Frozen strawberries for the winter - one of the best and easiest ways to preserve its useful properties and unique flavor.
How to freeze fresh strawberries?
To freeze fresh strawberries, you must first set the mode of freezing in the freezer.
There are two ways to freeze strawberries. Each of them is applied depending on what kind of strawberry is available, how much time you have and how you plan to use strawberries in the winter.
Dry freezing of whole berries
If there is no time, but it would be desirable in winter to regale berries, quickly decorate a dessert, then a dry frost of whole berries will do. Dry freezing is ideal for summer residents and those who live in the countryside. Berries are medium in size, clean and always dry, place on a tray, food film, etc. in a single layer and place in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours. Frozen solid berries are poured into a bag. They try to remove all the air from it, tighten it and store it in a freezer for berries and vegetables.
It is even easier to arrange the berries in 2-3 layers of tails up into any, just not glass containers, plastic biscuit boxes, special for the microwave oven and freezing. Close the boxes and put in the freezer.
Frozen strawberries with sugar
To freeze strawberries with sugar, any strawberry, just not rotten, will do.
You can put a beautiful strawberry without tails in a container and pour sugar. Take care of the ideal drying is not necessary. Allow the sugar to dissolve slightly. Close tightly and put in the freezer. In the winter you will receive sweet berries, which you can decorate with ice cream, champagne or just for nothing. Sweet aromatic juice can be added to the cocktail, tea.
You can pour berries with cold syrup and put in the freezer. In this case, the berries are more beautiful and whole. In syrup, it is ideal to freeze a large slice of Giantelle and Slonik varieties cut by slices, t. they taste sourish.
The recipe for the syrup is simple: 1 liter of water, sugar - 300 g, citric acid - 5 g (or lemon juice -1 tbsp).
Frozen strawberry puree is ideal for sauces, kissels, like filling pies, in creams. In a blender, chop a small or crumpled strawberry with sugar. Pour the mashed potatoes in the cold container or bags that are sealed and placed in the freezer. When necessary, cut the piece with a knife.How to prepare strawberries for freezing?
Many years of practice showed how to properly freeze fresh strawberries to preserve its appearance, and it was not sour. For this you need:
- Strawberry is torn in the morning to dew, then it is most useful, or when the heat decreases before sunset, then it is the most fragrant and dry. If you tear with the onset of heat or in wet weather, the strawberry when frozen, turns loose and tasteless.
- Fresh clean strawberries, ripped from the garden do not need to be washed, it's best to blow a cold air from the hair dryer and can be immediately frozen. The berries are alive for 3 hours, they retain a protective film of substances that prevent the reproduction of bacteria and viruses.
- But if the strawberry has stood for more than 3 hours or you bought it on the market, then you need to wash the berries. Strawberry is a very delicate berry, a jet of water will beat the thin skin. Therefore, it is washed, lowering the colander with it in a container of water. The water must flow well. Strawberry for the tails are laid out to dry on a soft hb. cloth or paper towels.
- Depending on the grade and degree of maturity, remove the tails and lightly sprinkle with sugar.
- Not all strawberries are suitable for dry frost. Not suitable succulent and large, early, the first 2 fees. Freeze dense and dry varieties, it is better with a dark red color. Basically, these are hybrids with garden strawberries and remontant ones.
- The appearance and taste is very influenced by the defrosting mode. Defrost should be slow, gradually at 0 degrees Celsius. This is best if the box with strawberries is placed in the refrigerator on the top shelf or in a short defrosting mode in the microwave.
Freezing is the simplest, cost-effective and useful way of billets for future use.
Most housewives, having modern refrigerators with freezers with different temperature regimes, flatly refuse to canning in jars and jam.