Is it possible to freeze cherries for the winter? Frozen cherries: calorie content, rules and recipes

20.03.2024

One of the most versatile berries in cooking is the cherry. It makes delicious jam and preserves, it adds a pleasant sourness to desserts, and is also suitable for sauce for meat. In addition to the fact that this berry is delicious, it is also good for health. The most convenient and fastest way to prepare fresh cherries for the winter is to freeze them.

There are several ways to freeze cherries: pitted, pitted, in sugar syrup, in fruit puree or in juice. First, decide what you will use it for. If you plan to prepare cherries for filling dumplings and pies, then it is better to freeze pitted cherries so that you can immediately use them for cooking. If you plan to make compotes in winter, then pitted cherries are your option. Cherries dipped in syrup or puree are perfect for jelly, dressing cottage cheese, and porridge.

But before freezing, cherries must be prepared.

Choose ripe, but not overripe cherries for freezing. Pour salted water for 30 minutes (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter) so that all the worms that may be in the berries float to the top. Rinse the cherries under running water, sort through, separating stems and debris. Place on a paper or cotton towel to dry for about 2 hours.

How to properly freeze pitted cherries for the winter.

Place the cherries in an even layer on a tray and place in the freezer for several hours. When the cherries are frozen, pour them into a plastic container or bag and put them in the freezer for permanent storage.

If you immediately put the cherries in a bag, they may stick together into a solid lump, which will be difficult to separate later. Cherries need to be packaged in such a way that the entire portion can be used immediately without re-freezing the product. Cherries with pits can be stored in the freezer for 8-12 months.

How to properly freeze pitted cherries for the winter.

Separate the washed and dried cherries from the pits using any method (pin, hairpin, special device). Place in a colander to drain excess juice. Place in a single layer on a tray and place in the freezer for 3 hours.

Remove from the freezer and place in a bag or container for permanent storage. Can be stored in the freezer for 12-15 months.

In the video, Marmalade Fox will tell you in detail about the intricacies of freezing pitted cherries.

How to freeze cherries in sugar syrup.

For this freezing method, you can use cherries with or without pits. To prepare the syrup, add sugar to boiling water at the rate of 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water, stir until completely dissolved. Place the cherries in a storage container, pour warm syrup over them until they are covered. Cool, close the lid, and put in the freezer.

How to freeze cherries with fruit puree.

To freeze cherries with fruit puree, you can take any berries of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, currants). For fruit puree, chop the washed and sorted berries using any available method. Add sugar in a ratio of 1 to 3, stir until the sugar dissolves. Place the cherries in a storage container and pour in the puree until it completely covers it.

Cover with a lid and place in the freezer.

How to freeze cherries with juice.

As in the previous methods, we put the cherries in a plastic container, fill them with juice, and put them in the freezer for storage. Orange, apple, pear or pineapple juices go well with cherries. You can freeze cherries in their own juice.

The video shows a method for freezing cherries in their own juice.

Defrosting cherries.

It is better to defrost cherries in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. If cherries are needed urgently, defrost them at room temperature.

Freezing cherries for the winter allows you to preserve most of their beneficial properties and they taste almost like fresh ones. Unlike canning, this method of preparing cherries significantly saves the housewife’s time and effort, which is of great importance.

Cherries can be called one of the most suitable berries for freezing. During the process of cooling and subsequent defrosting, it does not lose its beneficial properties, the amount of vitamins does not decrease, it does not lose its shape, and the taste differs slightly from fresh. With the right freezing method, you can also preserve the maximum amount of juice. Today's episode is about how to freeze cherries.

Most often, pits are removed from cherries before freezing, as they add extra weight, and subsequently they still need to be thrown away, since they are poisonous. But it is precisely the methods of freezing with seeds that preserve juicy berries best. There are many ways to store berries in the refrigerator, which are distinguished by their originality, for example, cherries in raspberry puree. But, unfortunately, such methods are not suitable for whole berries, so they use 3 standard methods and one cocktail method.

Freezing cherries with a pit is also convenient because the pits can be removed after defrosting, if required, but it is impossible to return the berries to a perfectly round shape for decorating a dessert if an “empty” cherry was frozen.
In all cases, it is necessary to adhere to the rules for preparing berries, which also apply to freezing pitted cherries or other berries:

choose only whole berries without defects;
do not take overripe ones;
freeze no more than 24 hours after collection;
wash carefully, remove leaves and cuttings, and dry thoroughly naturally;
use small containers or freezing bags where the cherries will be stored in portions - no more than 0.5 kg, since fruit can only be defrosted once;
If possible, do not stack the berries in several layers until completely frozen;
prepared berries are frozen at temperatures from -18 degrees to -23.

For the first method of freezing cherries with pits, you need to place the berries on the board in one layer, but not tightly enough to each other. After all the berries are frozen, they are transferred to a container with a tight-fitting lid. The berries should be packed tightly enough to leave minimal free space with air. Cherries frozen in this way can be used as a decoration for dessert, or used to make fruit drinks, compote, or jelly. To bake, remove the pits after defrosting. If you do this with slightly frozen berries, more juice will remain in them, but for many this is too inconvenient procedure.

For the second method, you need a plastic glass or container in which the cherries will be mixed with sugar. The bottom layer is made of berries, then sugar is sprinkled in a thin layer. Layers are built up to the very top. Such frozen cherries may also lose their shape a little, but such berries are much tastier to eat immediately after defrosting.
The cocktail method requires special forms for freezing. Ice trays that are not too small will do. One cherry is placed in each cell, which is filled with filtered or cooled boiled water. Next, close the mold with a lid or wrap it with cling film. This freezing method is interesting to diversify your home party with delicious alcoholic drinks in the winter. There is no need to defrost the berries, since cherries in an ice cube are used only for cooling drinks, not necessarily alcoholic ones.

