How to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator: shelf life with photos

Is it possible to freeze cherries for the winter?

You can freeze cherries. But you should pay attention to the variety of berries and the effect of low temperatures on their pulp. All varieties of cherries are divided into two types: Moreli and Amoreli.

The former have a more sour taste and darker fruits:

Shubinka;
Lyubskaya;
Griot;
Vladimirskaya;
Anadolskaya;
Zhukovskaya.

When frozen, these berries lose neither taste nor aroma. The pulp remains the same rich color as fresh. Amoreli (Melitopol dessert, Shpanka, Amorel pink) have pink or light red flesh and a sweeter taste.

Important! In winter, cherries will become an additional source of vitamin C. They also contain vitamins A, B, PP, K and E, mineral salts and organic acids. It will help people with cardiovascular diseases to compensate for the deficiency of potassium, magnesium and folic acid.

What are the benefits of frozen cherries?

Not all types of thermal effects have a detrimental effect on the berry. When frozen, the product does not lose its shape and characteristic taste. Unlike other berries, it does not become watery. If you properly freeze cherries for the winter, you can preserve their rich composition. It is represented by the following substances:

ascorbic acid;
iodine;
phosphorus;
cobalt;
sodium;
pectin;
coumarins;
iron;
copper;
sulfur;
vitamins of groups B, E, H, PP and A;
fructose and sucrose.

Replenishing the supply of essential substances in the body strengthens the immune system, which, in turn, helps cope with viral and colds. Due to the presence of pectin in the composition, cherries stimulate the intestines. Thanks to coumarin, the product reduces blood clotting and cleanses the vascular cavity from harmful cholesterol. Therefore, it is often used to strengthen capillaries. The beneficial properties of frozen berries include:

bactericidal effect;
calming effect;
stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract;
preventing the growth of malignant cells;
normalization of metabolism;
strengthening the immune system;
blood thinning;
expectorant effect;
prevention of anemia.

Frozen cherries are used not only for cooking, but also for medicinal purposes. In combination with other traditional medicine, its effectiveness increases markedly. It helps cope with colds and flu by replenishing the supply of vitamins in the body. It contains substances that have an antipyretic effect. By stimulating metabolism, the berry can promote weight loss. In addition, it can be used as an alternative to baked goods and high-calorie desserts. Cherries can reduce the body's need for sweets. Thanks to its pectin content, it can be used to combat constipation.

Product selection and preparation

It is best to freeze freshly picked berries, so they will retain all the vitamins. It is recommended to choose only ripe cherries (under-ripe or over-ripe ones will have neither benefit nor pleasant taste). There is no need to wash the berries in warm (and especially hot) water. Only when it's cool. Before freezing, they should be allowed to dry thoroughly from moisture. The most optimal temperature is considered to be from -18 to -23 ˚C. With this mode, the berries are stored for up to 8 or 12 months.

Useful tips

Tip 1

It is recommended to freeze cherries in the freezer in small portions. This way, you will avoid the need to defrost the entire mass in order to separate a small part from it. It is best to make 300-500 gram portions.

Tip 2

Improper defrosting can not only worsen the appearance of the berries, but also reduce the amount of nutrients. The main rule is to avoid sudden temperature changes. First you need to transfer the berries from the freezer to the general chamber of the refrigerator to thaw, then bring them to room temperature.

Preparing the Freezer

The freezer must be perfectly clean. It is very convenient to use refrigerators with a super freeze function. This mode should be activated approximately 5 hours before you plan to freeze the fruit.

If you need to defrost the refrigerator, you need to ensure that the containers with berries do not thaw. To do this, wrap the containers in burlap with a cotton pad or old blankets. This will prevent loss of cold.

Advice! In ordinary plastic bags, berries can be greatly deformed. It is better to freeze them immediately on a tray or on a flat dish, and then pack them into bags, tying them tightly. Baking trays lined with parchment paper will also work. But it is worth remembering that cherries have the ability to absorb foreign odors.

