How to freeze fruits, vegetables and berries

Rich harvest is a joy for any gardener, but it is also a problem, because I want to save every grown fruit, vegetable or berry. Part of the crop can be eaten fresh, used to prepare jams and pickles, and part may be frozen. The main thing – to do it right, not to get a result without a sticky wad of flavor and aroma.

 

How to freeze berries and fruits

Fruits and berries can be frozen whole or in slices, in pure form, in syrup, pureed, or dusted with sugar. Purees can be made from peaches, because otherwise they lose vitamin C and can darken with age. Peaches keep well in the freezer if they fill with syrup. If the fruit is still in its natural form, it is recommended before freezing, to remove his skin and a few minutes of soaking in acidulated lemon water. Plums and apricots can be frozen by any method, removing the bone. Pears need to be cut into 4 pieces, and after core removal it is recommended to blanch a few minutes in sugar water. The best way to store pears in syrup.

Strawberries and raspberries can pour the sugar (150 g of sugar 1 kg of strawberries and 300 g of sugar per 1 kg of raspberry). Of strawberries before freezing to remove the stem.

All small berries (blueberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries) can be frozen in any way, but not necessarily removing twigs. The cherries and cherries frozen with pits or without, these fruits are convenient to freeze and puree, which can be used for compotes, pie fillings or fruit fillings.

How to freeze vegetables

Convenient option of freezing peppers with matryoshka. To do this, remove the core and stems, and then put the peppers in a single one. If pepper is desired for stews, it is better to chop it into pieces.

Tomatoes for freezing best to choose not very large – cherry, plum or finger. And large better to make tomato puree, which is ideal for cooking pasta or soups.

Cucumbers freeze rarely, choosing only a very small and sturdy.

Before freezing broccoli and cauliflower, cabbages need to parse into florets and soak in salt water for 20-30 minutes and then drop into boiling water for just a few minutes. After the blossoms have cool, obsushite paper towel and immediately send in the freezer on a tray or baking sheet. Once the cabbage freezes, it can shift in containers or packages.

Eggplant pre-cut slices and sprinkle with salt, went to the bitterness (it will take approximately 20-30 minutes). In some cases the eggplant first baked, removing the stalk and cleaning the peel and then freeze – in this case, the vegetable can be used in winter for cooking eggs or salads.

Green peas are frozen immediately after harvest, so it retains vitamins. To freeze the peas the best one layer, pre-dropping in boiling water for a few minutes, letting it cool and dry. In this case, it will not stick together.

All vegetables, fruits and berries is recommended to freeze in portions, because after defrost return the unused portion in the freezer will not work.