Currants, grated with sugar and frozen for the winter. How to prepare and freeze blackcurrants for the winter in the freezer: the best ways and secrets of preserving vitamins

Hello, dear readers! How do you usually freeze berries? What do you prefer – grandma’s methods or modern methods? I decided to experience for myself all the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches. So, how to freeze currants for the winter in the refrigerator is the best way to preserve vitamins.

And you will also find out what interesting dishes and drinks can be made from berries.

Advantages of freezing

Freezing berries refers to a method of harvesting maximum preservation useful properties:

If all technology and sequence of actions are followed, taste and color are preserved.
The process is simple, takes little time, does not require additional resources - if you remember the steps, you can harvest the fruits in small batches.
Vitamins are preserved (with the right technology right up to the cherished 100%!).

Selecting fruits for freezing

Before you begin the freezing process itself, you need to prepare the berries. Sort out debris and bugs. Remove large branches. Small tails can be removed in the following steps to prevent damage and juice leakage. In addition, it is important to separate ripe fruits from overripe or slightly damaged ones. How do you process the berries?

All berries must have the same rich color, since slightly unripe fruits when frozen can change the taste of the entire batch. It is not advisable to freeze overripe berries.

Is it necessary to wash currants?

After you have sorted the berries, you need to rinse them under running cold water, dripping or in the shower. This procedure can be abandoned only when the crop was harvested in your own garden and there was no exposure to any chemicals.

After this, let it drain excess water. Currants gain excess moisture.

How to dry currants

After all the water has drained, you need to spread the berries in a thin layer on a cotton towel or use paper napkins. Leave to dry for a couple of hours.

If you don’t take the time and hurry, then in the cold the excess water will turn into ice and deform the berries. You can get a solid frozen lump or mush from damaged fruits.

With such a violation of the integrity of the shell, vitamins are practically not preserved. Therefore, it is important to allow a certain amount of drying time until the water is completely removed.

Pre-cooling

After the berries have dried, you need to spread them into a tray in a thin layer. You can’t start freezing immediately after drying. This negatively affects shelf life.

The berries need to be cooled. When placing berries with branches in a freezing tray, maintaining the distance between them is not fundamentally important. You can lay it tightly without compacting it.

After this, place the tray with currants in a regular refrigerator, and not in the freezer. Leave to cool for a couple of hours.

Pre-freezing

Once cooled, place the tray in the freezer for four hours to pre-freeze. This stage is necessary so that the berries do not stick together, but retain their shape.

Dear readers, please note that you cannot store berries on a tray. They can absorb foreign odors and, under the influence of cold, lose their natural moisture.

Final freezing

After the currant has passed preliminary preparation, you need to remove it from the tray and finally sort it out. Separate the remaining tails and twigs and place them in small bags or other containers for permanent storage.

After this, place the berries in the freezer in small batches.

Shelf life of currants

Subject to compliance with all requirements and stages of pre-treatment, sorting the berries, cooling and freezing, currants can be stored for up to nine months.

In case of haste or deliberate omission of some steps, the shelf life is reduced to six months. This should be taken into account when storing berries; the entire sequence of actions should be followed correctly.

A quick guide to freezing

In order not to get lost in the abundance of information on preparing and storing berries, it is important to adhere to the basic steps.

So, freezing includes the following steps:

Sort through the berries and select only ripe, undamaged ones. It is preferable to freeze berries of the same color.

Rinse thoroughly under running cold water.

Leave the water to drain for one and a half hours.

Place in a thin layer on a cotton towel or napkin for two hours.

Place on a tray and place in the refrigerator for two hours to cool.

To pre-freeze, place the tray with currants in the freezer for four hours.

Sort through the berries, separate the branches and tails.

Place the currants in containers or bags for final storage in the freezer.

This is much easier than making jam or making compotes for the winter. When freezing, you can add no large number sugar - this way you will get a sweet and sour syrup when defrosting the berries.

By the way, if you are going to cook with currants or other dietary dishes, then the sugar will be too much.

What to cook from berries

You can prepare various dishes from frozen currants:

Compotes, jelly and other drinks.

Pies, cheesecakes. Use frozen currants for a juicier and tastier filling.

Ice cream made from berries with vanilla (here are some simple recipes).

Pies open and closed.

The list of recipes goes on, but it all depends on your imagination and experience.