How to defrost cherries correctly

To prevent the berry from turning into porridge, it must be properly defrosted. It is advisable to place it on the refrigerator shelf for 3-5 hours. Only after this the product is left at room temperature. You can quickly defrost cherries using a microwave. In this case, you need to place the berries in a special container and turn on the device to the “Quick defrost” mode. The duration of the process depends on the number of berries and the power of the microwave.

If you pour hot water over the fruit or place it in a too warm place, you can damage the structure. The berries in the bag should be placed in a container with cold water. This will speed up the defrosting process.

Methods for freezing cherries at home

The freezing method depends on how you plan to dispose of the cherries later. If it is used as a filling for pastries, it is better to get rid of the seeds before freezing. If you use it to make compotes, jelly or jelly, you can leave the seeds. This will make the berries more juicy.

With sugar

Whole berries should be washed and dried well. After this, they must be placed in a container for freezing, sprinkled with sugar in layers, closed and placed in the freezer. In the case when seedless fruits are prepared in this way, after removing the seeds, the preparations should be left for a while to allow the juice to drain from them, and only after that can they be sprinkled with sugar.

With a bone

To properly freeze cherries with pits, dry berries should be laid out in one layer directly in the freezer and frozen. Then distribute into containers and put back in the freezer. If you immediately pack the berries into containers, they will stick together into one unsightly lump, and upon subsequent defrosting they will have an unsightly appearance. Cherries are suitable for consumption only for the next 6 (subject to all rules) 8 months.

Pitted

It is also better to freeze seedless berries using the dry method. Place on cutting boards, sprinkle sugar on top and place in the freezer. Then do as described above. When packaging in plastic containers, alternate a ball of berries with a layer of granulated sugar.

Advice! If your family loves compotes, you can freeze assorted berries. This way the taste of the drink will be more interesting and richer.

You can combine cherries with currants, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. This method is also convenient because the berries do not need to be defrosted before cooking.

In sugar syrup

An excellent solution for those with a sweet tooth. To do this, pour a liter of water into a saucepan and add 1.5 kg of granulated sugar. Simmer over heat, stirring until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the syrup from the stove and let it cool. In the meantime, the washed pitted cherries must be divided into portioned containers. Pour completely with cooled syrup. 2 hours is enough for the berries to be saturated with sugar. Can be frozen.

For cocktails

For those who like to pamper themselves and loved ones with exquisite cocktails, this method will appeal to them. In addition, the berries will look incredible, as if they were placed in transparent glass.

You need to wash the ice trays and wipe them dry. Place one cherry in each cell and pour boiled water at room temperature. Cover the molds with lids (if there are none, regular cling film will do). The water should freeze completely.

Cherry puree

Option one

You can achieve the desired consistency using a meat grinder, sieve or blender (a mixer will also work). A little granulated sugar will do: 200-300 g for 1 kg of berries. It should melt. Place the resulting mixture into portioned bowls and place in the freezer.

Option two

Separate a third of one kilogram of washed, dry, pitted cherries. Grind this portion to a puree. Mix with granulated sugar. The crystals should dissolve. Place whole berries at the bottom of plastic containers and pour in the puree. The product is ready to be frozen.

Option three

Puree with cherries and raspberries is aromatic and healthy. Remove the seeds from washed and dry cherries. Carefully sort the raspberries and make them into a homogeneous mass. Add granulated sugar to it (for 1 kg of mixture you will need ½ kg of sugar). Place cherries in the bottom of a plastic bowl and pour in raspberry puree. Close the lid tightly and place in the freezer.

Preparing berries for freezing

Cherries are also so valuable because they are extremely simple to prepare. It is equally easy to prepare for jam, for drying, and for compote. Freezing cherries for the winter is no exception. The entire pre-preparation process comes down to a few steps:

Sort through the cherries, discarding all rotten and damaged berries.
Carefully remove all stems and other debris.
Wash the cherries as carefully as possible in cold water.
Allow excess moisture to drain from the berries.
Scatter the cherries on towels (preferably paper) and dry off excess moisture. Don’t ignore this step: wet cherries, even with the most gentle freezing method, will be inferior in taste to dried ones.

