How to freeze cherries for the winter: choose the best recipe

Many owners of cherry orchards think about freezing cherries in the freezer. Indeed, in summer there is nowhere to go for a rich harvest: fresh berries with a sour taste cannot be eaten in kilograms. Sorry for the missing fruit. And in the cold season, the body just does not have enough vitamin supplements, but nothing is growing. We will tell you how to freeze cherries for the winter with and without seeds, in your own juice, syrup and other ways.

Why freeze cherries at home?

Freezing is one of the best ways to extend the shelf life of vegetables, fruits, and berries. If it is carried out correctly, beneficial substances remain in fruits for 90-100%: vitamins, macro- and microelements, organic acids.

The chemical composition of frozen cherries is almost as good as fresh. It has a calorie content of 45-50 kcal per 100 g (if you did not add sugar) and in large quantities contains the following substances:

• vitamin A and beta-carotene;
• B vitamins;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• iron;
• copper;
• omega-3 fatty acids;
• alimentary fiber.

By consuming a frozen cherry in winter, you maintain the health of the body’s immune, nervous, cardiovascular and hormonal systems. And also get a charge of vivacity and good mood.

Prepared seedless cherries are convenient to use in cooking. It gives a unique taste to pies, cakes, dumplings, pancakes, cereals. But fruits with stones can be used as an independent dessert or cook compote from them.

Now you can easily find frozen products, including cherries, on sale. But no one except the manufacturer knows for 100% what technology was used, how fresh the raw materials were. Therefore, if you have the opportunity, freeze the fruits at home yourself. Then in winter you will be sure of the quality of the product.

Preparing cherries for freezing

To freeze cherries correctly, you must first carefully prepare everything. Otherwise, in the refrigerator, the berries will turn into slurry with an acidic or alcoholic flavor. Follow these guidelines:

1. Sort the cherries. Remove cuttings, leaves, discard spoiled, damaged and wormy fruits. Please note that only ripe (but not overripe) berries are suitable for freezing. The time interval between harvesting and harvesting should be minimal, otherwise the cherry will let the juice go and become unfit for freezing.
2. Rinse the berries. They need to be poured into a colander and placed under cool running water. If the temperature is high, the berries will soon start juice. Wash the cherry thoroughly so that there are no traces left on it.
3. Dry the raw materials. Put the fruits evenly on a towel. It absorbs excess moisture. Wait until the berries are completely dry.
4. Prepare the container. For freezing, tight bags with a fastener, cups with lids, plastic containers are suitable. You can not use ordinary plastic bags, as they are easily torn and pass odors. And next to the berries in the freezer, most likely, there will be meat, fish and other products.

How to freeze cherry pitted?

Pitted cherries have a more aesthetic appearance than pitted fruits. It retains almost all of the juice and a maximum of vitamins, so it is better suited for use as an independent dessert.We offer you two recipes for freezing berries.

Classic recipe

Before the main harvest, clean and dried cherries need to be frozen:

1. Take a cutting board or a wide plate and cover with cling film.
2. Lay the fruits on top so that they do not touch each other.
3. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.

If the berries do not stick to the film, then they are ready for the next step:

1. Gently pack the cherries in bags one at a time.
2. Release air and fasten (tighten tightly).

It is advisable to freeze the fruits with the expectation that you will take a portion at a time. It is enough to place 200-300 g in a bag, maximum - 500 g. After all, the product cannot be re-frozen, since in this case it loses its useful properties.

If you use a plastic container, sprinkle the cherry with a little sugar or powdered sugar during the packaging process. So you prevent the berries from sticking together, but the calorie content of the product will increase.

In cubes

This unusual freezing recipe is useful for cocktail lovers. You will receive portioned ice cubes with whole cherries inside. Such fruits look very aesthetically pleasing.

Prepare square ice molds, rinse them thoroughly. Dip the cherries inside. Pour cold boiled water into each pan. Wrap the top with cling film and send the fruit to the freezer.

How to freeze pitted cherries?

The main advantage of seedless cherries is that it is convenient to use for cooking. But before freezing, you have to tinker with the fruits longer.

To get the bones, use a special machine. It is sold in hardware and online stores, costs about 300-600 rubles. If it’s not possible to buy a car, take a simple pin.

Consider recipes for freezing seedless fruits.

Simple recipe

You need to follow the same steps that are described in the classic recipe for freezing cherry pitted. Just act fast. As soon as you have got the seeds, send the fruits in the refrigerator to freeze so that they do not let the juice go.

In own juice

This recipe involves freezing berries in a plastic container:

1. To start, prepare a sweet fill. Take 0.5 kg of pitted cherries and 250 g of sugar, whisk in a blender until smooth.
2. Put the fruits in a plastic container, leaving 2-3 cm on top.
3. Pour in a sweet cherry mass and send to the freezer.

In sugar syrup

To prepare the syrup, you will need 1 liter of water and 1.5 kg of sugar. Boil the mixture over high heat until the sugar crystals dissolve completely.

Put the cherries in a plastic container. Pour them in syrup at 2/3 of the height. Leave in the room for 2-3 hours, so that the fruits are well saturated. After that, put it in the freezer.

Frayed

This is a recipe for a delicious, delicious toppings for baking, crepes and dumplings. Take the berries and sugar in a proportion of 3/1 and send to a blender. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Pack the mixture in cups or plastic containers and freeze.

How long can frozen cherries be stored?

The optimum storage temperature is minus 16–20 degrees. Under such conditions, the product is allowed to be consumed for 6–10 months.

If you added sugar to the fruit, then the shelf life is extended to 12-16 months.

In no case do not eat expired cherry pitted. The latter contain amygdalin, which decomposes during prolonged storage and releases a toxic substance - hydrocyanic acid.

Thus, freezing cherries in a freezer is not at all difficult. Given the preparatory steps, you can do it in 1 hour or even faster. If you want to get the most useful product, do not add sugar to the fruit. In winter, you will get berries from the refrigerator that will not only improve the taste of your favorite dishes, but will also saturate your body with vitamins.