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If you count what more I prepare - berry jam or just frozen berries, the latter clearly wins. A sweet delicacy in the form of jam is needed only for pies and buns. Occasionally, if you are in the mood, you can drink tea with him. But, whatever one may say, there is practically no benefit to it. I can’t say the same about frozen currants or other berries. They are not thermally treated. All I do before storing them in the freezer is wash them, let them dry a little, and freeze them.
I often cook from berries and also send them for freezing. Moreover, if the family constantly eats strawberries, grated with sugar, or the same cherries in winter, then I take out currants only when someone is sick. Combined with other methods of treating colds, it helps me quickly get sneezing members of my household back on their feet.
I freeze currants either as berries or as pureed ones with sugar. In the first case, you can cook it, make a fruit drink, make jelly or mousse. Well, in the second case, such a product successfully replaces jam, so I pour it on thin pancakes, cheesecakes, pancakes, or I just offer it to the children for an afternoon snack.
So, to prepare currants for the winter, grated with sugar and frozen in the freezer, you need to take only 2 products: the berries themselves and sugar. In addition, it is worth preparing in advance the container into which you will pour this mass. Best to use plastic dishes: bottles of milk, kefir, yogurt or containers. Do not freeze glass under any circumstances. Rinse and dry containers in advance. And only after they are ready, you can proceed with the main workpiece.
How to make currant puree with sugar and freeze it for the winter

Ingredients:
- black currant – 2 kg;
- sugar – 700 g.

Recipe with photos step by step:

The goal is not to make “raw” jam as sweet as regular jam. We just need to sweeten it slightly, so we don’t need sugar in a 1:1 ratio, but 2 times less. I don’t recommend taking more, but you can take less if you prefer sour desserts to sickly sweet desserts.
Separate the currant berries from the stalks. Sort through and remove leaves and twigs. Rinse in batches in a colander under strong running water. Everything unnecessary will remain on its walls and stick to the bottom. Let the water drain. Then place the clean berries in a large bowl and cover with sugar. Stir and quickly, before the currants release juice, grind them through a meat grinder. I have a regular Soviet one, the one that needs to be screwed to the table before you start working. But I don’t even think about changing my “unit”, because I’m very used to it and have gotten used to it.
Place the resulting sweet mass into bottles or other plastic containers, close the lids tightly and place in the freezer. Of course, you won’t be able to eat such “raw” jam without first defrosting it. But it will melt quite quickly if you place the container on the table. However, be sure to place the container either on some plate or put it in a large wide mug, because there will be a puddle under the container.

When the grated frozen currants with sugar have turned into liquid, take out the spoons and savor the tasty and healthy berry preparation. Bon appetit!

Pere ripe berries lose theirs useful qualities and after defrosting they do not look very appetizing, so it is better to give preference to berries high quality and not damaged.

Berry puree is very useful for human body. It especially benefits children, which is why such preparations are widely popular.

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

1 kg of berries;
200-300 g sugar.

Preparation:

Currants are sorted for spoiled berries and excess debris (dry leaves, twigs). Rinse and drain in a colander to remove excess moisture.

Then add sugar to the berries.

Pass through a meat grinder or use a blender and stir until the sugar is evenly distributed and melts.

After this, the mass is tasted and placed in containers for freezing.

Compact freezing of the product is considered a very important nuance. correct dosage. That is, the berries should be stored in a convenient volume and not take up extra space. In order to compactly fold the currants, you can use the method described below.

If we talk about volume, then, for example, for a small child you can freeze currant puree directly in ice trays. To do this, the cells are lined cling film, the mass is poured into it, frozen and then put into bags.

This approach is also convenient for adults, because big piece It’s inconvenient to chop off the required portion. After all, you don’t always want to eat only puree; sometimes such a mass goes as an addition to dessert or delicious gravy for sweet dishes.

Calculations for portions of a frozen product are also important because the berries cannot be re-frozen, which means the portion must be such that it can be used once, and if necessary, get a second one.

Small portions freeze faster and are stored better.

A quick way to freeze currants for the winter

This option preserves the berries’ integral shape, and for longer harvesting, pass the currants through a meat grinder or use a blender and then put them in the freezer for storage.

The dry freezing method makes the berries crumbly. After all, it’s inconvenient to get out of freezer lump of frozen mass and break it off with a knife.

