Are cherries frozen for the winter? Frozen cherries - calorie content of the product; how to prepare for the winter at home with video; use in cooking; benefit and harm. Is it possible to repeatedly freeze and thaw cherries?

Few people don't like cherries. And there are even fewer who know how to properly store crops. No, compote, jam, jam - every family is full of these recipes. How to freeze cherries for the winter? To make dumplings, add to pies and whatever else your heart desires. Let's share secrets.

General rules

The cherries need to be washed. No matter how clean the berry looks, the dust from the surface must be rinsed off. Especially if the cherries were bought at the market. You don’t know where and how it was collected. For the lucky owners of their own garden, let’s reveal trick 1: cherries can be washed directly on the tree. We stretched out a hose and, under low pressure, thoroughly washed the berries right on the branches. You can do this in the evening, and in the morning you can safely collect a clean harvest.

Many people doubt whether cherries can be frozen at all? Trick 2: Go to the largest supermarket nearby. Look for the frozen fruits and vegetables section there. Surely there will be a bag of cherries or cherries there. Hence the conclusion: it is possible. By the way, in this simple way you can resolve your doubts about freezing any preparations. Found a package with the desired vegetable or fruit? This means you can make a similar preparation at home. Is there such a frozen fruit available for sale? This means that after thawing it will be inedible and it is better to prepare it in another way.

Cherries are frozen pitted. The fact is that if all conditions are met, the berries can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. During this time, the seeds, even at sub-zero temperatures, release hydrocyanic acid. Do you need this kind of dish on the table? And even after thawing, removing the seeds will only result in losing the delicious juice.

By the way, frozen cherries absorb foreign odors very well. Therefore, take the trouble to close it tightly. Otherwise, in winter you will be in for an unpleasant surprise: berries that taste like greens or raw meat.

This seems to be the basic knowledge, you will learn the rest while reading the article.

Principles of proper freezing of cherries

Berries need to be laid out separately from each other. Then in winter you will get a crumbly workpiece, and not a monolithic piece. But storing cherries this way is inconvenient; it takes up too much space. Therefore, we prepare:

tray or baking sheet according to the size of the freezer
old thick towel
a piece of thick film or polyethylene
containers or freezer bags

The film cannot be replaced with foil; it breaks quickly. But siliconized baking paper or a silicone craft mat will work. Bags and containers must be clean, dry and cool. That is, leave them in the refrigerator and get started. Procedure:

Washed cherries are pitted.
Place a towel on a baking sheet and cover with polyethylene on top.
The berries are poured onto the resulting structure in one layer, with intervals.
Place in the freezer for 40-50 minutes. During this time, you can peel a new batch of cherries.
Now it all depends on your speed. Quickly remove the frozen berries, lift the towel by the edges and pour the workpiece into a cold container or bag.
Just as quickly, the workpiece is put into the freezer for storage.

Why cool containers and do everything quickly? Because the cherry is only frozen, but not yet completely frozen. A thin ice crust is enough to prevent the berries from sticking together. But delay will cause it to melt, and a warm container will allow the cherries to completely soften. And all your efforts will go to waste.

Why use a towel if you can pour the berries directly from the film? It happens that the housewife does not guess the thickness of the polyethylene or does not have a suitable one at hand. This is where a towel comes in handy. It will prevent your frozen cherries from scattering all over the table and kitchen.

Advice. Crumbly frozen cherries are convenient for making dumplings, making jelly and compotes.

Principles of freezing cherries with sugar

They are very different from the points above. You will need:

prepared cherries
granulated sugar
soft plastic containers or silicone baking pans

The whole secret here is that the cherries will be frozen not as individual berries, but as kind of pancakes, and in their own juice. The procedure is very simple:

For 1 tbsp. berries take 1 tbsp. l. topped sugar Pass through a meat grinder or blender.
Place the cherries in a single layer in a silicone mold or container.
Pour over the resulting cherry puree and place in the freezer for 4 hours. During this time, the workpiece will freeze completely.
Now remove the cherry pancakes from the molds and containers (remember we talked about soft plastic?). And put them on top of each other in a tight bag, preferably with a zip fastener.
The procedure is repeated until the required number of pancakes.

This preparation is perfectly stored in the freezer for up to 8 months. By the way, if the cherries categorically refuse to leave the container, then apply a hot, damp cloth to the bottom for a few seconds. After such help, the pancake itself will slip into your hands. In the case of silicone molds, everything is much simpler. They are soft and turn out easily.

