The best ways to freeze blackcurrants for the winter in the freezer

Black currant contains many useful substances: vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, carotene, organic acids, sugars, fiber, phytoncides, flavonoids. Thanks to this composition, a handful of black berries in winter will replenish the vitamin balance in the body, increase immunity and help in the fight against colds. The main thing is to prepare this product correctly.

Freezing is considered one of the best ways to prepare berries for the winter. Indeed, in this case, most of the beneficial substances are preserved. Read on to learn how to freeze blackcurrants for the winter in the freezer.

Is it possible to freeze currants?

Freezing currants is one of the few ways to prepare them for the winter that allows you to preserve 84-90% of vitamins. Indeed, in this case, the berries do not undergo hot heat treatment, which leads to the destruction of most useful substances.

Reference. In addition to freezing, there is another way to prepare blackcurrants while preserving vitamins - drying.

Freezing berries for the winter has many advantages.:

1. Allows you to preserve most of the vitamins and minerals, unlike cooking. It is in this form that black currants will help replenish the deficiency of vitamins and minerals in winter.
2. Frozen foods taste as close as possible to fresh ones. When frozen whole, they even retain their shape.
3. Blackcurrants can be frozen without sugar. In this form, it is suitable for preparing not only desserts, but also, for example, sauces for meat.
4. From such a preparation it will be possible to prepare more dishes than from jam or jam.

Freezing does have its disadvantages.:

1. If the refrigerator is small, you won’t be able to freeze a lot of berries. Otherwise, there will simply be no room in the freezer for other products.
2. To preserve the maximum amount of useful elements, you will need shock freezing at a very low temperature. Older freezers often do not have a temperature control feature. When frozen slowly, currants retain much less nutrients.
3. The jam can be eaten immediately after opening the jar. It will take time to defrost the berries.
4. If the refrigerator requires periodic defrosting, you will have to look for a cool place for the currants during this procedure. Thawed food cannot be re-frozen.

Selection and preparation of berries

In order for frozen currants to retain the maximum amount of nutrients, attractive appearance and color, it is important to choose it correctly:

1. The berries must be fully ripe. Overripe ones lose most of the nutrients. Unripe ones acquire an unpleasant taste after freezing.
2. The berries should be free of mold, foreign stains and other signs of disease. Such raw materials are unsuitable for consumption without heat treatment.
3. It is important that the currants smell pleasant. Raw materials with a sour aroma are not suitable.
4. It is desirable that the berries are large. They have a lot of pulp and are sweeter.
5. The berries must be picked from the bush no later than 24 hours before freezing.

It is important not only to choose the right currants, but also to prepare them for freezing. This process includes the following steps:

1. The currants are separated from the branches and the tails are cut off.It is better to do this with scissors so as not to damage the shell.
2. The berries are sorted, removing limp, dry and deformed, debris and insects.
3. Rinse the berries in a large bowl of cold water. Floating debris and spoiled raw materials are removed. Place the currants in a colander to drain off excess water.
4. Place in one layer on a paper or fabric towel and blot with a napkin. The liquid must dry completely. If necessary, wet towels are changed several times.

Unwashed berries should not be frozen. In this case, pathogenic bacteria remain on them.

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Freezing methods

There are several ways to freeze. Each of them has its own advantages and is suitable for preparing different dishes.

The recipes described below are used for freezing not only black currants, but also red ones. These methods are also suitable for other berries.

Whole berries

This freezing option is universal. It does not involve the use of sugar. Such currants are suitable not only for desserts. It is used to prepare sauces for meat, added to cake batter, yoghurts, cocktails, etc. It is easy to make compote or jam from frozen currants.

Because When freezing currants, do not use sugar entirely, it can be eaten by people who are on a diet. When defrosted correctly, the berries retain their shape and look fresh. The taste of frozen whole currants is practically no different from fresh ones.

How to freeze whole berries:

1. Prepared dry berries are laid out in one layer on a tray, parchment paper or other substrates. Place in the freezer.
2. If the freezer has a blast (quick) freezing function, turn it on for 20 minutes. If not, leave the berries in the freezer for 12 hours.
3. Frozen berries are transferred to one large bag or tray.

Properly frozen whole berries do not stick together, so they are not portioned out. It is always convenient to get the right amount of currants from the general package.

Cracked and bruised currants are not suitable for this recipe.. Even a small amount of moisture will cause the berries to stick together.

Advice. If the freezer does not have a quick freeze function, but it is possible to adjust the temperature, it is set to -19°C.