To properly approach this freezing method you will need:

baking tray;
colander;
kitchen towels or napkins;
parchment paper;
containers or bags;
berry.

Preparation:

The currants are sorted and washed under running cold water (use a colander for this). Rinse until the water stops being colored. After this, shake off excess water from the berries and scatter them on a kitchen towel in one layer so that they are completely dry and there is no water left at all.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the berries on it in one layer. If the currants touch each other, it’s okay, because they are dry and will definitely not turn into an ice lump, and if necessary, it’s easy to break them off with your hands.

Then clear enough space in the freezer to place the trays with berries and leave there for approximately 3-4 hours. That is, the currants must freeze completely, and exact time It’s hard to say, because everyone’s freezer chests have different freezing functions.

When freezing in this way, you should not leave the berries on baking sheets for a day or overnight, because this will negatively affect the beneficial properties of the currants. Prolonged and deep freezing can affect physical characteristics.

After the currants are completely frozen, remove the baking sheets from the freezer and, carefully lifting parchment paper over the edges, pour the berries into a bag, you can use a wooden spatula. If you do this with your hands, the berries will stick due to frost and your hands will quickly freeze, which will lead to inconvenience and discomfort in your work.

This method of harvesting currants is considered the fastest, and the berries can be stored for more than three months. At the same time, retaining most of its beneficial properties, which is very important for human health.

Before you get started, you need to know some rules, because they will help you save maximum benefit frozen product. For example, try to freeze the berries as quickly as possible after harvesting; also, do not use overripe ones, because after freezing they will lose their shape.

Properly frozen blackcurrants for the winter will delight thrifty householders throughout cold season. It is used as a separate sweet dessert, add to fruit salads, baking, compotes, fruit drinks, and jelly are prepared from fruits. Currant fruits are not only tasty, but also useful for preserving health, beauty, youth, and are recommended by doctors for frequent use. Frozen blackcurrant retains almost all its beneficial properties.

Popular freezing options - whole currants with and without sugar, pureed fruit sweet mass as a ready-made dessert, mixes from a mixture of several types of berries. To receive quality product long-term storage It is necessary to correctly select and prepare the fruits, follow the rules for freezing and storing them in the refrigerator.

The benefits of black currant

Black currant is a real natural pharmacy, thanks to high content vitamins, minerals, organic acids, microelements. It tolerates freezing well, almost without losing its beneficial properties.

Marked medicinal properties black currant:

has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and circulatory system;
cleanses of impurities and toxins;
a powerful antioxidant that prevents aging of the body;
for colds, viral diseases has a diuretic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory effect;
useful for the prevention of rheumatism;
has a general strengthening, tonic effect on the body.

Black currant is one of the leading products in terms of vitamin C content. It is ascorbic acid that gives it its characteristic sweet and sour taste. Just 20 blackcurrant fruits contain daily norm vitamin C for an adult.

How to choose and prepare berries correctly

At the beginning, the berries are collected, sorted and prepared for further freezing.

Collection and preparation rules:

The optimal time for picking berries is dry, cool weather.
For freezing, select whole ripe berries that are not damaged by insects or birds.
Remove all dried, burst or rotten fruits.
Twigs and leaves are removed from the berries, and the tails are plucked off (although some housewives leave them).
Even if the fruits are collected personally summer cottage, they must be thoroughly rinsed under cool water.
The clean berries are allowed to drain, and then laid out on kitchen towels so that the currants dry well.

When the berry is completely dry, it is ready to be frozen using the chosen method.

Methods for freezing fruits

Blackcurrants can be frozen in several ways, depending on the purpose of further use.

Whole berries (no sugar)

Whole berries are useful in winter for decorating cakes, pastries, jellies, and ice cream. Therefore, when freezing, it is important to keep them “poured” whole, do not crush, do not damage.

How to properly freeze blackcurrants for the winter:

the prepared berries are laid out on flat plates, trays or cutting boards in one layer;
the container with currants is carefully placed in the freezer without closing;
after a few hours, when it is completely frozen, it is taken out and packaged for long-term storage - in bags or food containers with lids.

Large, elegant berries are selected for decorative purposes. In the cold, currants completely retain their beautiful blue-black color.

