Ingredients:

• Fresh red currant

How to freeze red currants with whole berries step by step instructions with a photo:

Step 2

If there is such a need, rinse and dry the berries. Sort out the currants, removing the spoiled and crumpled berries, leaves and stalks.

Step 3

Arrange the berries in one layer on plates and send them to the freezer for 1-2 hours to freeze.

Step 4

Fold the frozen berries in portions into freezer bags. Send to freezer for storage. The frozen red currants are ready.

We will need:

• Blender
• Freezer plastic container
• Colander

Ingredients:

• Sugar
• Fresh red currant

How can you freeze red currants

Red currants are highly prized for their medicinal properties. It is not for nothing that these berries have long been considered the berries of health. Red currants contain a lot of pectins, which help to remove toxins and toxins from the body.

Berries help prevent the development of inflammatory processes. Red currants are rich in sugars, organic acids, mineral salts and vitamins. Red currants are especially important in their content of vitamins A, C and R. Potassium contained in these berries has a beneficial effect on the work of the heart and removes excess fluid from the body. Fresh berries are good for increasing appetite and promoting the absorption of animal protein.

The harvesting period for red currants is rather short. Therefore, during this time it is necessary to have time to prepare red currants for the winter. It can be rubbed raw with sugar to make jelly. Almost all vitamins are preserved in this form, but there is also a rather important drawback: a very large amount of sugar is added to the currants.

There is an alternative in which vitamins are preserved, but the amount of sugar can be significantly reduced. Freeze red currant puree with sugar. With this method of freezing, very little sugar is added to the puree. Such mashed potatoes can be simply added to tea with a spoon, or simply feast on in winter, spread on a piece of bun.

And frozen red currants in the form of whole berries will help you beautifully decorate desserts in winter, and you can also make fruit drink, compote or jelly from it.

How to freeze red currants in the form of mashed potatoes with sugar step by step instructions with a photo:

Step 1

For work, we need red currants - 1 kg, sugar - 150 g, a blender, a colander, plastic containers for freezing.

While summer still pampers us with warm sunny days, and the harvesting season is in full swing, it's time to think about how to preserve vitamins and the incomparable taste of summer berries for a cold winter. So, today we will talk about currants. This wonderful berry with a unique sweet and sour taste can be prepared in several ways, but the simplest and most gentle for the nutrients contained in currants is freezing. Unlike preservation, when frozen, berries, fruits and vegetables retain up to 90% of minerals and vitamins, since the thermal effect during freezing is "shock", and not gradual, as when cooking jam or compote.

In the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, currants can be literally until the next berry season without loss of taste, however, useful trace elements will be destroyed after 3 months. Now let's take a closer look at how to freeze currants for the winter in order to raise the mood and immunity of loved ones all very winter with vitamin cocktails, fruit drinks, compotes, aromatic pastries, desserts and sauces from frozen currants, which taste no different from fresh berries.

We suggest you look at some photos of recipes for dishes that you can cook with frozen currants:

WidgetError: Widget path not specified

How to freeze currants for the winter: a few rules and tips

So that the harvested currant does not lose its shape and taste, it is necessary to follow a few simple rules when freezing:

Freeze only fresh and ripe berries. Overripe currants can lose their appearance and taste, deformed under the influence of low temperature. Therefore, it is ideal to freeze ripe but firm berries.

It is advisable not to wash currants, especially black currants, before freezing, since it absorbs excess liquid, which deforms the berries during freezing and subsequent defrosting. Of course, it will be possible to wash the berry immediately before use, but some housewives like to add currants to baked goods that have not yet been defrosted - this way it turns out to be more juicy. How to be in this case? In principle, you can refuse to wash the berry with a clear conscience if it is plucked from a bush from your own garden, and if no chemicals were used in its cultivation. But if the currants are bought on the market, they must be washed in any case. After washing, it should be wiped thoroughly and allowed to dry for several hours. Only after that you can proceed to the direct freezing procedure.

It is advisable to freeze currants, like any other berry, in small portions, since it is categorically not recommended to freeze already defrosted foods a second time. Therefore, before freezing the currants, calculate the portion sizes your family will need, such as making a pie, compote, or other delicious meals.

