The best ways to freeze raspberries for the winter correctly

In winter, there is an acute shortage of fresh seasonal fruits, especially berries. In our latitudes, aromatic raspberries are the most popular. According to the botanical description, it is a fruit consisting of many drupes on a white stalk - a composite drupe. But we are used to calling it a berry.

The benefits of the product are undeniable; it contains 27.8% of the daily value of vitamin C. Raspberry tea, for example, perfectly warms and helps the body cope with a cold. The article will tell you how to freeze raspberries for the winter while preserving their vitamin and mineral composition.

Freezing for the winter

Is it possible to freeze raspberries? Our answer is undoubtedly yes. This is one of the best ways to preserve vitamins and minerals. In winter, such preparation will be a real salvation.

Fragrant fruits are added to yogurt, cottage cheese, milkshakes, porridge, compote, jelly, fruit juice, smoothies, decorate cakes, jellies, mousses, creme brulee, cakes, open pies. The sauce is poured over cheesecakes, pancakes, and pancakes.

The berries are frozen whole, with or without granulated sugar, and in the form of puree. Each of these methods is good, it is important to prepare the product correctly.

Preparation rules:

1. For whole freezing, freshly picked fruits with a dense structure are best suited - they do not lose their shape after defrosting and do not wrinkle during transportation.
2. It is not recommended to wash raspberries - after contact with water they release juice. However, this rule applies to a product collected from its own garden, away from the roadway.
3. The berries are sorted, rotten and damaged ones are thrown away.
4. It is advisable to rinse raspberries purchased at the market under low pressure water or soak them in salted water for 15 minutes. If there are worms and bugs in the berries, they will float to the surface.
5. The washed fruits are carefully placed on a cotton cloth or paper towel to dry.

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How to freeze correctly

The process of freezing raspberries has its own tricks:

1. It is best to freeze fresh berries, since some vitamins are destroyed during storage.
2. To prevent the berries from becoming sour and being set by frost faster, the temperature in the freezer should be no lower than – 18°C.
3. When preparing raspberry puree, it is better to use a wooden spatula or masher. When using metal objects, useful properties are lost.
4. It is recommended to freeze raspberries in portioned trays so that you can use the preparation immediately. When they come into contact with heat, they thaw, and when they re-freeze, frost and ice crystals form on them.
5. To save space in the freezer, bags of prepared raspberries are placed in containers, frozen, then the bags are taken out and placed in the freezer.
6. To preserve the structure, the product is frozen in shallow trays with lids or placed in special bags in a single layer. This will prevent the raspberries from releasing juice.
7. If the lid is not airtight, wrap each container in plastic wrap to prevent air penetration and frost formation.

Methods

There are several methods for freezing tender raspberries:

1. To preserve beneficial substances, the product is frozen entirely.
2. For those who have a sweet tooth, a good way to freeze raspberries whole with sugar. This way you can prepare overripe specimens.
3. Soft berries are turned into puree. Sugar is used as desired.
4. Bags or containers are used as packaging.

In packages

For freezing in bags, select fruits without rot or damage are taken. A flat dish, tray or cutting board is placed in a thick plastic bag with the edges facing down.

The prepared berries are laid out at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other with their “caps” up and placed in the freezer for 3-4 hours until completely frozen. The bottom of the bag is wrapped over the raspberries and removed from the tray. The bag is tightly tied, releasing the air, and placed in the freezer. You can distribute the berries in one layer, carefully tuck the edge of the bag and secure with tape.

In containers

The technology for freezing raspberries in trays or containers is no different from the method intended for bags. The only difference is in preserving the structure of the berries and saving space. In such a container, raspberries do not wrinkle. Containers without airtight lids are wrapped in thick cling film and stacked on top of each other in the freezer.

Whole frozen with sugar

For freezing with granulated sugar, overripe and softened raspberries, without signs of rot, or slightly unripe raspberries are suitable.

The fruits are placed in layers in containers intended for freezing, sprinkled with granulated sugar. Sugar is also poured into the bottom in a 1 cm layer so that it absorbs the juice that is released. The containers are closed with airtight lids or wrapped in film.

Advice. Follow the rule of portion freezing to use the product immediately.

Mashed raspberries with sugar

The washed fruits are placed in a deep food-grade plastic or enamel bowl and crushed with a wooden masher. Add granulated sugar to the puree and mix. The standard ratio of raspberries to sugar is 1:1, but the amount can be adjusted to your taste.

The mass is poured into 200 ml plastic glasses, ice molds, silicone muffin molds, plastic bottles with a cut top or trays. Puree frozen in ice or candy molds is removed and placed in tight ziplock bags.

Freezing raspberry puree

Raspberry puree is frozen using the same principle as puree pureed with sugar. The product does not lose its taste, aroma and beneficial properties. After defrosting, you will receive fresh pureed raspberries. The mass is poured into any container.

Advice. Blend the frozen puree with a blender, add a little honey and lemon juice, and you will have a delicious sorbet.

Shelf life

The shelf life of frozen raspberries depends on the temperature in the freezer:

• at -18... -23°C the berries do not lose freshness for 8-12 months;
• at -15°C - 6 months;
• at 0...-8°C the berries are stored for 3 months.

How to defrost correctly

Defrosting rules:

1. Fruits intended for cooking compote or fruit juice do not need to be defrosted. They are immediately sent into boiling water.
2. Whole berries for decorating cakes and filling open pies are defrosted gradually - taken out of the freezer and placed in the refrigerator overnight.
3. The puree is thawed at room temperature or placed in cold water.
4. To quickly defrost whole berries, place the closed container in cold water for 15 minutes.
5. If time is short, and raspberries are needed to prepare the filling for closed pies and dumplings, place the berries in a glass bowl or put them in the microwave, selecting the defrost mode. The time depends on the power of the microwave. The readiness of the product is checked every minute.

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How to defrost raspberries so that they do not release juice

The workpiece is taken out of the container or bag, laid out on a tray or large cutting board and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 1-1.5 hours. The slower the product defrosts, the better. When defrosting quickly, the fruits will become soaked with frost. Then the raspberries are taken out and left at room temperature until completely defrosted.

Advice. To prevent raspberries from releasing juice while baking pies, sprinkle them with corn or potato starch. For 200 g, 2 tsp is enough.

Conclusion

Freezing raspberries is a simple matter, but it requires time to prepare the berries. To preserve the structure, it is advisable not to wash the product. However, this rule applies exclusively to homemade berries from your own garden. It is better to soak raspberries from the market or store in salted water and then dry them.

Frozen fruits retain their taste, aroma and beneficial properties. Whole raspberries are placed in tight bags and containers. The puree is stored in plastic glasses or bottles, poured into molds for ice, sweets or muffins. Slow defrosting in the refrigerator will preserve the structure, while a microwave and cold water will speed up the process.