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Freezing pears for the winter at home is a traditional occupation of Russian housewives, who are used to stocking up for future use. In the summer season, the body stores vitamins by "preserving" in the body fat. But in winter, sometimes you really want to pamper yourself and your family not only with vitamins, but also with delicious products made from fruits and berries. To do this, there are many recipes for freezing food in the freezer. They are used in cooking in winter and spring, when the body needs vitamins.
Can pears be frozen
You can freeze pears, but for this you need to follow the freezing rules so that you do not get a homogeneous, sticky porridge at the exit, which can only be added as mashed potatoes to pies.
For the preparation of pears in reserve, you should give preference to varieties:
- Severyanka;
- August dew;
- Cathedral;
- Saratovka;
- Kondratyevka;
- Rossoshanskaya;
- Hera;
- Veles;
- Red-sided;
- Muscovite.
These species belong to the winter or late summer variety, differ in density and smooth skin, without scales. The softer types are only suitable for making purees, jams and preserves. They can be used, but it should be borne in mind that they will undergo deformation during thawing.
How to freeze pears for the winter so they don't darken
Pears, like other catechin-containing fruits, begin to darken when exposed to oxygen, acquiring an unappetizing appearance resembling rot. How to avoid browning reactions when preparing pears? The secret lies in citric acid. When preparing fruits, cutting into slices or whipping with a blender, sprinkle fruits with citric acid diluted with water from a spray bottle.
The second way is to soak them in a solution containing citric acid for an hour. This will slow down the reaction of the catechins during preparation and freezing. If using wedges, they can be grated with lemon, orange, tangerine, or other citrus fruits. When acidic fruits are not available, ascorbic acid can be added as an alternative.
At what temperature to freeze
Observing a strict temperature regime, you can freeze pears for the winter. Storage in the refrigerator, where the temperature does not drop below +2 degrees, is not allowed. The product must be frozen quickly, for this they use a freezer or a refrigerated bonnet, which can hold a lot of fruits and vegetables at once. Freeze fruits at a temperature of at least -18 degrees.
How to freeze a pear for the winter fresh
In order for the products to remain fresh during defrosting and retain their taste, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of fruits. Fruit should be chosen whole, free from insect holes and rotten sides. Then follow this order:
- Wash under running water and dry on a towel. They must be dry so as not to freeze the water along with the fruits.
- Next, peel the fruits and cut into slices, cubes, strips or into 4 parts.
- Cut out the core and problem areas.
- Put on a flat dish, brush with citric acid and put in the freezer for 2 hours.
- After the first freezing, put the pieces in a special bag with a zipper, squeeze out the air and continue to store in the freezer for no more than 10 months.
The product will successfully freeze.
Recipe for pears frozen in sugar syrup
Sugar is a natural preservative that preserves the beneficial properties of fruits for a long time. To prepare pears in syrup, you must:
- mix a glass of sugar and 500 ml of boiling water;
- prepare pears, put them in a deep container;
- pour over hot syrup and leave to blanch for 3 minutes;
- get the pears with a slotted spoon and put them in freezer containers;
- pour over the syrup, lightly covering the fruit;
- allow to cool to a cold state;
- put in the freezer to freeze.
During the entire storage period, the product can be used for cooking.
How to freeze pear slices
You can freeze pears for the winter by placing them in ice cube trays or cutting them into cubes. In the first option, you need to beat them until puree and put them in tins or jars from baby food. You can cut the fruit into two parts by cutting out the core and add the berries to the resulting depression.
Freezing pears for the winter with sugar
Freezing pears for the winter with sugar is as easy as in syrup. Pour sugar abundantly. Having cut the fruit beautifully, you should wet it, but not dry it, as in the usual way. Sugar will stick better to wet slices and will not crumble to the bottom of the dish.
The pears should be frozen. At this point, fill in the first sugar layer. First, on a flat dish, and then on top of the wedges. In this form, they will stand in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove pears and place in a final dish or food freezer bag. Sprinkle sugar on the fruit again. You do not need to shake it so as not to damage the pieces.
What can be made from frozen pear
From thawed fruits, you can cook dishes such as charlotte, pear puree, compotes. They are added to pies, rolls, dumplings, puffs. For compotes and pies, do not wait for slow defrosting, they can be thrown in icy pieces directly into boiling water and dough.
According to the reviews of culinary experts, freezing pears for the winter, you can prepare a delicious dish - a pear shape-shifter, which is prepared with honey. The product should be baked like a regular pie with sugar, flour and eggs, only add honey to the filling. Put the dough on the laid out pears and bake until tender.
Shelf life of frozen pears
Pears can lie in the refrigerator for up to 10 months in complete safety, if the temperature is not interrupted during storage. When defrosting, follow the rules for slow defrosting. Do not pour boiling water over fruits or dip them in warm water to speed up the process. This can damage the structure, and the fruits will lose their shape, become soft and tasteless.
A container or bag of frozen food should be placed in a freezer and allowed to thaw naturally.
Conclusion
Freezing pears for the winter at home according to a recipe creates ingredients from simple fruits for complete meals. The advantages of this method over conventional preservation are that the fruits retain vitamins, do not rot and are not treated with carcinogens. Frozen fruit dishes can be given to children and even babies without fear of health.
