Content
Currant is a healthy and tasty fruit and berry culture that can be consumed fresh only for 2 summer months. But in order to preserve the harvest and receive vitamins throughout the winter, it is necessary to make preparations. The beneficial properties of frozen black currant persist for 3 years, so on cold days you can cook a variety of dishes from it, which will not only raise the immune system, but also enrich the body with the necessary vitamins.
Is frozen currant good for you?
Frozen black currant is a healthy, low-calorie crop. It contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Due to the low calorie content, berry dishes are recommended for those who follow the correct diet.
In terms of benefits and chemical properties, frozen black currants are not inferior to fresh ones. After thawing, the fruits retain all the substances, so they are useful in the same way as freshly picked ones.
Why frozen currants are useful
Frozen currants have beneficial properties. The product includes:
- vitamin C;
- antioxidants, which are needed to rejuvenate the body;
- potassium - normalizes the work of the heart muscle, restores the water-alkaline balance;
- B vitamins - soothe the nervous system, remove toxins;
- vitamin PP - gets rid of toxins and bad cholesterol;
- vitamin H - lowers blood sugar, so the berry is necessary for people who suffer from diabetes;
- manganese - strengthens the immune system.
What are the benefits of frozen black currant
Fresh and frozen food is often used in alternative medicine for the prevention and treatment of many diseases.
Doctors recommend adding frozen black fruits to the diet in the following cases:
- for the prevention and treatment of the gastrointestinal tract;
- with colds;
- to enhance immunity;
- in the postoperative period for quick recovery of the body;
- with cardiovascular diseases, to lower blood pressure;
- black currant is recommended to be consumed to improve vision, it helps with renal and hepatic diseases;
- meals made from frozen black currants restore brain function and improve mood.
The benefits and harms of frozen black currant are manifested not only in the fruits, but also in the leaves. They are brewed to obtain a fortified and toned drink that relieves thirst on hot summer days.
The benefits of frozen red currants
Frozen red currants also have beneficial properties, as they include vitamins, trace elements and a rare substance - coumarin. It reduces blood clotting, eliminates the appearance of blood clots, and stops the growth of cancer cells.
Vitamins C, A and P are able to strengthen blood vessels, immunity, have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
Since the pulp is fortified with iodine, it helps with thyroid diseases. The benefits of red currant:
- The pulp contains a low glycemic index - the feeling of hunger dulls, sugar is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, due to which insulin is released gradually.
- Helps get rid of colds. Ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant that fights inflammation and infections.
- Improves mood, relieves depression.
- Restores red blood cells. Copper, calcium and iron will help to cope with anemia, strengthen bone and muscle tissue.
- Normalizes the work of the heart. Due to the high content of trace elements, arrhythmia is stopped, the heart muscle is strengthened, moisture is quickly removed from the body, thereby eliminating edema and lowering blood pressure.
- Improves the functioning of the digestive system. The berries contain pectin, which removes toxins and toxins, normalizes the intestinal microflora, and improves digestion.
The harm of frozen currants
Despite the large amount of nutrients, black and red currants cannot be abused, since berries can bring not only benefits to the body, but also harm. Before use, you must familiarize yourself with the contraindications and side effects:
- in large quantities, the berry is not recommended for children, as it can cause an allergic reaction;
- excessive use aggravates gastrointestinal diseases;
- frozen product is prohibited in pre-infarction and pre-stroke conditions;
- it is impossible with hepatitis;
- it is necessary to limit consumption during pregnancy and lactation;
- use with caution in thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.
When consuming frozen black and red currants, remember that a large amount of berries can lead to an allergic reaction, causing bloating, diarrhea and dehydration.
How to freeze currants for the winter
In order for the crop to retain vitamins, it is necessary to follow the rules of collection and preparation.
The berry is removed from the bush in dry warm weather. Then it is sorted, removing the stalks, small, dry and damaged fruits. For freezing, whole, ripe fruits with a dense, dry surface are used, overripe specimens with damaged peel are not suitable, since such fruits will quickly begin to sour and rot.
