Content
- 1 Is it possible to freeze gooseberries
- 2 The benefits of frozen gooseberries
- 3 How to freeze gooseberries in the refrigerator for the winter
- 4 Whole frozen gooseberry recipe
- 5 Gooseberries frozen for the winter with sugar
- 6 Freeze gooseberries in the form of mashed potatoes for the winter
- 7 Recipe for freezing gooseberries in sugar syrup for the winter
- 8 How to freeze gooseberries along with other berries
- 9 What can be made from frozen gooseberries
- 10 Storage and defrosting rules
- 11 Conclusion
When comparing the taste of gooseberries with other berries - strawberries, raspberries, cherries, it most likely loses. But in terms of the content of vitamins, it does not have so many competitors. For a long time, the most popular ways of harvesting berries for the winter was canning - preserves, compotes, jams. Today, many are trying to freeze gooseberries for the winter in the freezer of the refrigerator to preserve all the valuable substances, beneficial properties and taste.
The method is simple, affordable, does not require a lot of time, additional budgetary investments. There are several options. You should know how and in what form you can freeze berries so that the resulting blanks for the winter are tasty, healthy and in demand.
Is it possible to freeze gooseberries
Thanks to the functionality of modern freezers and refrigerators, it has become possible to freeze almost any vegetables, fruits, herbs, while obtaining high quality products. With the same success, gooseberries can be frozen for the winter. The main advantage of such products is their high quality, preservation of all properties after defrosting.
Among the main methods of freezing:
- in bulk;
- with sugar;
- in syrup;
- like mashed potatoes;
- assorted with other ingredients.
When preparing berries, freezing them and further use, it is necessary to comply with the basic rules of packaging, storage, and maintaining the temperature regime.
The benefits of frozen gooseberries
When gooseberries are frozen for the winter at home, the main part of the nutrients contained in it is preserved. The loss of vitamins from such processing does not exceed 10%, therefore, thawed berries are a real storehouse of substances useful for the body. They include:
- vitamins B, PP, A, E;
- iodine;
- molybdenum;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- iron;
- zinc;
- fluorine;
- magnesium;
- alimentary fiber;
- organic acids.
Due to this chemical composition, gooseberries, even after freezing, have a lot of healing properties:
- stimulates metabolic processes in the body;
- helps to strengthen blood vessels and improve blood circulation;
- has a choleretic and diuretic effect;
- removes salts of heavy metals;
- has a firming effect on the nervous system;
- enhances immunity;
- prevents strokes and heart attacks;
- successfully combats anemia of pregnant women;
- eliminates constipation.
Such properties are possessed by both ripe and unripe gooseberries, which have been frozen - provided that the berries are stored correctly.
How to freeze gooseberries for the winter in the refrigerator
To get a healthy product, you need to cook whole, ripe berries without signs of disease. Harvesting is carried out in dry, warm weather in the morning. The best varieties are those with thick skin and sweet flesh. Thin-skinned - used for freezing in syrup or for making puree.
The berries are sorted out, removing leaves and twigs and trimming the tails.
Gooseberries are washed under cold running water in a sieve or colander and spread on a towel to dry. If moisture remains, then after being placed in the refrigerator, the berry turns into a single ice ball.
When harvesting gooseberries for the winter, freezing is carried out at a temperature of -30 ... -35 ⁰C. Further long-term storage is carried out at a temperature of -18 ... -25 ° C in the freezing compartments of refrigerators or in chambers with a large volume and the ability to set lower temperatures.
Whole frozen gooseberry recipe
Whole berries, harvested for the winter, are a good basis for the preparation of many dishes: yoghurts, compotes, fruit drinks, fillings for pies, buns, muffins. After defrosting, they do not lose their appearance, the taste remains high.
According to reviews, freezing gooseberries with whole berries for the winter is the easiest and fastest way. This requires:
- Prepare gooseberries, pallets or baking sheets, parchment paper and bags in advance.
- Free up space in the freezer.
- Cover pallets and baking sheets with paper.
- Put the gooseberries in a prepared container in one layer.
- Place the trays in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
- Remove the trays from the freezer, lift the parchment and pour the berries into the bags using a wooden spoon so that they do not "stick" to your hands.
- Put notes in the bags about the contents, freezing time.
- Place the bags in the freezer.
Product storage - at least three months.