Advice. It is very convenient to fill pies or casseroles with cherry pancakes. You don't even need to defrost it. I put the plate down, covered it with dough, and put it in the oven.

Some people like to decorate even simple cocktails in an aesthetically pleasing way. How can you decorate a drink and surprise your guests? Pieces of ice with cherries.

You will need:

clean drinking water
fresh mint (small leaves)
cherries
ice molds

The procedure is incredibly simple. Place a mint leaf in ice molds and a cherry on top. Fill with regular drinking water and put in the freezer for 8-10 hours. The finished cubes are shaken out of the molds, poured into bags and stored in the same freezer.

Advice. This cube can be used to decorate a cocktail, iced tea, or any juice. There are no limits to your imagination.

Freezing cherry puree

Sometimes it happens that the berries are overripe and literally fall apart before our eyes. It would be a shame to throw it away, but don’t freeze it entirely; you’ll still end up with a sauerkraut. What to do? Of course mashed potatoes! You will need:

meat grinder or blender
small storage containers
granulated sugar (optional)

The cherry pulp is ground into a pulp, and sugar is added if desired and to taste. Or they don't add it. Just don’t add too much sugar, otherwise the mixture simply won’t freeze. What if the container leaks? In winter you will wash away the fruits of your love for sweets. Recommended dosage: for 1 kg of berries - only 300 g of granulated sugar. You can do without it altogether. The taste and aroma of cherries will not suffer from this.

Then all that remains is to thoroughly mix the resulting mass and place it in prepared, clean, dry containers.

Advice. Frozen cherry puree is ideal for making sorbets, homemade ice cream and as a filling for open-faced pies.

How to freeze cherries for the winter? Now this is not a problem for you. And where to identify the berries in the cold season - you’ll figure it out yourself. There is no one here to advise you. We are sure that you will always find a use for aromatic preparations.

Video: how to prepare cherries for the winter

How to freeze cherries for the winter? In the middle of summer, this question interests many avid summer residents, because cherry trees are usually quite productive and grow in most areas, regularly delighting the owners with a huge number of fragrant dark red berries. The benefits of cherries are undeniable, and their importance in cooking is difficult to overestimate. Freeze this berry during its ripening period to enjoy homemade fruit drinks, jelly, and compotes all year round. You can also stuff frozen cherries into dumplings or pies.

Should I remove the seeds?

Cherries with pits retain more juice and are perfect for making compotes, jelly, jellies and some desserts. To prepare other dishes from frozen cherries, you will still need to remove the pits, first completely defrosting the berries. While frozen pitted cherries can be immediately used as a filling for pies, pies and dumplings without defrosting. Before freezing cherries, think about what you are going to cook with them. The answer depends on whether to remove the seeds before freezing.

Simple rules for freezing cherries

The time between picking berries and freezing should be minimal, in this case all vitamins and nutrients are preserved.
Try not to use cherries that are too juicy or overripe, as well as berries that show signs of damage.
It is recommended to freeze cherries in small portions, approximately 500 grams.
It is convenient to use plastic containers with lids or special blister bags for freezing.
Before freezing, the berries must be sorted, washed and dried thoroughly. Wet or leaking berries should not be frozen.

How to freeze cherries with pits

If you decide to freeze pitted cherries, the berries prepared in this way should be laid out in one row and placed in the freezer. After this, put it in a storage container and return it to the freezer. You can use plastic containers or bags as containers for storing frozen cherries. It is important that they are hermetically sealed, otherwise the cherries may absorb foreign odors from the refrigerator. Frozen greens and bell peppers can give off a particularly strong odor.

By the way, it is not recommended to immediately place the cherries in containers and freeze them in this form, since the berries will freeze to each other and turn into a single lump, and when defrosted they will become deformed.

How to freeze pitted cherries

Everything is very simple. Freeze the berries using a dry method (see the method of freezing cherries with pits) and place them in a container, alternating layers with granulated sugar. Or arrange the prepared cherries in one row on a wooden board, immediately sprinkle them with sugar and freeze them in this form, then transfer them to a storage container.