Black currant is a healthy, tasty crop that can be consumed fresh for several months. Therefore, in order to enrich the body with vitamins in winter, it is necessary to freeze the harvested crop. To do this, you can use one of the following methods:
- freeze without sugar;
- grated black and red currants;
- whole berry with sugar.
All methods are good and easy to prepare:
- Whole berries without added sugar. Whole berries are a great decoration for desserts, ice cream or cakes. To freeze the berries, they are scattered in one layer on a tray or flat dish and put into the freezer. When the currants freeze, they are packaged in portions in bags or plastic containers and put back into the freezer.
- Currants with sugar. The berries are placed in a container, sprinkling each layer with a small amount of sugar. After the end, the container is closed with an airtight lid and put into the freezer.
- Puree currants. The berry is sorted out and crushed until puree. Add sugar to taste and mix thoroughly. Then they are laid out in containers and put into the freezer. The prepared puree cannot be frozen again, therefore the prepared dish is frozen in small portions.
Before freezing, you need to heed the following helpful tips:
- Black currants can be frozen whole, chopped or pureed.
- The frozen crop retains its useful properties, but after thawing it can be watery and lose its original appearance.
- Frozen berries cannot be used to make jelly, as the moisture released will become an obstacle to solidification. Frozen currants make delicious cocktails, sauces, compotes and berry salads.
Rules for defrosting berries
In order for a frozen crop to retain useful properties and a decent appearance, you need to know how to properly defrost the berry. Currants can be thawed in several ways:
- If the crop was frozen in a container, then for defrosting the container is placed in cold water for 10 minutes.
- The frozen crop is scattered in 1 layer on a tray and left to defrost completely at room temperature. This method is long, in order to shorten the time, it is better to spread the berry on a paper towel so that it absorbs moisture and the resulting juice.
- Black currants can be defrosted in the microwave. For this, the timer is set to the "Fast defrost" mode. Every minute you need to make sure that the berry does not start to heat up and release juice.
- You can quickly defrost black currants under running cold water. To do this, a sealed bag is placed under water for 10-15 minutes. If the bag has mechanical damage, then the fruits will be able to quickly collect water.
- Frozen fruits are refrigerated until completely defrosted. This process is lengthy but effective. The black berry retains its color, appearance and rarely sags. A kilogram is defrosting in 6 hours.
- If the crop is used as a filling for pies or muffins, then frozen currants can be put in the dough. It will melt during cooking and give a healthy juice to the confection. It can also be used without defrosting for making jelly, compotes, fruit drinks.
Application of frozen currants
The frozen crop can be used to make stewed fruit, jelly and fruit drinks. It is ideal as a filling for open cakes and pies.
Frozen Blackcurrant Dish Options:
- Refreshing and toning fresh. For cooking, you will need 250 g of cherries, black currants and watermelon pulp. All ingredients are mixed in a blender, poured into glasses, an ice cube and a mint leaf are added.
- Curd-currant biscuits. This dish is very useful for pregnant women, as it contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Fatty cottage cheese is mixed with berries, sugar, eggs and flour. The prepared mass should have the consistency of cheese pancakes. The dough is spread with a spoon on a baking sheet or in curly molds, baked at 180 ° C, for 15-20 minutes.
- Medication that lowers blood pressure. 2 tbsp. chopped fruits are mixed with 5 tbsp. l. honey. To obtain a liquid consistency, the berry mass is diluted with mineral water. Consumed in small portions several times a day.
Terms and conditions of storage
To preserve vitamins in frozen black currants, you must follow the rules and storage times:
- place frozen food on the top shelf or in the greens compartment;
- stick a label with the date of packaging on each package or container;
- it is better to store currants in portioned bags, since the defrosted product cannot be re-frozen;
- the shelf life is 3 years.
Conclusion
The beneficial properties of frozen black currant are known to every gardener. Since the fortified berry is grown on a personal plot, in order to preserve its beneficial properties, it is frozen for the winter. The defrosted crop can be used for making stewed fruit, fruit drinks, jelly, as well as filling for pies. Before using it, you need to consult with a specialist, black berry has not only beneficial properties, but can also cause irreparable harm to the body.