Freezing temperature

It is believed that the optimal temperature value for freezing currant berries is in the range from 18 to 23 degrees below zero. It is at this temperature that instant freezing is achieved, which allows you to preserve a maximum of vitamins and taste. However, not every housewife has such a freezer at her disposal. You can freeze currants at temperatures from 0 to -4, but the shelf life of such a product will be reduced to 3-4 months. By the way, frozen currants can be stored at a temperature of -2 degrees.

Before freezing red or black currants for the winter in a regular freezer, the temperature in which does not reach -18 degrees, it is necessary to cool it for several hours by holding the berry ready for freezing in the main refrigerator compartment. Lids of containers or plastic bags in which the berries will be frozen, while it is better to leave a little ajar. It is necessary to close the container only before placing it in the freezer.

What container to choose for frozen berries?

The optimal container for the preparation of frozen currants is selected depending on the method of freezing and the convenience of storage of the product. For example, to store and freeze currant puree, grated with or without sugar, it is better to use plastic containers with hermetically sealed lids. For dry frozen berries, you can use both containers and plastic bags. As for the shape of the container, it is better to use rectangular containers - this will save space in the freezer. If you plan to freeze currants in bags, you can also give them a rectangular shape: carefully pack the frozen currants in a bag, which you place in a plastic container. Then place the container in the freezer and wait for the bag to square and remove. The berries packed in this way can be stored in the freezer very conveniently and compactly.

Methods for freezing currants

Red or black currants need to be sorted out, separated from the stalks, washed and dried thoroughly if necessary. Arrange the berries in one layer on a large kitchen board or a thick sheet of plastic, then put them in the freezer. When the berries are frozen, pour them into the container of your choice and return to the freezer. Repeat the procedure until all berries are frozen. If you have a powerful freezer, you can immediately pour the berries into containers or bags, place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and when the currants freeze, shake the container so that the berries separate from each other.

How to freeze currants with sugar for the winter

Currants with sugar can be frozen as mashed potatoes or whole berries.
For the first option, you need to rinse and dry the berries well, grind them with a blender, food processor or other device in mashed potatoes with added sugar. The amount of sugar is determined by taste, but on average, you can take about 200 g of granulated sugar per 1 kg of berries. Arrange the finished puree in storage containers and freeze.

To freeze the currants with sugar with whole berries, you can sprinkle them with layers of granulated sugar or simply stir. Then the procedure completely repeats the process of dry freezing of currants.

Let's consider its features and find out what needs to be done to preserve the maximum useful properties and taste of the fruit. How to freeze red currants for the winter correctly?

The ideal temperature range for storing frozen red currants is between 16 and 21 degrees of cold. Storage is also possible from 0 to 8 degrees of cold, but then the shelf life will be only a few months.

For the product, bags made of polyethylene or plastic containers are suitable. Rectangular containers will fit perfectly into the freezer in shape and will save space.

Currants cannot be re-frozen, so all thawed berries must be put into action immediately. For this reason, the fruits are laid out in containers in portions. Red currants are not sent for storage with other varieties, because aromas and tastes will simply mix during storage.

Selection and washing of currants before freezing

Red currants are removed from the bush, already ripe, plucking together with a branch. For subsequent freezing, you must carefully select the fruits so as not to spoil the winter harvest. Ripe medium-sized berries are suitable.

Do not freeze unripe or overripe specimens, as they will change taste during storage, and may crack during preparation for freezing or after thawing. Cracking the skin will lead to the loss of valuable vitamin juice.

Large and small specimens are used to make compote or berry jam. The harvested crop is carefully sorted out, separating the fruits from the branches and stalks, checking for the presence of insects and various small debris. Only high-quality berries are suitable for freezing, on which there is no damage or traces of rot. All rotten and injured berries are usually thrown away.

Fruits are not advised to be washed under water, because they are able to absorb moisture, which will subsequently lead to a change in shape. If you removed the berries from the bush yourself in your own summer cottage, this rule is recommended to be observed.

However, crops bought under market conditions or visibly stained with soil must be rinsed with cool water under a tap. Do not use hot water, because scalded currants have a shorter shelf life.

It is advised to use a colander with a berry overturned on it. Do not allow a stream of water to pour directly onto the crop: it will damage the delicate skin.

Drying berries

Wet fruits are laid out on a lint-free towel and left to dry for two hours. A cotton towel or regular paper towel will work. The water must leave the berries, otherwise, during freezing, it will turn into ice and spoil the product. You can also cover the top with a cloth to absorb excess liquid.

