How to properly freeze berries and fruits for the winter in the freezer at home

Rahvusvahelise Integratiivse Toitumisteaduse Instituudi asutaja

How to properly freeze fruits and berries for the winter to get vitamin support during the cold season?

Freezing berries and fruits is the best way to provide yourself with vitamins all winter long.
Cold is a natural preservative, unlike sugar and long cooking, which destroy up to 70% of the nutrients and vitamins during jam making.

Frozen berries and fruits maximize the preservation and even increase the amount of vitamins. For example, frozen currants have twice as much vitamin C as fresh berries.

Sisukord

Which berries and fruits can be frozen

Many berries and fruits are suitable for freezing:

maasikad;
blueberries;
blackberries
vaarikad;
mulberries;
currants;
astelpaju;
plums;
apricots;
pears;
peaches, grapes;
watermelon.

I note that the fruit flavor becomes deeper when drying, and when freezing it decreases, because frost hides and “seals” the smell. But when we start to brew the fruit or heat it, the flavor of the essential oils is revealed.

By the way, about how to dry fruits, read in the article at the link.

And now we tell you how to properly freeze them.

Carefully choose berries

For freezing, you should choose ripe, but not overripe fruits, without damage and signs of spoilage. Choose berries with a rich color. If it happens that some have already spoiled, go through all of them, throw away spoiled and too soft to avoid further spread of mold.

Wash and prepare the fruit properly

Berries and fruits should be washed in very cold water, preferably using a colander. Then remove the stalks, blot with a dry paper towel and allow to dry naturally. Only then can the fruit be placed in containers or zip bags.

Choose airtight packaging

Place berries for freezing in special food containers (they are labeled for freezing and have a safety class – #2, #4, and #5) or reusable zip-lock bags. To prevent berries from absorbing foreign odors in the freezer, close containers airtight.

Freeze in small portions

Prepare portioned containers of berries and fruit: you can arrange by volume or weight to get the right container for making compote, pie or just to eat.

First of all, it’s convenient. And secondly, it eliminates re-freezing, which spoils the flavor and consistency of berries, destroys some of the vitamins and can provoke the growth of bacteria and spoil the product.

Do not re-freeze

Berries and fruits, as a result of repeated freezing, can cause food poisoning, because when defrosting actively begin to multiply microorganisms that cause rotting. Unfortunately, low temperature does not kill them, but only stops their activity for a while. If you use frozen fruits and vegetables for making compotes, you can put the product in boiling water without defrosting.

Observe the shelf life

Frozen berries can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. But provided the temperature in it is no higher than -18°C. If your freezer temperature is -12°C and above, you can keep them for no longer than four months.

Vihje: keep berries in the back of the freezer, because near the door or closer to the edge of the freezer the temperature often changes when you open it, which shortens the shelf life of the food.

Freeze quickly – defrost slowly

Any food should be defrosted gradually. You can do this at room temperature, but preferably in the refrigerator.

Never use the microwave to defrost quickly. Microwaves destroy nutrients, causing vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies in the food, and plastic utensils release harmful chemicals into the food when heated in the microwave.

Berries and fruits can be frozen in different ways:

In mixes and individually;
pureed;
sliced or crumbled.

Many people freeze by pouring sugar over the fruit, but I don’t recommend this method. If you want to sweeten the berries, it’s better to add a safe sweetener to the frozen preparation and eat it right away.

By freezing, the fruit retains the maximum amount of vitamins, and the lack of sugar increases the benefits. You can whip frozen berries in a blender, add sweetener and eat it as a fruit sorbet or use it in other ways. The limit is only your imagination.

And recipes for healthy fruit ice cream are shared in the article at the link.