Some housewives use another method of freezing whole berries at home.. They do not remove them from the branches, but simply wash them and dry them completely. Then they are laid out on substrates in one layer and frozen. Store in trays or bags. It is believed that this way currants retain more vitamins.

As a puree

Pureeing blackcurrants is another way to prepare berries for the winter. The recipe contains sugar. Currant puree makes delicious pies, toppings for pancakes and ice cream.

If you simply defrost such a preparation, you will get jam with a fresh taste and aroma.. If you boil it, it becomes jam that will not spoil in the refrigerator for several weeks.

How to prepare:

1. 1 kg of prepared dry currants is covered with 1 tbsp. Sahara.
2. Grind using a potato masher, puree in a blender or twist in a meat grinder. Taste the puree and add additional sugar if necessary.
3. The currant puree is placed into portioned cups or silicone muffin tins and placed in the freezer.

When the berry puree freezes, remove it from the molds to save space. and put it into a bag. Store in the freezer, covered.

Cracked and bruised currants are suitable for this recipe.. The main thing is that it is fresh.

Advice. Assorted berries are also prepared according to this recipe. If you insert ice cream sticks into cups of puree before freezing, you will get a healthy berry sorbet.

In syrup

This is one of the most unusual ways to freeze currants.. These berries are suitable for making desserts and adding to pies.

How to freeze berries in syrup:

1. Prepared dry currants are laid out on trays and placed in the freezer.
2. Boil sugar syrup. To do this, take 0.5 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water. The mixture is boiled until the crystals are completely dissolved.
3. Frozen currants are mixed with cooled but not hardened sugar syrup.
4. Place the berries in a colander, allow excess liquid to drain, and place them in one layer on a tray previously covered with cling film or parchment paper.
5. Freeze again. After this they are poured into bags.

Frozen this way currants are covered with an icy sweet crust.

In sugar

Whole currants, frozen with sugar, are a convenient preparation for making jam and compote, toppings for desserts at any time of the year. This recipe does not take much time, but makes cooking easier in winter.

To prepare currants according to this recipe:

1. A layer of prepared berries is placed at the bottom of the plastic tray.
2. A layer of sugar is poured on top so that the currants are completely covered with sweet crystals.
3. Layers alternate until the container is full.
4. Cover the container with a lid and put it in the freezer.

Read also:

How to properly freeze gooseberries for the winter

How to freeze raspberries for the winter correctly

How to preserve honeysuckle for the winter, fresh and processed

Some housewives use a different method:

1. Slightly damp currants are poured into the bag.
2. Sugar is added to it at the rate of 1-1.5 tbsp. per 1 kg.
3. Shake the bag of ingredients until sugar sticks to each berry.
4. After this, the workpiece is frozen.

Brushed and cracked berries are not suitable for this recipe.

Shelf life

Currants can be stored in the freezer at constant low temperatures for up to 3 years.. However, it is better to use it before the new season of fresh berries. After all, the longer the product sits, the less beneficial properties it retains.

Advice. It is believed that frozen currants retain the most vitamins when stored in a vacuum, but not everyone has a vacuum machine. To create suitable conditions, insert a drinking straw into the hole of the bag with berries, which, together with the bag, is tightly tightened with a rubber band. All the air is sucked out through the tube. Then the straw is removed and the bag is additionally tied.

How to defrost currants correctly

To ensure that currants remain tasty and retain their beneficial properties, it needs to be defrosted properly.

The list contains suitable methods:

1. Microwave. To do this, pour the berries into an open suitable container and place in the microwave. The oven is set to the “defrosting frozen vegetables and berries” mode, indicating the approximate weight of the product. This option is suitable for all the methods described above, except for berries in syrup.
2. In a refrigerator. This is the most correct way. Place frozen currants in the refrigerator and wait until they defrost. This option is suitable for all recipes.
3. In warm water. Place the currants in a bag or tray in a bowl of warm, but not hot water so that the liquid does not get into the berries. During the defrosting process, the water is changed as it cools. Suitable for berries frozen whole without additives.
4. Cooking. This option allows you to get a delicious sauce for desserts or jam. However, when it is used, currants lose most of their beneficial substances. The berries are simply poured into a saucepan and boiled. This option is suitable for all recipes, but you will have to add sugar to whole currants.

Many housewives put unthawed whole berries into the dough for biscuits and pies.

Conclusion

Freezing is the best way to prepare blackcurrants for the winter. It allows you to preserve up to 90% of the nutrients in the product, so it is recommended to use it.

There are several freezing recipes. It is better to use all the options to have semi-finished products for different dishes.