Is it possible to freeze cherry leaves for the winter. Frozen cherries - calorie content of the product; how to prepare for the winter at home with a video; use in cooking; benefit and harm. Freezer preparation

In the summer, be sure to prepare the most fragrant berry - cherry - for the winter, if you have a spacious freezer available. I will show you several ways to freeze it, from which you can cook compote or jam on cool days, create fragrant pies or desserts, cakes, make dumplings with cherries. During the ripening season, this berry is cheap, and for many it grows in the garden, so you definitely need to take your free time and freeze the cherries for the winter, so that you do not buy exorbitantly from dealers later!

In our region, the most popular and juicy cherry variety is Shpanka, many call it Vyshenade because of the mixing of cherry aroma and sweet cherry juiciness.

So, collect, purchase fresh berries and start freezing cherries for the winter!

Peel the cherries from the cuttings, pour into a deep bowl or bowl, cover with cold water and leave for 1-2 hours. This is done so that their inhabitants, if any, come out of the berries.

Then drain the water and rinse the berries several times. Divide the whole mass into 3 parts. Leave one as it is, remove the bones from the other two with your hands or with a special machine, a pin.

Put half of the cleaned mass into the bowl of a blender or food processor.

Grind in mashed potatoes for 2 minutes.

Put the pitted cherries in a separate bag - it will come in handy in winter to create fragrant compotes. Pitted cherries - also in a separate package. The blank can be used to create pies, dumplings, buns, add to desserts, cakes, etc. Pour the cherry puree into a freezer container or plastic containers - you can add it to cereals, casseroles, create fruit drinks, teas, etc. Tie or seal bags or containers carefully. Place them in the freezer. Cherry freezing for the winter is complete.

Even if you're not usually into freezing berries for the winter, be sure to leave room in the freezer for cherries. This summer berry is one of the easiest to harvest. It is perfect for both preservation and drying, but no method, except freezing, allows you to preserve cherries so that they seem fresh in winter. Whichever way you freeze it, it will still retain its taste and color, texture and characteristic shape. Unlike many summer berries, it will never turn watery. But preserving the aroma of the berries will not be so easy. Let's find out how to properly freeze cherries for the winter, so that, in addition to taste, it will delight you with an unforgettable aroma and a large number of vitamins.

With or without bones?

Cherries can be frozen whole, with or without seeds. At the same time, both options retain the shape of the berries and their texture equally well, but affect the taste of the cherry in different ways.

Seedless. Even pitted frozen cherries will remain intact and not watery, even if their shape may not be as perfect as frozen whole cherries. But since there is no actual difference between the texture, it is still better to free the cherries from the pits so that you can use them without defrosting and immediately add them to dishes.

With bones. Cherries frozen with seeds will require more careful preparation for their use in dishes (unless you plan to add them to compote). It will need to be completely defrosted, and then each berry is also injured in the process of removing the seed. As a result, the density will suffer, the texture will become almost mushy and significantly inferior to frozen berries without seeds. And much more time will be spent than if you took out seeds from fresh berries before freezing cherries.

Choosing cherries for freezing

If you want the perfect result and in practice make sure that frozen cherries are almost completely fresh, choose berries carefully. For high-quality freezing, an equally high-quality cherry is needed, namely:

ripe, but not overripe and by no means unripe berries;
cherries that have not been lying for more than 2 days - it must be just picked or purchased (especially long-term storage of berries in the refrigerator affects the result);
varieties with the most intense taste and aroma (do not pay any attention to the sweetness of the variety - any cherry after freezing will become sour and all its varietal advantages will disappear). It is believed that it is best to freeze the darkest cherries.

On a note: before freezing, it is better to "taste" cherries - prepare a dessert or dumplings with it, heat treatment and make sure that it is very tasty. Even cherries harvested from one tree within a week give a completely different taste. If you prefer a certain variety of cherries for a certain type of food, then freeze it.

Preparing berries for freezing

Cherries are also so valuable because of the extremely simple preparation. And for jam, and for drying, and for compote, preparing it is equally easy. No exception - freezing cherries for the winter. The whole process of preliminary preparation comes down to several steps:

Go through the cherries, discarding all rotten and damaged berries.
Remove all stalks and other debris carefully.
Wash the cherries as gently as possible in cold water.
Allow excess moisture to drain from the berries.
Sprinkle the cherries on towels (preferably paper towels) and dry them from excess moisture. Do not ignore this step: wet cherries, even with the most gentle method of freezing, will give way to dried ones in taste.