Whole currants with sugar

How to freeze currants with sugar for the winter? You will need portion containers with lids:

pour the bottom layer of berries into the storage container;
put sugar on top;
then repeat in layers depending on the desired volume and height of the container.

When filling the container, close it with a lid and place it in the freezer.

Sweet ground dessert

Grated black currants with sugar - delicate dessert, reminiscent of jelly in consistency.

By “wiping” we mean passing the fruit mass through a surface with small holes. In this process, the skins (cake) and seeds of the berries are separated, and the juice and pulp serve as the basis for tender and delicious dessert. Usually the berries are rubbed through a sieve, pressing the mass with a spoon or spatula. An option is to wrap the fruits, crushed with a blender or meat grinder, in gauze, collected in several layers, and squeeze thoroughly with your hands.

For pureed fresh blackcurrants with sugar you will need:

berries - 0.5 kg;
sugar - 0.1-0.2 kg.

Mix the pre-grated blackcurrant mass with sugar and leave for a couple of hours until completely dissolved. Then mix again, pour into containers, and freeze.

Pay attention! For pureed berries, overripe (but without foulbrood), bursting currant fruits are also used. The amount of sugar can be increased or decreased according to taste.

Preparation for compotes, fruit drinks, jelly

To prepare delicious blackcurrant compotes, fruit drinks or jelly, use the cake and seeds remaining after pureing the berry mass. Despite its unsightly appearance, this is a valuable part of the fruit in terms of vitamin and mineral composition, which does not need to be thrown away. For freezing, divide the mass into portioned pieces, put into bags or containers, and place in the freezer.

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Blackcurrant smoothie with milk

Since milk tolerates freezing well, a chic smoothie cocktail made from fresh blackcurrants and milk can be prepared for future use.

For preparation you will need:

milk - 1 l;
black currant - 0.4 kg;
sugar, spices - to taste.

The prepared currants are crushed in a blender. Then pour milk into it, adding sugar (spices if desired), and beat again. The finished cocktail is poured into plastic glasses with lids and frozen.

Frozen blackcurrants are combined with other berries. For example, popular mixes of whole fruits sprinkled with sugar are black currants with raspberries, strawberries, wild strawberries, and gooseberries. Using the same principle, any berries are added to recipes for pureed currants or smoothie cocktails.

Storage rules and features

Basic rules for storing frozen currants in the freezer:

Packages and containers with berries are provided with recognizable markings or signed. This is necessary so as not to rummage through the contents of freezers in winter, and not to open containers with frost in vain, violating the cold regime.
Berries in bags are stored in a special upper flat compartment of the freezer, or in a box reserved for storing packaged light-weight frozen foods (for example, chopped herbs, pieces of vegetables). Heavy freezing such as pieces of meat or fish can crush or crumble lighter products packaged in soft containers.
The optimal temperature for freezing and storing blackcurrants is 18-20 degrees cold. In this mode, if not interrupted, the currants will remain whole year, until the next harvest. At lower temperatures (down to minus 10 degrees), the berries should be consumed within 3-4 months.
You cannot defrost berries and then freeze them again. Therefore, it is optimal to distribute the frozen food in portions at once (and not in large volumes that will have to be divided into parts). For example: small handfuls for decorating baked goods, desserts, pie filling, preparation for fruit juice or compote.

Thawing berries in winter for use should also be done correctly. If it is important to preserve the integrity of the fruit, then thawing should be slow, “soft”. In this case, the freezer is placed on the refrigerator door, and only when the ice is completely gone is it transferred to room temperature. Preparations for hot dishes (compotes, fruit drinks, fillings) are used directly frozen.

Freezing blackcurrants for the winter is not difficult at all. It is important to select and prepare the fruits correctly, and then follow the instructions for the chosen freezing methods. If you follow the recommendations, the berries will last a long time and will come in very handy in the harsh winter.

A few more ways to freeze berries black currant You can find out by watching the following video:

What could be more pleasant and healthy than summer fresh berries V winter time? However, this is a perishable product and it is possible to preserve the fruits until the onset of the winter months only by freezing. Currants are ideal for this process, as they can easily withstand cold without losing their beneficial and flavorful qualities.

Is it possible to freeze currants for the winter in the refrigerator?