Gooseberries frozen for the winter with sugar
This recipe for freezing gooseberries with sugar is often used by housewives. It is not labor-intensive. For cooking you will need:
- bags or containers with lids;
- 2 kg of berries;
- 700 g granulated sugar.
To make a high-quality harvesting for the winter, you must:
- Collect or buy dense, whole berries, rinse them and clean them of debris and tails.
- Dry the gooseberries completely.
- Pour it into a large container and add the cooked sugar.
- Stir the ingredients.
- Fill containers or packages with berries, putting in each no more than 500 g (for one-time use).
- Close tightly and place in the freezer.
Storage bags must be intact, containers must be clean and free of foreign odors, lids must be tight. Glassware is not suitable for freezer storage as it can burst from the cold.
Freeze gooseberries in the form of mashed potatoes for the winter
Overripe gooseberries have a thin skin, so they can burst. These berries are best used for making mashed potatoes, followed by freezing. For this purpose, the washed and peeled berries are thoroughly crushed. Experts advise using ordinary wooden pushers, since gooseberry fruits lose most of their vitamins from contact with metal parts of a blender or meat grinder.
Sugar is added to the resulting puree at the rate of 400 g for each kilogram of gooseberries. If the berries are very sour, then its amount can be increased. The puree is thoroughly mixed, placed in small portions in containers and cooled in the refrigerator. After cooling, the containers are tightly closed and put into the freezer.
In the recipe for freezing gooseberries for the winter in the form of mashed potatoes, you can not include sugar. In this case, the calorie content of the product will be much lower, and its useful properties will be no less.
Recipe for freezing gooseberries in sugar syrup for the winter
The freezing option in sugar syrup, like the previous one, is suitable for overripe berries or varieties with soft skin. Such freezing can be used not only for cooking, but also as a separate ready-made dessert.
You will need:
- gooseberry berries;
- sugar (0.5 kg);
- water (1 l).
To prepare a workpiece, you should perform a number of sequential steps:
- Boil a thick syrup with sugar and water.
- Cool it down.
- Arrange the prepared berries in containers.
- Pour the gooseberry syrup over.
- Place containers in the freezer.
- Do not cover with lids for two days.
- To freeze.
- Close tightly with lids.
How to freeze gooseberries along with other berries
For children, a real delicacy can be berry puree, which housewives include gooseberries, red and black currants, sea buckthorn, and strawberries. Small and large, soft and hard fruits will do. After crushing them, add 5 tablespoons of sugar per 500 g of mass and mix. Whole gooseberries or sliced strawberries are placed in the finished puree. The mixture is infused for an hour, after which it is poured into silicone molds and placed in a freezer. As soon as the puree hardens, it is removed from the molds, placed in bags and stored in the freezer.
Freezing can be used after heating as a ready-made dessert for children or as a base for sauces for pancakes and cheese cakes.
What can be made from frozen gooseberries
Experienced housewives, leaving their comments on frozen gooseberries, note that they are an excellent preparation for many dishes.
One of the easiest solutions is to make a smoothie, for which, in addition to gooseberries, you will need a banana - for thickness, nuts, seeds or bran - for a richer taste, as well as juice or milk.
A spicy seasoning for meat or fish will be obtained from harvesting gooseberries, dill, garlic.
Frozen berries serve as a filling with a bright taste for yeast, shortcake pies, muffins.
Most often, frozen berries are used to make jelly, compotes, jelly.
The easiest way is to defrost a healthy product and eat it in the form in which it was prepared for freezing.
Storage and defrosting rules
To maintain the proper quality of products, you should follow the rules for their storage and defrosting before use:
- freezing berries should take place quickly, in small portions;
- the optimum temperature for storing food for 10 months is about -20 ⁰C;
- the freezer function "deep freeze" is switched on a day before use;
- frozen gooseberries should not be placed next to meat or fish products so that they do not have an unpleasant odor;
- it is not worth filling the boxes and chambers completely, since in the frozen state the volume of berries increases by at least 10% of the original;
- defrosting is carried out gradually, for which the container is transferred to the lower shelf of the refrigerator;
- after defrosting, the product must be consumed, repeated freezing is unacceptable;
- compotes, jelly, you can cook immediately after the container is taken out of the freezer.
Conclusion
Freezing gooseberries for the winter in the freezer is not difficult. As a result, a very useful product is obtained that will support the immune system in winter, help to cope with many ailments, and will become an excellent basis for dishes. At the same time, you should definitely remember about observing the rules for harvesting, storing and further using berries.