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

Remove the seeds from cherries by hand or using a special device. Collect the flowing juice in a clean container and do not pour it out, because it is very tasty.
If you choose to freeze the cherries with individual berries using the quick method, lightly dry the cherries on paper towels.

On a note: it is advisable to carry out the procedure for removing the seeds immediately before freezing, and immediately put the cherries in a dish for freezing. Unless, of course, you freeze the cherries with individual berries.

Freezing methods

Freezing cherries in separate containers

This is a versatile method for freezing cherries. It minimizes the loss of nutrients and aroma, but it is also effective in terms of taste. Many consider this method to be the simplest, because all work comes down to preparing berries and laying them out in containers. Cherries frozen in this way are suitable for use in drinks, desserts, and even sauces or dumplings.

This way you can freeze berries with or without seeds.

The most important thing is the correct choice of containers. You can freeze cherries in portions:

in containers or plastic utensils that can withstand negative temperatures;
in special bags for freezing;
in plastic tight bags.

Cherries, unlike other berries, are easy to separate in the right amount after freezing, so using containers that can fit just one serving is not at all necessary. Although, of course, freezing enough for one meal is still ideal. However, even in large containers, cherries will peel off easily. Therefore, choose the size of containers and packages based on free space and your own convenience.

The technology for freezing cherries in containers is simple:

Place the prepared cherries in clean containers, distributing the berries so that there is a minimum amount of air.
Close the containers with a lid, release the air from the bags and close them tightly.
Send bags or containers to the quick-freeze section and wait for the berries to freeze, but do not overdo them in this section.
Transfer the cherry containers to the frozen food storage area.

Instant freezing of selected berries

This method has the greatest effect on the aroma and flavor of the berries. But on the other hand, it allows you to keep cherries in almost perfect condition, to get whole and very beautiful individual berries that are easy to separate and use. The loss of vitamins and nutrients, aroma and taste is not so important if cherries are used as decoration in gourmet desserts. Although the difference in appearance is not as noticeable as with other soft berries. Aesthetically, such cherries are only slightly better than frozen ones in containers.

The opinion is erroneous that only cherries with pits can be frozen this way. Of course, whole cherries will be easier and easier to freeze. But seedless berries can also be frozen using this method. True, before processing with negative temperatures, they will have to be dried a little, they will lose a lot of juice and taste.

Technique for freezing cherries with individual berries:

Be sure to cover the tray of the compartment for quick freezing or special boards and plates on which you will lay out the cherries with cling film (this item is especially important for freezing pitted cherries).
Arrange the berries carefully on pallets so that they do not touch each other. Cherries are frozen in only one layer and spread not as rarely as raspberries or strawberries, but at least with minimal gaps between the berries.
Carefully place the cherry base in the flash-freezer section and allow the berries to freeze completely. The faster the process goes, the better.
Remove containers of cherries from the freezer, transfer berries to a container, box or storage bag.
Send the cherries to the frozen food storage compartments.

Frozen cherries in sugar and sugar syrup

This method is not for nothing called the most gentle and gentle. The point is not only that cherries will retain their characteristic taste more fully, with a sensible sweetish note. It is freezing in sugar that will prevent the cherries from losing their aroma, retaining all the juice and all the flavor nuances. Cherries frozen in sugar can only be used in desserts and sweet dishes - but they will taste like fresh. It is believed to be ideal for dumplings.

Only pitted cherries are frozen by this method.

You can sprinkle cherries with sugar, or you can use an alternative method - the so-called "wet" method. It involves the complete dissolution of sugar before freezing, creating a syrup in which the cherries will float and remain even more juicy and beautiful. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. When covered with sugar, the cherry will be easier to separate, but in the syrup, it will have to be immediately divided into portions. And the taste nuances will be different: cherries, simply sprinkled with sugar, are less tasty, but more aromatic, and aged in syrup - more tasty. Try both methods and find the one that's perfect for you.

Such cherries can be frozen only in containers, respectively, and it will need a lot of space. In this case, the container must be strong, with a tight-fitting lid.

Sugar freezing technology:

Place prepared berries in a container in thin layers, sprinkling each with sugar.
Fill the entire container completely, tapping lightly after each layer to fill the voids.
Close containers tightly and send them to quick-freeze. The freezing process will take longer than that of sugar-free cherries.
After freezing, transfer the cherry containers to the storage section. Make sure the container is level: the juice may not completely freeze and leak when tilted.