How to freeze cherries for compote with raspberries, currants and blackberries

With mixed freezing - no hassle. You just need to choose the right berries. Everything that you are going to freeze (raspberries, cherries, currants, blackberries) should be at the stage of early ripeness, no overripe or bursting berries, no raspberries crawling into mush. Freezing is suitable dry; for better storage, you can sprinkle it with sugar. Add this mixture to the compote without defrosting.

How to freeze cherries in their own juice

Very cool way. Take 1 kg of cherries, sort, wash, dry and separate about a third. Remove the seeds from all the berries and prepare a puree from the reserved third using a blender. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Place the remaining cherries in plastic storage containers, leaving some room for filling. Pour cherry puree over the berries, close the containers with lids and place in the freezer.

How to freeze cherries in raspberry puree

Experienced housewives recommend this particular method of freezing, it is especially suitable for preparing berry jelly. Wash the cherries, sort and remove the pits. Sort the raspberries and use a blender to puree them. Stir with sugar (for 1 kg of raspberries - 500 grams of sugar). Place the pitted berries in plastic trays, fill with raspberry puree, cover with lids and freeze.

How to freeze cherries in sugar syrup

You can also freeze cherries in sugar syrup. To prepare syrup you need 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water. Pour granulated sugar into a saucepan with water, heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cool. Place the washed, pitted cherries in containers, fill with cold syrup and leave for 1-2 hours so that the berries are thoroughly soaked. Do not fill the containers with syrup to the very brim, leaving at least 1 cm of free space.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to freeze cherries. And you should try each of them to see which is better. See also

The beautiful cherries have ripened in our gardens, so today’s conversation will be about the health benefits of cherries and how to properly freeze cherries for the winter, so that you can enjoy the taste and aroma of this wonderful berry in the cold season.

Frozen berries have their advantages over jam, as they retain all their vitamins and beneficial properties, as well as a fresh aroma that will delight you with a piece of summer on cold winter evenings.

Dishes prepared with the addition of frozen cherries will appeal to all lovers of this berry.

Cherry berries beneficial properties

Traditional healers noted that this berry perfectly quenches thirst, increases appetite and has remarkable medicinal properties for human health.

I suggest you familiarize yourself with them in more detail:

The beneficial properties of cherry berries are expressed in anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antipyretic effects on the body. Eating the juice or berries of cherries prevents harmful bacteria from multiplying in infectious diseases;
The high content of coumarins in cherries helps the berries prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels;
For people with problems with capillaries and blood vessels, it is recommended to eat cherries, as these berries strengthen the human circulatory system;
Cherry juice and berries contain a lot of vitamins C, B1, B6, vitamin PP, as well as a lot of iron, magnesium, copper, pectin, citric, malic and ellagic acid. Therefore, cherry juice is useful for strengthening the immune system, for anemia and other diseases of the circulatory system. Healers recommend drinking cherry juice for diabetes and colds and respiratory diseases;
Cherry is useful for colds and coughs, as it destroys pathogenic microbes, bacteria and has an expectorant effect;
Cherry improves the functioning of the digestive tract, stimulates the activity of the pancreas and gall bladder;
Eating cherries prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer;
Cherries contain anticyanides, substances that have an antiseptic effect. Thanks to their content, cherries and cherry juice can kill E. coli and dysentery bacteria.

Not only the berries have benefits; medicines are made from cherry resin to treat the stomach, and a decoction of the leaves of the cherry tree helps with intestinal atony and colitis.

Note!

Cherry pit kernels are poisonous - you should not eat them!

frozen cherries

To preserve all the beneficial properties and vitamins of this wonderful berry, there is a simple and accessible way for everyone - freezing for the winter. Cherries deservedly hold the lead among the most popular berries for freezing, since the taste is in no way inferior to fresh ones, and at the same time they retain all their vitamins.

Frozen berries are convenient to use for preparing various dishes, making compotes, filling for pies, and simply eating without any additives.

How to properly freeze cherries for the winter

You can freeze berries with or without pits, but you should pay attention to the fact that cherries with pits retain more juice. In order for freezing to be successful, you need to follow some simple and at the same time important rules:

The time between picking berries and freezing should be minimal, in this case all vitamins and nutrients are preserved.
We choose ripe, but not overripe, undamaged berries. Wash the cherries in cool water and dry.
Place the berries in bags and place the bags in the freezer. The most optimal temperature for freezing cherries ranges from minus 18 to minus 23 degrees. At this temperature, the shelf life can be from 8 to 12 months, almost until the new season.
It is recommended to freeze cherries in small portions, approximately 500 grams. It is convenient to use plastic containers with lids for freezing.
If you use regular bags, it is better to first freeze the berries on a tray, spreading them out in an even layer, and then fold them into portions, so each cherry will retain its shape.
The container in which you freeze the berries must be well packed, as the cherries can absorb foreign odors.

