Freezing cherries for the winter at home: pitted and pitted

Freezing cherries is one of the best ways to preserve the maximum of the berry's nutrients.

You can properly freeze cherries for the winter in several proven ways.

Is it possible to freeze cherries

You can freeze cherries in the freezer. If you follow all the nuances of this storage method, then vitamins will remain almost in full. And the aroma and taste will also be preserved, especially if it is quick freezing.

Early varieties are not suitable for freezing for the winter. They are distinguished by a disproportionate ratio of pulp and juice. Therefore, frozen fruits do not have their useful properties, they lose their taste. Late varieties with dense pulp are suitable for freezing.

Freezing methods for cherries

There are several ways in which you can properly freeze a berry at home.

Shock (fast). It features a three-stage temperature drop. The first is cooling to 0 ° C, the second phase is reduction to -5 ° C, the third is freezing to -18 ° C.
In one layer (in bulk). The option with and without a bone is suitable. It is much faster with whole fruits.
With sugar.
With syrup.
In its own juice.

Preparing cherries for freezing

In order for the freezing process to go well, it must be carried out correctly.

Do I need to wash cherries before freezing

Be sure to wash the fruits. Remove stalks and low-quality specimens at the same time.
Put on a napkin or towel to glass the water.
Important! It is necessary to lay out the fruits for drying in a thin layer.
After drying, spread out in one layer on boards (glass, plastic) and place in the freezer.
To get a multi-tiered masonry, you can shift the cherries with different objects - small boxes or cups.
After 2 days, pack in packages and send to the camera.

How to freeze pitted cherries in the freezer

Freezing fruits with seeds is the best option for preparing compotes. This is the fastest way.

Preparing berries for freezing

It is important to remove the stalks and remove spoiled and overripe specimens. To do this, the crop is sorted out, removing low-quality fruits.

How to properly freeze cherries

Lay out on a pallet and place in the chamber. As soon as the berries "set", pour them into a storage container.

How to freeze pitted cherries for the winter

Pitted freezer is used in winter as a filling for pies, dumplings or jellies. The procedure is longer due to the preliminary preparation stage.

Preparation of berries

Wash, remove stalks, dry.

To perform the pitted freezer option, you first need to remove them with a toothpick, pin or special device.

Important! Remove the kernels carefully so as not to damage the pulp or release the juice.

Cherry freezing process

For prepared seedless berries, use a colander to drain excess liquid. Then put on flat plates or containers, place to freeze. After a day, you can already divide the entire volume into portions and pack it into bags.

How to freeze sweet cherries with sugar

This option is used for sweet dishes.

Freezing fruits with sugar can be done in different ways. The method depends on the further application and the preference of the culinary specialist.

With bones. Go through, wash, remove the stalks. Put in one layer on a board, place in the freezer. When the layer freezes, fill the container, sprinkling each layer with granulated sugar. To pack well.
Seedless. Remove seeds from the fruit, spread immediately in layers in containers. Sprinkle sugar over each layer. Freeze.

Frozen cherries, mashed with sugar

In other words, it's mashed potatoes. Remove seeds, chop the fruits with a blender, mix with sugar. Then arrange into containers, put in the freezer.

Puree can be made homogeneous or with pieces of pulp. Cover the container with foil. Then in winter it will be easier to cut off the required amount of workpiece.

How to freeze fresh cherries in your own juice for the winter

For this method, a seedless berry is suitable.

Select the most overripe and soft fruits.
Put separately, then grind with a blender, add a little sugar to taste.
Put the rest in containers, filling the containers halfway, pour the prepared puree, close the lid, send to the freezer.

How to freeze cherries in syrup for the winter in the refrigerator

To perform such a freeze, you will need to boil the syrup. Take the proportions of sugar and water 1: 1.

Boil until granulated sugar is completely dissolved, then cool. The temperature of the solution should be lower than the indicator in the room. This can be done quickly by placing the container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Cover the container with a plastic bag.
Place clean, pitted berries, pour over the syrup.
Set to freeze.
Then remove from the container, release the air, tie the bag.

Is it possible to freeze yellow cherries

Of the yellow varieties, species with dense peel and pulp are suitable for freezing. Another sign is that the bone should be well separated.

If the peel is thin, then after thawing it will burst, and the flesh will spread.

Important! Yellow fruits change color after freezing.

How to freeze yellow cherries

Select berries with a dense, whole peel, wash, pour into a container.
Alternate each layer with granulated sugar.

You can prepare a mix by combining red and yellow varieties of the same ripening period.
A good way is mashed potatoes. It does not distort the taste and retains its beneficial properties after defrosting.

What can be cooked from frozen cherries in winter

Frozen berry is a unique product for winter cooking

aromatic drinks;
compotes;
fruit drinks;
fillings for pies and dumplings;
jelly;
berry puddings.

Many housewives independently compose recipes for exclusive dessert dishes from frozen fruits and pamper their family members with them in winter.

Frozen cherries: benefits and harms

Like any product, this frozen berry has useful qualities, but it can also be harmful. The main thing is that after freezing, the benefits do not decrease.

The benefits of frozen cherries:

relieves painful manifestations;
able to lower cholesterol levels;
smoothes wrinkles and removes acne;
regulates bowel function;
has a low calorie content.

The harm of the berry manifests itself with excessive use. Be careful

with gastritis;
with diabetes mellitus;
with allergic manifestations.

Rules and shelf life of frozen cherries

The optimal shelf life is 10-12 months. This is the period during which the berry can be stored well if the temperature of the freezer is strictly observed. It should be -18 ºС.

The fruits are stored tightly packed and well insulated so that they are not saturated with foreign odors during the winter.

Conclusion

Freezing cherries is one of the economical options for preserving fruits for the winter. The method is chosen depending on how you plan to use the workpiece.

Testimonials

Elena, Novocherkassk

I recently discovered a frozen berry: I read reviews about freezing cherries for the winter in one culinary magazine. I am very pleased with the late-ripening red-fruited varieties. I freeze with and without nucleoli, I liked the mashed potatoes in the last season. This is almost ready-made filling, so the pies are tasty and fast. It is very pleasant to enjoy berries in winter!

Tatiana, Belgorod

From my own experience, I will say that white varieties are not suitable for freezing. They change color a lot and become tasteless. Maybe my grade is like that, but I got disappointed. But red is a completely different matter. In winter it is suitable for compotes, fruit drinks, dumplings. It is very profitable because the harvest is not lost. In the summer, everything goes to work.

How to freeze cherries in the pitted freezer