Freezing technology in syrup:

Sprinkle the prepared cherries with sugar (in a ratio of 1 to 1 or less).
Gently mix the berries with sugar and let them stand in the refrigerator until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally.
Strain the cherries from the syrup and put them in freezer containers.
Fill the containers with the syrup, taking into account that the volume of the liquid will increase by 20% after freezing.
Place closed containers in the quick-freeze compartment and wait until it freezes completely (the syrup does not freeze well, it may not be completely frozen at all, so be guided by the freezing of berries).
Rearrange the containers in the storage compartments, making sure they are level.

On a note: in addition to "raw" syrup, you can also use boiled syrup, which will give the aroma a new note. This method will be faster. A thick syrup is boiled from sugar and water (for 1 kg of sugar - 500 ml of water), after boiling, raising its temperature for 4-5 minutes (up to 105 degrees). The syrup is completely cooled, the cherries are poured over it and the berries are infused for 2 hours, after which they are frozen in the same way as with the classical method.

How to store

Cherries frozen at home do not lose their characteristics for a very long time. If many summer berries after freezing can be stored for no longer than 1 year, then cherries will not lose their properties for at least 2-3 years. Of course, the longer it sits in the freezer, the less nutrients it will retain.

The only exception is frozen cherries with pits. Such cherries should be stored no longer than 12 months, so it is better to use them in the same winter.

How to use frozen cherries

Cherries, like any other frozen berry, should not be thawed before use. If you add it to baked goods or hot bases, prepare compote from it or even stuff dumplings, you do not need to defrost the berries.

If you need to remove seeds from it or use cherries in cold desserts and creams, then you will need to defrost it first:

let it thaw slowly on the top shelf of the refrigerator or at room temperature;
use a microwave, but only in extreme cases.

On a note: the juice released by cherries during defrosting will be very tasty and rich, suitable for both cooking and in drinks.

And some ideas on how to use frozen cherries:

for filling pies, pies and dumplings;
for making charlotte and various cherry pies;
in desserts and creams;
in fruit jelly and jelly;
for berry sauces;
in compotes and other drinks;
in hot dishes with meat and poultry;
in cold and hot snacks;
as a component of fruit and savory salads.

Many people love cherries, but few know how to store them properly. Of course, many people make cherry fruit drinks, jams and preserves, but the simplest and fastest way - the freezing method - is undeservedly forgotten. And in vain, because the freezing of cherries retains useful properties and vitamins, and the taste of the berry practically does not differ from fresh.

In addition, it is convenient to prepare drinks, pie fillings and other dishes from frozen berries. And how to properly freeze cherries at home, you will learn from this article.

How to properly freeze cherries

After harvesting, it's time to start freezing. If the seeds are not removed from the berries, they will retain more juice than without it.

Here are some rules for freezing cherries that are important to follow in order for the frozen product to be of the highest quality and most delicious:

The sooner after picking you freeze the berries, the tastier and healthier they will be.
Use only ripe and undamaged cherries for freezing, it is better to eat overripe immediately.
Wash and dry the berries.
Divide them into freezer bags. If you have regular bags, it is recommended that you first spread the fruit on a tray and send it to the freezer for half an hour, and then put it in the bag. At temperatures from -18 to -22, berries are stored for up to a year. It is better to store cherries in small portions up to 500 grams, since after defrosting the berries are not re-frozen.
The container in which the berries are stored must be airtight and well packed so that the fruits are not saturated with foreign odors.

Cherries frozen in sugar

To make sugar cherries, you need to take the following ingredients:

cherry - 0.5 kg;
sugar - 5-7 tbsp. spoons.

Wash the berries and remove the seeds. Place the fruits on a tray in the freezer for half an hour.

Place the berries in a container, alternating between a layer of berries and a layer of sugar. If you are freezing in bags, sprinkle the berries on a tray with sand before sending them to freeze for half an hour, and then put them in bags.

Cherries frozen for cocktails

You can use ice cubes with cherries for a beautiful cocktail presentation. For this we need:

boiled or filtered water;
mint leaves;
cherry;
molds for ice.

Frozen cherry puree

This method of freezing is suitable for overripe berries, since it is still impossible to freeze them entirely due to their mushy consistency.

To make cherry puree, we need:

blender;
cherry;
sugar (optional);
container, or other container.

