Content
In order to freeze honeysuckle for the winter in the refrigerator and retain all its useful properties, it is not necessary to heat it first, there are many other recipes. After all, honeysuckle is a berry that strengthens blood vessels and normalizes blood pressure and body temperature. After heat treatment, not even half of the nutrients remain.
Is it possible to freeze honeysuckle for the winter
Honeysuckle is ideal for freezing. In this form, it retains almost 100% of all nutrients contained in it. Compliance with all the rules for harvesting berries for the winter in the refrigerator will preserve its taste, and even color.
The freezing process takes little time and it is not necessary to add sugar, which is not a healthy product.
Benefits of frozen honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is classified not only as food, but also as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent. Depending on the variety and climatic characteristics of growth, the quantity and quality of biologically active substances may vary.
Honeysuckle helps to remove heavy metal salts from the body and has the following beneficial properties:
- relieves pain of various origins;
- has a diuretic effect;
- helps to reduce body temperature;
- increases immune strength;
- stabilizes pressure;
- enhances visual acuity and prevents the development of cataracts;
- helps to reduce body weight;
- is a prophylactic agent against the development of cancer.
Honeysuckle is also called the berry of youth and beauty. It is often used to make face masks. These berries are often used to treat lichen, acne, and eczema. Fruit juice is an excellent anti-aging agent. A gruel mask (puree) allows you to get rid of fine wrinkles and pigmentation.
The fruits are recommended for use in diabetes mellitus. Honeysuckle helps to strengthen blood vessels, making them elastic. The fruits of honeysuckle allow you to cope with the lack of iron during the menstrual cycle and eliminate discomfort.
Frozen berries retain all their beneficial properties
Preparing honeysuckle for freezing for the winter
To properly freeze honeysuckle for the winter, you will have to choose ripe, but always resilient fruits. Ripe berries have a rich and bright blue color. They must not be damaged or defective in any way. Such fruits will not be able to withstand severe cold and will surely burst, like overripe honeysuckle. After collection or acquisition, the fruits are carefully sorted out, all debris and damaged berries are removed.
It is recommended to wash the honeysuckle before freezing. This is done step by step as follows:
- The berries are placed in a sieve.
- They are sent under warm running water or they are collected in a container with a diameter larger than that of a sieve, and the berries are dipped there several times.
- Take out the sieve and leave it until all the liquid has drained.
- The berries are laid out on a towel or cloth, always in one layer.
The berries are left on a towel until the moisture has completely evaporated, usually about 2 hours. After that, the fruits are placed in a dry container and sent to the refrigerator for 2 hours to cool.
How to freeze honeysuckle for the winter
After the fruit has cooled, it is recommended to pre-freeze it. Honeysuckle is placed in a plastic container, which is necessarily intended for use in the freezer and refrigerator. The container is sent to the freezer for freezing for at least 3 hours.
This stage will allow the honeysuckle not to stick together and use it in a crumbly form in winter. However, plastic containers for permanent storage are not the best option. Oddly enough, but storing berries in a bag is considered the best option.
After pre-freezing in the refrigerator, the fruits are sent into a bag and tightly closed. The bag in the freezer can take any shape and takes up much less space than a special container.
Freezing whole honeysuckle berries
There is a recipe for bulk frozen honeysuckle. After cooling, the berries are laid out on a pallet in the form of pyramids, which should not touch each other. The pallet is sent to the freezer for 2-3 hours, if possible, lower the temperature to -21 degrees. After the specified time has elapsed, the honeysuckle placers can be folded into one bag, without fear that in the future you will have to break off the desired piece from the total mass of frozen fruits.
Honeysuckle berries can be used as a remedy for colds
Honeysuckle can be frozen with sugar for the winter. After preparing the berries:
- We spread it in one layer.
- We make a layer of sugar.
- Put a new layer with fruits again.
- Sprinkle with sugar.
There should be about 2 cm of air space between the lid and the last layer of berries.
You can prepare an original preparation for the winter with an orange. This will require:
- 5 cups of grated berries;
- 5 glasses of sugar;
- 1 orange, sliced and peeled.
Cooking process:
- Honeysuckle and sugar are mixed.
- Add the orange to the prepared base and distribute to the tins for freezing for the winter in the freezer.
Freezing honeysuckle puree
For cooking, not only ripe, but also slightly overripe fruits are suitable. It is best to keep their rind as thin as possible.
The whole process consists of:
- We send the berries to a blender, mixer and bring to the desired consistency.
- Add sugar to the resulting puree, in a ratio of 4: 1.
- The resulting mixture can be filled in containers, plastic cups and other containers.
The main thing is not to add mashed potatoes to the very edge, at least 1 cm of stock should remain.
Puree can be frozen in the form of briquettes. It is necessary to first put a plastic bag in the freezer container, and only then put the puree there. After complete freezing, we take the bag of puree out of the container, tie it and send it back to the freezer.
Eating puree from berries in winter will increase the body's immune forces
Honeysuckle puree can be prepared according to a different recipe:
- Pour the previously cleaned honeysuckle with water and send the container to the fire.
- Bring to a boil and use a blender to chop the berries.
- After that, send the honeysuckle back to the pot.
- Add sugar per 1 kg of fruit and half a kg of sugar.
- Send it to the fire again.
- Heat the container to about 85 degrees and cook at this temperature for 5 minutes.
- Put the cooled mixture in containers for freezing and send to the freezer.
You can freeze honeysuckle along with puree from other berries. This mixture is called blending. If the berries ripen at different times, then at first the container is filled with half of the honeysuckle puree. After other fruits appear, they are mashed, poured over with honeysuckle and frozen.
Freezing honeysuckle juice
Frozen honeysuckle is also useful in juice form. The easiest way to squeeze the juice with a press, strain and put on fire. Bring to a boil and cook for literally 3-4 minutes. Leave to cool completely and pour into containers for storage in the refrigerator in winter.
Canned juice with and without sugar
Juice can be made with sugar. This will require:
- 200 g sugar;
- 1 liter of juice.
Sugar can be added in less or more, depending on individual preference.
Terms and conditions of storage
The berries are best consumed within the first three months after they are frozen in the refrigerator. Most of the nutrients and vitamins are stored in such fruits.
If you freeze honeysuckle berries according to all the rules and store at a consistently low temperature of -18 degrees, then it can be stored for 9 months.
In cases where the preparatory stage has not been carried out, namely washing, drying and cooling, the shelf life in the refrigerator in winter is reduced by 3 months.
Conclusion
To maintain the maximum concentration of vitamins and freeze honeysuckle for the winter in the refrigerator in the form of juice or puree and whole berries, the product should be thawed gradually. The required amount of fruit is taken out of the freezer and placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours, after which it is brought to room temperature in the room. To this end, it is best to lay out the material for freezing in portions and, as necessary, defrost the required amount.