Frozen cherries in sugar syrup

I offer another good way to freeze berries with sugar. To prepare sugar syrup you need to take: one and a half kilograms of sugar per liter of water.

Pour water into a saucepan and add sugar, heat it over the fire until the sugar is completely dissolved, then cool the syrup.
Wash the cherries, remove the pits and put them in containers, pour cold sugar syrup and leave for two hours. During this time, the berries will be well saturated with sugar.
Place the cherries in containers and fill with syrup to the brim. Alternatively, you can freeze the cherries by sprinkling them thoroughly with sugar.

Note!

If you have frozen cherries with pits, they should be used for food within one year. The fact is that cherry pits contain amygdalin; this substance has the property that during long-term storage it breaks down and releases a very strong poison - hydrocyanic acid.

You need to defrost the berries gradually by removing the container from the freezer and placing it in the refrigerator.

In the winter cold, when there are few vitamins on the dinner table, it is very important to have a portion of freshly frozen berries in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Cherries from the freezer are an affordable “luxury” that all housewives stock up on year after year.

The benefits of frozen cherries

In terms of taste, frozen cherries are no worse than fresh fruits. Same tartness, pleasant sourness. Stone fruits retain all their beneficial substances when frozen. Freshly squeezed juice or compote from frozen cherries is an excellent remedy for anemia, diabetes, inflammation of the nasopharynx and lungs.

How to properly freeze cherries

Cherry fruits are frozen, both with and without pits. It is advisable to subject freshly picked berries to the procedure. They retain more useful elements. The cherries are washed, placed in containers with a volume of 0.5-0.7 kg and placed in the freezer. Maximum freezing temperature -150°C.

Some housewives recommend freezing berries on a baking sheet or spread. This way they retain their shape and size better. Then the frozen berries are placed in bags or containers of the required volume. It is recommended to store cherries in a tightly closed container, otherwise they may become saturated with foreign odors.

Frozen cherries in sugar syrup

One way to freeze cherries is in syrup made from 1.5 kg of sugar and 1 liter of water. Heat the solution in a water bath until the sugar is completely dissolved, let cool. Pour fresh berries over them and leave for a couple of hours. Then place the cherries in syrup in containers, close the lid and put them in the freezer.

An easier way is to cover the cherries with sugar without adding water. The berries will retain all the beneficial substances. For further use, you can sweeten the juice or compote to taste.

Cherry is one of the favorite treats, not only among children, but also among adults. They eat it both fresh and as preparations. You can enjoy juicy fruits not only in summer, but also in cold winter. Housewives use them to prepare various dishes and drinks. The composition of vitamins and microelements is not inferior to fresh berries. We will look at all the methods in detail on how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator.

Rules for freezing cherries for the winter

The most popular berry, which is often frozen for the winter, is cherries. Frozen fruits are no different from fresh fruits. Based on individual preferences, cherries can be frozen either without pits or with them.

Important! If you freeze cherries with a pit, they will be juicier and tastier.

In order for freezing to be successful, you should follow a number of recommendations:

The period between harvesting and freezing should be as short as possible. This way, more vitamins and microelements are preserved.
It is better to use ripe berries, first rinse them in cool water.
It is advisable to freeze cherries in small portions (about 500 grams), spread them over the surface in a thin layer. So that each berry retains its appearance.

To remove the pit or not

Many housewives, before putting cherries in the freezer, decide to remove or leave the pits. For cooking compotes, jelly or jelly, you can leave the bone. In case of preparing other dishes, it is still better to remove it. It can be immediately used in preparing frozen dumplings and pies.

Wash the cherries well and sort them; only whole, undamaged berries can be used for freezing. Place on a clean surface and dry. Place them in a bag or plastic container. Close the containers tightly and place in the freezer. Storing in the refrigerator is great because you can take out the berries at any time and make a delicious drink.

Interesting! You can freeze any berries this way. Wash, put in a container or bag, and put in the freezer. All useful substances are completely preserved.