If you want to leave the cherries with pits, then this is where the preparation of the berries ends. In other cases, you will need to perform two more steps:

Remove the seeds from the cherries manually or using a special device. Collect the draining juice in a clean container and do not throw it away, because it is very tasty.
If you choose to freeze individual berries using the quick method, lightly dry the cherries on paper towels.

Note: it is advisable to carry out the pitting procedure immediately before freezing, and immediately place the cherries in a container for freezing. Of course, if you do not freeze the cherries as individual berries.

Further storage

Before freezing, divide the cherries into individual portions of a maximum of half a kilogram. You can use plastic cups or containers with lids as containers.

For storage, you can use special bags with a vacuum seal. It is easy to spread the berries in one thin layer. This will prevent them from choking and keep their shape. It is imperative to release the air from the bag, otherwise the shelf life of the cherries will be sharply reduced. To save space, stack the bags on top of each other in the freezer.

How long do frozen berries last?

You can store pitted cherries as long as you like. But whole ones are a special issue. It is believed that the seeds release hydrocyanic acid over time. Therefore, it is recommended to reduce the shelf life to a year.

Do I need to remove the seeds?

Freezing with a bone will cause fewer problems:

takes less time - the products only need to be washed and sorted;
allows you to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the finished product - the integrity is not compromised, juice does not leak, and the pulp is not deformed.

Disadvantage: limited use. The preparation is good for making drinks and decorating. For baked goods, dumplings, and desserts, it is better to use pitted cherries.

Defrosting rules

It seems like there shouldn't be any problems with this process. But that's not true. This also has its own specifics. Housewives often feel sorry for spending a lot of time on such a simple task. The microwave, defrosting in warm water and other quick methods are used, which do more harm than good.

Under the influence of a sharp temperature contrast, vitamins and beneficial microelements are destroyed. The skin of the berries may burst, the pulp loses its elasticity and precious juice. This causes the fruits to become wrinkled and change their shape. Such fruits will not bring any benefit, and there will be little aesthetic pleasure from eating them.

It’s easier with berries that were prepared for compotes and other drinks. From the freezer you can immediately transfer them to a pan and start cooking.

Advice! Frozen cherries are eaten in the same way as fresh ones. Jams, jams, and compotes are made from it. Perfect as a filling for pies and dumplings, it is used to decorate cakes and pastries. A delicate dessert is made from whipped cottage cheese with the addition of cherries. You can safely prepare various infusions, as well as interesting sauces for meat dishes.

And if you want to eat the cherries whole or add them to your favorite yogurt, you need to remove them from the freezer a day before eating. The container with fruit is moved from the chamber to the top shelf of the refrigerator. The temperature there is higher, but still not the same as indoors. This is the best decision. Also do before preparing mousses or jellies.

What if you bake a pie? A caveat needs to be made here. For all types of dough, except for biscuits and casseroles, berries without defrosting are suitable. Biscuit dough will not work if droplets of moisture get into it, and the casserole may not bake. Having frozen cherries on the table in winter is a great success. With their help, you can prepare many more interesting dishes and delight your family with the taste of sunny summer.

How to properly freeze cherries for cocktails

When preparing cherries for making cocktails, the visual component is important. This product option is perfect for hot weather. The following ingredients will be required:

mint leaves;
cherry;
boiled water.

Cooking process:

Ice trays are thoroughly washed with warm water.
A mint leaf and a berry are placed in each cell. Then fill with water.
The form is put in the freezer for one day. After the specified time, berry ice can be used for its intended purpose.

Mint leaves should be washed thoroughly before freezing.

Basic Rules

It would seem that it could be simpler than freezing berries. I put it in the storage chamber and that’s it.

But no, in order for the frozen cherries to turn out whole and neat, you must follow the following recommendations:

Freshly picked fruits must be frozen; the longer they are stored, the less useful they are;
Do not use damaged or overripe berries;
Do not freeze wet berries, they will stick together and lose their “marketable” appearance;
freezing should be carried out in portions;
For storage, you need to use separate containers so that when selecting the required amount you do not damage the cherries located nearby.