooking in winter and spring, when the body needs vitamins.
Is it possible to freeze pears?
You can freeze pears, but to do this you need to follow the freezing rules so that you don’t end up with a homogeneous, sticky porridge that can only be added as a puree to pies.
To prepare pears in reserve, you should give preference to the following varieties:
- Severyanka;
- August dew;
- Cathedral;
- Saratovka;
- Kondratyevka;
- Rossoshanskaya;
- Hera;
- Veles;
- Red-sided;
- Muscovite.
These species belong to the winter or late summer varieties, are distinguished by their density and smooth skin, without scales. Softer types are only suitable for making purees, jams and preserves. They can be used, but it should be taken into account that they will undergo deformation when thawed.
How to freeze pears for the winter so they don't turn brown
Pears, like other catechin-containing fruits, begin to darken when exposed to oxygen, taking on an unappetizing appearance that resembles rot. How to avoid browning reaction when cooking pears? The secret is citric acid. When preparing fruits, cutting into slices or beating with a blender, you should spray the fruit with citric acid diluted with water from a spray bottle.
The second way is to soak them in a solution containing citric acid for an hour. This will slow down the catechin reaction during preparation and freezing. If you use slices, you can grate them with lemon, orange, tangerine or other citrus fruits. When sour fruits are not available, ascorbic acid can be added as an alternative.
At what temperature should I freeze?
By observing strict temperature conditions, you can freeze pears for the winter. Storage in the refrigerator, where the temperature does not drop below +2 degrees, is prohibited. The product must be frozen quickly; for this, use a freezer or refrigerated island that can hold a lot of fruits and vegetables at once. Fruits should be frozen at a temperature of at least -18 degrees.
How to freeze fresh pears for the winter
In order for food to remain fresh during defrosting and retain its taste, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of fruits. Fruits should be selected whole, without insect holes or rotten sides.Then follow this order:
- Wash under running water and dry on a towel. They must be dry so as not to freeze the water along with the fruits.
- Next, peel the fruits and cut into slices, cubes, strips or into 4 parts.
- Cut out the core and problem areas.
- Place on a flat dish, grease with citric acid and place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- After the first freezing, place the pieces in a special ziplock bag, squeeze out the air and continue to store in the freezer for no more than 10 months.
The product will survive freezing successfully.
Recipe for pears frozen in sugar syrup
Sugar is a natural preservative that preserves the beneficial properties of fruits for a long time. To prepare pears in syrup, you need:
- mix a glass of sugar and 500 ml of boiling water;
- prepare the pears, put them in a deep container;
- pour hot syrup and leave to blanch for 3 minutes;
- Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and place in containers for freezing;
- pour syrup, lightly covering fruit;
- let cool until cold;
- place in the freezer to freeze.
During the entire shelf life, the product can be used in cooking.
How to freeze pears into slices
You can freeze pears for the winter by placing them in ice cube trays or cutting them into cubes. In the first option, you need to beat them until pureed and put them in molds or baby food jars. You can cut the fruits into two parts, cutting out the core and adding berries to the resulting recess.
Freezing pears for the winter with sugar
Freezing pears for the winter with sugar is as easy as freezing them in syrup. Add plenty of sugar. Having cut the fruit beautifully, you should wet them, but do not dry them, as with the usual method. Sugar will stick better to wet slices and will not fall off to the bottom of the dish.
Pears should be frozen. At this point, add the first sugar layer. First on a flat dish, and then on top of the slices. In this form they will stand in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove the pears and place in a final container or freezer bag. Sprinkle the fruit with sugar again. There is no need to shake so as not to damage the pieces.
What can you cook from frozen pears?
From thawed fruits you can prepare dishes such as charlotte, pear puree, and compotes. They are added to pies, buns, dumplings, and puff pastries. For compotes and pies, you shouldn’t wait for slow defrosting; you can throw them, frozen pieces, directly into boiling water and dough.
According to culinary experts, by freezing pears for the winter, you can prepare a delicious dish - pear changeling, which is prepared with honey. The product should be baked like a regular pie with sugar, flour and eggs, only you need to add honey to the filling. Place the dough on the arranged pears and bake until done.
Shelf life of frozen pears
Pears can remain completely intact in the refrigerator for up to 10 months, if you do not allow interruptions in temperature during storage. When defrosting, follow the rules of slow defrosting. Do not pour boiling water over the fruit or dip it in warm water to speed up the process. This can damage the structure, and the fruits will lose their shape, become soft and tasteless.
A container or bag of frozen food should be placed in a refrigerator with a positive temperature and wait until it thaws naturally.
Conclusion
Freezing pears for the winter at home in accordance with the recipe creates ingredients from simple fruits for complete dishes. The advantages of this method over conventional preservation are that the fruits retain vitamins, do not rot, and are not treated with carcinogens. Dishes made from frozen fruits can be given to children and even infants without fear for health.