This question is asked by most housewives who have not yet dealt with freezing berries. The answer is simple - it is possible, and even necessary! After all, in winter you will be able to surprise everyone at home by preparing delicious compote, pie or other fresh dessert, natural fruits. The process of freezing currants (black, red or white), which are called northern grapes, consists of several stages, which we will consider in more detail:

preparation for freezing;
freezing (includes several methods);
storage.

How to select and prepare berries for freezing

Before freezing black currants (red, white) for the winter in the refrigerator, you need to select and prepare the berries. The main thing to remember is that the fruits should be medium-sized and ripe. Otherwise, during defrosting, the thawed water will tear the skin, and the precious vitamin juice will leak. Small or large currants are also suitable for cooking - you can make compote or jam from them. Before freezing, be sure to separate the stems and branches.

Methods for freezing currants

Freeze useful fruits possible in several ways. Each of the processes has certain features and characteristic actions that must be done before immersion in the refrigerator. However, before freezing currants, you need to pay attention to several important nuances:

temperature of the freezing container;
storage container.

Refrigeration experts say that ideal temperature storage of berries - from - 16 to - 21 degrees. Under such conditions, the fruits will freeze quickly and reliably, and they can be consumed even after 9-12 months. Storage is also possible at high temperatures - zero/minus eight degrees. However, it should be borne in mind that detention in such conditions has a certain period of time - no more than several months.

Before freezing white currants for the winter (red, black), you should take care of the storage container. Bags (plastic) or containers (plastic) are perfect for this purpose. The latter form of storage will help save space inside the freezer, fitting well with a rectangular shape into the space of the chamber. Important point– you need to calculate the number of fruits placed in bags/containers so that the consumption is one-time – the products cannot be re-supercooled.

Let's look at how to freeze currants for the winter using several methods:

how to freeze using the dry method;
how to freeze currants for the winter with sugar;
how to store as a puree.

Dry freezing method

This freezing option is the most popular among housewives because it is distinguished by its simplicity. To do this, follow these steps:

Rinse the fruits under running water.
Separate the branches and stalks.
Dry the berries thoroughly, as ice can damage the integrity of the fruit.
Place a serving of fruit in a thin layer on a tray or cutting board.
Place in the freezer compartment (until the product hardens).
Place in a container/bag and place in a deep freezer.

Freezing berries for the winter with sugar

Housewives often use the freezing method with sugar. Such berries will not turn into a lump, remaining crumbly even without using the tray method. If you need to make jam or pie with northern grapes, you should pour out the contents of the package and let it freeze. If you act quickly, the sugar will prevent the fruits from sticking together. How to freeze blackcurrants with sugar for the winter? Very simple:

Wash and dry the fruits well on a towel so that no moisture remains.
Place into containers or bags.
Add sugar to taste (for those who love sweets, more, but for a natural taste, a few spoons of sweet granules per half a kilogram of fruit is enough).
Place in the freezer.

How to freeze berries for the winter in the form of puree

Northern grapes can be mashed and frozen into puree. This type of storage is suitable if the berries are used in recipes different desserts: jelly, fruit drink, or as an ingredient for a pie. Berry puree contains whole set vitamins that are so necessary in winter. Application of the method:

Wash and dry northern grapes.
Grind with a blender or meat grinder.
Divide the resulting puree into containers (add sugar if desired).
Place opened containers on the freezer shelf.
After freezing, the containers are closed with lids.
Further, it is recommended to store the puree briquettes in bags.

How long can you store

Frozen red currants (or black or white) can be stored for up to 12 months at temperatures from - 16 to - 21 degrees. Modern devices have the ability to create such conditions. However, if the refrigerator is an old model and produces a temperature higher than specified, then frozen berries are stored for no more than three months.

How to defrost correctly

Special secret When defrosted, northern grapes do not exist. This process should be done gradually and with patience, as rapid thawing will affect the integrity of the berries and their taste qualities. First, you should move the fruits to the bottom shelf of the freezer, where there is less frost, for several hours. Alternative way– you can lower the briquettes into cold water for 20-30 minutes. Another effective and quick way– microwave oven with defrosting function (1-2 min).

Video: harvesting currants for the winter

If you don’t yet know how to properly freeze your favorite berries, then the videos below will easily help you in this matter. These berries are a storehouse of vitamins that the body simply needs in winter. Find out how to properly freeze northern grapes so that they do not lose their taste, beneficial qualities and impeccable appearance as in the photo culinary magazines.