Cherries should be frozen without pits. Grind the berries in a blender, adding sugar. Not very much sand is needed, otherwise the gruel will not freeze, for 1 kg of berries - a glass of sugar, or you can do without it at all.

Divide the resulting mass into containers, preferably using small containers, so that later you do not have to chip off pieces from the briquette.

Cherry puree can be used in pies, ice cream and other desserts.

Cherries in sugar syrup

Freezing cherries in sugar syrup will prevent them from losing their aroma, and they will taste fresh and juicy. To freeze cherries in syrup you will need:

cherry 0.5 kg;
granulated sugar 0.5 kg;
containers.

There are two ways to freeze cherries in syrup.

Method 1

Wash the cherries and remove the seeds.
Mix berries with sugar and refrigerate until sugar dissolves.
Strain the syrup through cheesecloth, pour the berries into a container and pour over the syrup without adding to the brim.
Place the containers in the freezer, be aware that the syrup may not freeze completely, so place the containers evenly.

Method 2

Prepare berries, remove seeds.
Boil the syrup by mixing 0.5 kg of sand and a glass of water.
Arrange the cherries in containers.
Pour the chilled syrup over the berries and wait 2 hours, then send the containers to the freezer.

Now you know how to properly freeze cherries for the winter, and you can use fragrant blanks for making desserts, dumplings and pies.

I want to show you how to freeze cherries in the refrigerator for the winter. This is the easiest way, but at the same time your berries will remain beautiful, will not lose juice and will not stick together when frozen.

Below I tell you in detail how to properly freeze cherries for the winter, so that later you can add them to various compotes, pies, pies, dumplings and much more. Indeed, in winter, a rather small assortment of different fruits is available to us, so pre-made preparations will definitely come in handy.

I have to freeze cherries at home every year, because I really love these berries and use them a lot. And the most delicious with them are biscuit cakes. So, I advise you to use my advice and freeze cherries for the winter. I also advise you to look, which is called five-minute and cook quickly and easily. Cooking it is quite economical and any housewife can handle this process.

It is necessary:

Cherries - any quantity
Freezer bags or plastic food containers

How to freeze pitted cherries for the winter

First of all, I'll tell you how to choose berries and whether you need to wash cherries before freezing. I always choose berries that have tails. They are always denser and the juice remains inside. Then I transfer them to a colander and rinse well under running water.

After that, I tear off the tails and put the berries on paper towels so that they dry out. Tear off the tails carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the berries. You do not need to remove the bones. Also at this time I remove those that I do not like in appearance, if they have any damage or they are not dense enough.

When they have already dried on all sides, I transfer them to a food plastic container or freezer bags. Then I send them to the freezer until they freeze completely. As you can see, freezing cherries for the winter at home is a simple and not long process.

Now you know how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator so that they retain all the juice and freeze with individual berries. Further I will use them in various baked goods. I advise you to freeze more of it.

Have you collected a large harvest of cherries and do not know what to do with it? Or just love this berry and want to eat it all year round? The best way to preserve it is to freeze it. So it will retain most of the vitamins that are in fresh fruits, only plucked from the tree. Today we will talk about how to freeze cherries for the winter.

Some people wonder if cherries can be frozen. Someone may quite rightly fear that the result will not be the best: the berries will lose their taste, shape, or even turn into porridge. Of course, thawed cherries will differ from fresh berries, but if all freezing conditions are met, these differences will be so insignificant that you will hardly notice them.

Freezer preparation

For the result to please you, you need to prepare the freezer before freezing the cherries. Adjust the temperature: berries should be stored at minus 18-23 degrees. Free up space in the pre-freezer compartment: there should be no other foods (especially those with a specific smell). This is primarily due to the fact that cherries absorb the surrounding aromas when frozen. In addition, the tray on which the berries will lie should be level so that they do not roll and stick to each other.

Of course, the freezer must be cleaned as usual: the drawers must be clean, without pieces of snow or ice on the walls.
Consider in what container you plan to store cherries - the place that needs to be freed up for berries depends on this.