Pre-freezing

To preserve freshness and nutritional value, they came up with a trick called "pre-freezing". If you resort to this procedure, the berries will stay longer and retain the maximum amount of nutrients and juice.

To begin with, the prepared berries must be tightly packed in a container (it will be ideal if you can pick up something that resembles a colander), which should then be removed to the refrigerator for two hours in order to first cool the fruits before freezing.

After a while, the container is removed from the refrigerator. Take a certain portion of the fruit, which is placed on a flat surface (for example, a kitchen board or tray) so that the fruits do not touch each other and do not stick together. The tray or board is placed in the freezer for three to four hours and then removed.

How to freeze?

There are several methods of freezing, each with its own characteristics. We will get to know them now.

In the fridge (freezer)

In the freezer of the refrigerator, red currants can be frozen in their own juice. The bottom of the container is covered with cling film, on which whole selected berries are spread.

From small and damaged fruits that are not suitable for freezing whole, they make mashed potatoes with a blender, to which you can add sugar to taste. With this mixture, the fruits are poured into containers, which are placed in the freezer for preliminary freezing. After a while, the resulting briquettes are wrapped in cling film and stored so on.

Dry freezing

The prepared and pre-frozen fruits are distributed in containers in portions. Do not put a lot of crops in one bag.

It is better to calculate the approximate number of berries that will be needed for simultaneous use, and arrange them in bags in such an amount. Packaged fruits are placed in a freezer and stored. If the volume of the freezer is small, the packages of berries must be placed vertically on top of each other.

The dry method of freezing is very popular among housewives due to its speed of implementation.

Frozen with sugar

Whole berries can be frozen along with granulated sugar. The fruits will not stick together and turn into a large lump, even if you do not resort to the pre-freezing method.

Sugar will prevent spoilage of the product's appearance. Prepared berries are placed in containers and sprinkled with granulated sugar. One kilogram of harvest takes 200 grams of sugar, but you can rely on your own intuition and not measure out the amount of sand, but simply pour it to taste.

After that, the resulting mixture is sent to the freezer. If they resort to preliminary freezing, then the berries are covered with sand right on the tray or kitchen board on which they are placed. Then the fruits are put into plastic bags and sent to the chamber.

Freeze in the form of puree

Red currants can be frozen puree. This blank is suitable for further preparation of fruit drinks and pie fillings. Usually, small and damaged berries are used for processing, that is, not a condition that cannot be frozen whole.

The fruits are crushed with a blender, placed in plastic containers and placed in the freezer without a lid to freeze. After that, they are closed with lids and stored.

If the freezer has a high capacity, the puree can be divided into portions in plastic bags. If desired, add sugar to the puree, so that you can then use the mixture to make delicious puddings or jelly.

Freeze with twigs

You can freeze red currants with branches only when later they will be used to make compotes.

Also, a prerequisite is the growth of fruits in your own garden. The branches with fruits are examined, sorted out, removing injured specimens, and pre-frozen on a tray or a special compartment in the freezer.

Then the product is distributed in containers or bags and sent to storage. Currants lose less juice. To prepare the compote, you do not need to resort to defrosting the currants, the fruits are thrown into the sweetened boiling water.

Storage period

In the frozen state, the berries lie for about six months, but preliminary freezing extends the shelf life to eight to nine months. Sometimes, after thawing, it turns out that the fruits are not suitable for consumption. This is indicated by a sluggish state, flowing juice and an unpleasant smell of fermentation.

Red currant is a very useful and aromatic berry, but most often black currant grows in our gardens. This article will focus on various ways to freeze red berries, but all of the freezing techniques discussed are quite suitable for other types of currants.

The berries are harvested as they ripen, picking off the currants along with a twig.

At home I need to sort it out. To do this, remove all the fruits from the brushes, and discard the crumpled and rotten berries.

You need to wash the red currants in a large saucepan or basin so that the stream of water does not fall on the berries. From the impact of the pressure of water, the delicate skin can burst.

If you pick currants in your garden and are completely sure of their purity, then it is better not to wash the berries at all.

The washed red currants must be thoroughly dried. This can be done on a cotton or paper towel. From above, the fruit can also be blotted with a cloth.

Methods for freezing red currants for the winter

Dry method of freezing currants

This is the simplest and cheapest way. The berry is prepared for freezing as described above.

If the currants are perfectly dry, then they can be immediately placed in plastic bags and sent to the freezer.

