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The fruits of the fig tree, fig trees (figs) are sweet, juicy, with a very delicate pulp. It is difficult to save them during transportation and until the next harvest. To do this, use drying and freezing. The latter method allows you to preserve not only the useful properties of the product, but also its taste and aroma. How easy it is to freeze figs for the winter later in the article.
Can figs be frozen in the freezer
Almost the only way to preserve a fig for the winter is to freeze it. Thus, you can save all the vitamins and minerals that the product is rich in. These are vitamin A, B vitamins, folic and ascorbic acids. This low-calorie fruit, only 47 kcal per 100g, is suitable for dietary nutrition. The taste and aroma of the berry deteriorates slightly when frozen, but not critical.
Shock freezers are suitable for harvesting fig tree fruit. In them, the berry is preserved under the influence of ice steam, which envelops it after immersion. In a simple freezer, the humidity is high and the fruit will turn into ice. Its taste and appearance will deteriorate greatly.
The first time the fruits are frozen for no more than an hour. The sliced fruit is placed on a flat plate and put to freeze in the chamber. After the specified time has elapsed, the product is taken out and transferred to bags, they are tightly tied. After the fruit is placed back in the freezer for storage.
Thawed fruit in winter can be used to make stewed fruit, jelly, jams. Frozen figs go well with meat dishes.
Such a product can be used even by diabetics, in contrast to dried fruits. Frozen fruits contain little sugar, and anyone can freeze a berry at home.
Which figs are suitable for freezing
Only dark varieties of fruit are suitable for freezing for the winter. It is stronger, does not turn into porridge under the influence of low temperatures. The berries are selected whole, undamaged, medium-sized, not overripe. To check their quality, you can gently press on the peel. It should not be too soft, there should be no fingerprints. Even if you get a dent, the rind should straighten out soon.
To preserve the bright taste of the berry, before freezing, it is cut into portions and left to wither in the sun. After the figs are sent to the freezer.
How to freeze figs at home
At home, the berry is frozen as a whole or in slices, you can use either method. To freeze a fig in slices, do the following:
- The selected fruits are washed with cold water and the stalks are cut off.
- After that, the figs are cut into 4 pieces.
- The slices are carefully laid out on a flat plate or tray, then sent to the freezer for 60 minutes.
- After an hour, maximum 6 hours, the slices are removed from the freezer and placed in plastic bags in one layer. You can use special plastic freezer containers. It is very convenient to store fragile fruit in them.
- The bag is tied, the plastic container is sealed with a lid. Third-party odors from the freezer must not penetrate the inside of the bag or container.Figs well absorb the smells of spicy foods, meat, fish.
You can store such a freeze for the winter from 6 to 12 months. Better to harvest the fig before harvesting.
How to freeze whole figs for the winter
For this method of harvesting figs in the freezer, slightly unripe fruits are selected. They are washed with cool running water and left to drain. After they dry, they are laid out on a baking sheet or tray in one layer and exposed to the sun to wither. This process will last from 1 to 3 days. In this case, it is important not to get dried fruit.
After 2-3 days, the fig is spread on a baking sheet and sent to the freezer for several hours. Then they take it out, transfer it to bags or plastic containers. Sealed and sent to the freezer for storage. If there are a lot of figs, in winter they are stored outdoors or on the balcony in bags.
Before freezing for the winter, you can dry figs in a special dryer or in an oven. The dryer is used in accordance with the instructions. Only to dry and subsequently freeze whole berries in this way will not work.
You can dry whole figs in the oven. To do this, the washed and dried fruits are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to an oven preheated to 40 ° C for 8-12 hours. Then he is allowed to cool and sent to the shock freezer for an hour. After that, the finished product is laid out in storage containers and put in the freezer for the winter.
Storage periods
Frozen figs retain their qualities for about a year. But it is better to store it until the next harvest. This is about six months. The main thing is to prevent the temperature in the freezer from rising during storage and not to freeze the product again.
Reviews of frozen figs
Conclusion
It is necessary to freeze the figs for the winter to preserve their beneficial properties. This is done using a conventional freezer. Throughout the year, you can enjoy sweet, aromatic fruits, which will bring many benefits to the body that was depleted in winter.