Ways to freeze cherries at home
There are different options for freezing cherries yourself. When making a choice in favor of any of them, based on personal preferences and purposes of using the frozen product. For example, seeds with seeds are unlikely to be suitable for baking, but they will be an excellent option for compote.
With sugar
Cherries frozen in this way retain their aroma completely. They are perfect for making pies, dumplings and other pastries, and sugar berries can also be added to desserts. You only need to store such cherries in a container.
Place the prepared seedless fruits in one layer on the bottom of the container. Cover with sugar and tamp lightly. Repeat layers until space remains. Sugar must remain on top. After the container is full, close it with an airtight lid and immediately store it in the freezer.
With bone
This is the easiest way to harvest red berries for the winter. Put the prepared berries on a tray covered with cling film. Make sure that they do not touch the arcs of a friend. Place the tray gently in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. Send containers or bags for storage there.
After this time, remove the fruits from the freezer and quickly pour the berries into the prepared cooled container. Remove air from bags as much as possible, and close containers with airtight lids. If you act correctly, then you will get an excellent preparation of whole berries, which can later be used when cooking compote. Refrigerate containers or bags to prevent cherries from melting when they come into contact with heat.

Pitted
Despite the simplicity of the previous method, it is best to freeze pitted cherries. If you freeze whole berries, then, most likely, you will still need to get the seeds, and it is much easier to do this with fresh fruits.
First, remove the seeds from the prepared berries. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on a tray so that they do not touch each other, and let them lie down for a while. Then place it in the freezer for a few hours for the initial freeze. Do not forget that the container also needs to be cooled. After the specified time has elapsed, remove the cherries, transfer them to containers or a storage bag and send them for final freezing.
Such berries are more versatile: they can be used for baking, desserts, compotes, and also used as an independent dish.
In sugar syrup
Ingredients:
sugar - 3 kilograms;
water - 2 liters;
cherry.

Cooking method.
Mix sugar with water and cook until it boils to dissolve the grains. After that, cool the syrup. Arrange the prepared pitted cherries in containers and pour over the resulting syrup. Leave to infuse at room temperature for a couple of hours. After that, close the containers (be sure to use a sealed container) and send them to the freezer for storage.

For cocktails
If you like to drink cocktails and you like to decorate them beautifully, then this type of berry freezing is for you.
Ingredients:
water;
mint;
cherry.

Cooking.
Place mint leaves in ice cube trays. Add one berry at a time and cover with water. Send to the freezer until completely frozen. After the preparation, you can take it out, take out the pieces of ice with fruit and put it in bags for storage.
Cherry puree
Grind prepared cherries until mushy with a blender or meat grinder. You can add a little sugar if you like. The main thing here is not to overdo it. Mix everything thoroughly and pour into small containers. Keep in mind that you cannot re-freeze food, so try to use a different container for each serving. Close the lid and send to freeze.
If you use mashed potatoes as a pie filling, you won't even need to defrost it. Just remove the bar from the container - it will melt in the oven and let the juice out.
Can frozen cherries be preserved
The answer to this question is unequivocal - you can. The only thing that can influence the decision to preserve frozen berries is their possible deformation after thawing. There are no other restrictions. Hence, we can conclude that freezing these fruits is the best option for harvesting for the winter. Indeed, it is no longer possible to make freezing from compote or jam, but you can prepare conservation from frozen cherries if you wish.
Further storage
For storing berries, special vacuum bags with a fastener or airtight containers are best suited. This way you can achieve a minimum amount of air that negatively affects the safety of the fruit. Plus, you don't have to worry about syrup or mashed potatoes spilling out and dirtying the freezer.
Of course, you can also use regular containers or plastic bags. But in this case, you need to ensure that the surface where the cherries will be stored is flat, and the bags are carefully tied. Be sure to control the presence of air in the container.
How many frozen berries are stored
If all storage conditions are met, cherries should be consumed within a year. Particular attention should be paid to whole berries, frozen with a bone. Unfortunately, over time, the bones secrete hydrocyanic acid, which is extremely unhealthy for any person. For this reason, such fruits are best consumed as soon as possible.
Don't forget to sign the packing date. You should not rely on your memory, especially if this is not the only preparation for the winter. Thanks to this inscription, you will not miss the term until which you need to use the product.
Defrosting rules
It turns out thawing cherries is not always necessary. For example, if you cook compote or plan to use it in baked goods (with the exception of biscuit and casserole), you can take frozen berries. When adding fruit to most desserts, defrosting is also not required.

But if you still had to defrost the cherries, it is best to do this gradually. Remove the berries in advance (about 24 hours) and place them on the top shelf of the refrigerator. At room temperature, and even more so in the microwave, it is undesirable to defrost them. And remember that re-freezing is excluded, so calculate the amount of food you take.