Freeze pitted

This method of harvesting cherries for the winter is more practical. To prepare dishes, you do not need to defrost them; you can immediately add baked goods or dumplings. Wash the fruits thoroughly and dry. Use a pin to remove the seeds. Frozen pitted cherries are stored in the freezer. The berries are first placed in bags or plastic containers.

It is better to freeze fruits with sugar (3 tablespoons per liter), but you can do it without it, but they will not be so sweet.

Advice! It is advisable to wear disposable gloves on your hands. Since the juice comes into contact with the skin of the hands, it can cause allergic reactions.

In addition to the classic one, there are the following freezing recipes:

in sugar syrup;
in its own juice;
in raspberry puree;
for cocktails.

Freezing in sugar syrup

In order to enjoy delicious berries, you need to prepare sugar syrup.

You will need:

0.5 kilograms of sugar;
1 liter of water.

Cooking process:

Pour water into an enamel bowl and place on the stove.
After the water boils, add sugar.
Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove the syrup from the stove and wait until it cools.
Wash the cherries thoroughly, remove the stem and leaves, and remove the pits.
Place the fruits in a container, pour chilled syrup on top, and leave for 120 minutes. During this period, the cherries will release juice and become saturated with sweet syrup.
Pour syrup over the berries in the container, leave two and three centimeters on top, close tightly with a lid, and put in the refrigerator.

In its own juice

In order to freeze cherries in their own juice, you will need one kilogram of berries. Wash and sort the fruits well. You need to remove the seeds from the cherries; you can use a pin or a sharp needle. From a third of all the berries, you need to prepare a puree. The easiest way to do this is in a blender. Add sugar to cherries and stir until completely dissolved. Place the remaining berries in containers, fill with cherry puree, close the lid tightly and place in the freezer.

Interesting! The calorie content of frozen cherries is 45 calories per 100 grams.

In raspberry puree

This method is an excellent solution; in the future, use them for making jelly and jellies. Wash cherries and raspberries in running water. Dry and remove all seeds. Raspberries must be pureed. To do this, place it in a blender and add sugar (0.5 kg of raspberries equals 1 kg of sugar). Place the cherries in a container and pour over the raspberry puree. Place the tightly closed container in the refrigerator.

Freezing cherries for cocktails

Lately, most people like to decorate drinks with exotic fruits and berries. Cherry is an excellent solution; you can not only serve the drink beautifully, but also surprise your guests.

In order to cook cherries in ice you need:

cherry;
water;
mint;
ice tray.

Cooking steps:

Wash the cherries and mint well.
Place a mint leaf on the bottom of the mold.
Place the cherry on top, do not remove the tail, this way the berry will look aesthetically beautiful.
Pour in cooled, boiled water.
Place in the freezer for ten hours.
Remove the ice cubes from the mold, place them in bags, and store them in the freezer.

Defrosting berries correctly

Frozen cherries are an excellent option for providing the body with a healthy treat, regardless of the time of year. How to defrost correctly so as not to damage the structure of the berries.

Unfrozen fruits are added to porridge and compotes and jellies are made. When making pies, unthawed berries may leak. If you defrost them they will lose their juice. The way out of the situation is to add two large spoons of starch to the frozen fruits.

Defrosting rules:

place the container with berries (lid tightly closed) in a bowl of cold water and leave for ten minutes;
Place the cherries in a single layer on a paper towel and pat dry.
If the berries were stored in bags, they need to be defrosted under running cold water.
Place the cherries in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator and leave for seven hours.

You can speed up the defrosting process by using a microwave. Pour the berries into a glass container and turn on the “Quick defrost” mode. It is necessary to check the fruits every minute whether they have thawed or not.

Shelf life

How long can frozen cherries be stored? The optimal storage temperature, berries in the freezer, is from 18 to 24 degrees below zero. It is advisable to consume frozen cherries with pits within eight months. Seedless berries - throughout the year. If the storage temperature is from 0 to -8 degrees, it should be consumed within three months.

It is important to know! Re-freezing fruits is strictly prohibited. The berries turn into an unattractive puree, all vitamins and chemical elements are lost.

Cherries frozen at home, if all recommendations are followed, will retain all the important substances. It is suitable for preparing any dishes; cherry ice cubes will decorate glasses of a heady cocktail. There are quite a lot of freezing methods, it’s worth trying them all to choose the best one.