If the berry remains slightly damp after drying, then it must first be frozen on a flat surface in bulk for several hours. After the currants set in the cold, they are laid out in containers or bags.

See the video from the channel "Marinkiny Tvorinki" - Freezing red currants for the winter

How to freeze currants with sugar

With this method, clean berries are laid out in containers, sprinkled with granulated sugar. How much sugar do you need? This is a matter of everyone's taste preferences, but experienced housewives recommend using about a glass of granulated sugar for 1 kilogram of berries.

How to freeze berries in your own juice

Some of the berries are laid out in containers lined with cling film from the inside. The other part of the berries is mashed by grinding them with a blender. You can add sugar to the puree to taste.

The trays with red currants are poured with mashed potatoes and sent to the freezer for a day. After 24 hours, the containers are taken out, the berries frozen in their own juice are taken out of them, and the briquettes are wrapped with cling film. In this form, the currants are sent for storage in the freezer.

See video from the channel "Marina Tvorinki" - Currant for the winter

How to freeze pureed currants with sugar

You can wipe the currants with sugar by hand or with a blender.

The manual method allows you to get currant puree interspersed with whole berries, and grinding with a blender will make the consistency more uniform.

You can also freeze mashed potatoes, rubbed through a sieve, then the berry mass will be completely homogeneous, without peels and seeds. It is very convenient to freeze currants in this form for small children.

The ratio of berries and sugar is approximately 5: 1, that is, for 1 kilogram of berry mass, you will need about 200 grams of granulated sugar.

See video: Blanks for the winter. Red currant with sugar

How to freeze red currant juice

The berry is passed through a juicer, the juice is poured into plastic cups, covered tightly with cling film, and sent to the frost.

The cake from the berries is not thrown away. It is also frozen and used later as a filling for pies.

How to freeze a berry on twigs

This method can only be used if you collect currants in your garden, and after freezing you will use them to cook compotes.

Each branch should be inspected before freezing and, if necessary, tainted berries should be removed. Then the currants are laid out on a cutting board or on a special tray of the freezer for small products, and sent to the freezer.

After preliminary freezing, the berries are transferred to containers, tightly closed, and put back in the cold.

Shelf life of red currants in the freezer

Frozen red currants can be stored in the freezer until the next harvest. The main thing is to pack the berry so that it is not exposed to heat again.

The appearance and taste of red caviar directly depend on the accuracy of keeping the storage conditions. A high-quality delicacy has a crumbly structure, uniform color, and consists of whole eggs. In order for the product served to the table to look the same after a few months, red caviar must be frozen according to the rules. You will find out how to do this below.

You can freeze red caviar at home in the refrigerator in the fast freeze mode

Freeze red caviar for storage in small containers

Salmon caviar, popularly called "red", is not only tasty, but also a healthy product. Almost a third of it consists of easily digestible protein. Fish caviar is a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 valuable for the body. It contains vitamins of group B and D, iodine, iron, tocopherols, ascorbic acid.

Due to the delicate shell of the eggs, the product cannot be sterilized.

The best ways to process a delicacy are pasteurization and salting.

Can red caviar be frozen for storage? In an industrial setting, this is done, although the nutritional value of the product is reduced from this. To reduce the loss of nutrients to a minimum, the enterprises use shock freezing technology. Caviar is preliminarily salted and pasteurized, packaged in sealed containers. Then it is placed in a freezer, where it is subjected to a sharp action of low temperatures (-18 ° C). Frozen caviar can be stored for up to two years.

How to freeze red caviar at home

Caviar in the original container should be stored in the refrigerator at -4-6 ° C. When closed, it is usable throughout the year. After opening the jar, it is advisable to eat caviar in a week. If the product was bought by weight, it is stored in a plastic closed container for no more than 3 days. If desired, caviar can be kept in the freezer for up to six months.

How to freeze red caviar correctly? Here are some tips for maintaining product quality:

• Before freezing, the eggs must be placed in a colander and rinsed, letting excess liquid drain. Then the caviar is salted, a little vegetable oil and sorbic acid are added to it.
• The prepared delicacy is laid out in small glass jars or plastic containers. The container must be clean and dry. The containers are hermetically closed.
• The caviar is placed in the freezer of the refrigerator, the fast freeze mode is set.

During the storage period, ensure that there are no temperature fluctuations.