The easiest way to freeze cherries

Ingredients:

Fresh cherries
Packaging bags or bags with a lock.

Cooking process:

The cherry is sorted, twigs and leaves are removed. It is washed in parts and placed in a colander.

When the liquid has drained, you can immediately put the clean berries in a bag or plastic box with a lid and freeze them.

Please note that wet berries can stick together into a large lump, which will be inconvenient to defrost and use later. As a rule, a frozen lump of berries is dipped into water without defrosting and compote and fruit juice are made.

To prevent the cherries from freezing into a lump, the berries need to be dried well or the bag should be shaken several times during the freezing process.

How do you freeze cherries for the winter?

Unlike perishable fresh berries, frozen ones retain their aroma and taste for 3 years. They help housewives a lot in winter, when they really want juicy and bright pastries and summer desserts. We will tell you whether you need to defrost berries when preparing different dishes and how to do it correctly.

If you defrost the berries correctly, they will not lose their appetizing appearance.

Where are frozen berries used?

At any time of the year, frozen vegetables and fruits can be purchased at the supermarket. In industrial conditions, berries are harvested using shock freezing. If stored properly in the store, the fruits do not lose their shape and have the same color and taste as fresh ones.

If you wish, you can prepare berries for future use using the freezer yourself. The most popular among housewives are strawberries, cherries, blueberries, currants, and raspberries.

Berries frozen at sub-zero temperatures (–18–23 degrees) are suitable for consumption for 8–12 months. At temperatures from 0 to –8 degrees – no more than 3 months.

You can make jelly, fruit drinks and compotes from frozen berries. They are used as a component of dairy and alcoholic drinks, smoothies. They serve as the basis for creating berry creams, sauces, mousses, and jellies.

Frozen berries are ideal for ice cream and sorbet. They can be used to stuff dumplings, pancakes, muffins, pies, pies, and cottage cheese casseroles. However, thawed fruits are not suitable for decorating cakes and desserts. They don't look appetizing in fruit salads either.

How to defrost berries in different ways

Without defrosting, the fruits are placed in compotes and porridges during cooking. When semi-thawed, they can be ground in a blender for smoothies, fruit drinks or cocktails. You can prepare jelly only from melted products, otherwise it will not harden.

Should I defrost berries before baking? If you put the fruits in the pie as is, there is a high probability that they will leak a lot. On the other hand, defrosted berries in baked goods lack juiciness. You can get out of this situation by mixing frozen fruits with two tablespoons of starch. During baking, the thickener will absorb all the excess berry juice and prevent it from leaking out of the pie.

There is no need to defrost the berries before baking if you add a little starch to them

To defrost berries you can:

place in a closed container in cold water for 10 minutes;
Place on a plate in a single layer, after laying down paper towels;
Place in a tightly closed bag under cold running water;
transfer to the main compartment of the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Culinary Etude 07/18/2018

The white boil of cherry blossoms delighted the eye in the spring, and now a beautiful berry is already ripening in the gardens. In a short period of time, you need to feast on plenty, don’t forget to bake delicious food, and think about supplies. Today we will talk to you, my dears, about how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator, or rather, in the freezer.

I myself now freeze almost all berries, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs for the winter. Freezing is an excellent harvesting method that allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in the berries. Having spent very little time processing and preparing cherries for freezing, you can pamper yourself and your home with a vitamin-rich berry in winter. Frozen cherries can be used to prepare delicious dishes and luxurious confectionery products.

How to properly freeze cherries at home? Irina Rybchanskaya, our presenter of the column Let's listen to Irina - I give the floor to her.

Greetings, dear readers of Irina Zaitseva’s blog! Every year, several kilograms of frozen cherries “settle” in my freezer. In our small garden there are two cherry trees that invariably delight us with an excellent harvest.

Of course, first we heartily enjoy fresh berries and prepare milkshakes, dumplings, cold creamy soup, clafoutis and many other “delicacies” from them. And the surplus harvest is almost entirely sent to the freezer.

Calorie content of frozen cherries

Fresh and frozen cherries have the same calorie content. There are only 56 kcal per 100 g of product. Those who monitor their health and figure should pay attention to this sweet and sour low-calorie berry.

Frozen cherries retain the composition and beneficial properties of fresh fruits almost completely.

What are the benefits of frozen cherries?

Cherry, as we found out, is a low-calorie product, so it is useful for obesity that is not accompanied by gastritis with high acidity.
It has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, increasing their strength and elasticity, and prevents the formation of blood clots. Therefore, the berry is useful for the prevention of heart attack and stroke, and for thrombophlebitis.
Improves blood composition, prevents the development of anemia.
Promotes normal digestion, increases appetite, has an antibacterial effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract.
It is a good expectorant and antipyretic.
It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system during stress and depression.
Promotes the removal of uric acid salts, reduces pain in gout and arthritis.
It is an excellent vitamin supplement. It contains vitamins A, E, C, PP, group B, as well as folic acid.

I have presented a far from complete list of the beneficial properties of frozen cherries. It is simply impossible to talk about this in detail within the scope of this article.

How and to whom are frozen cherries harmful?

Cherries are harmful in case of individual intolerance, which is expressed in allergic reactions of the body.
It should not be used by people suffering from gastritis with high acidity and stomach ulcers.
Contraindication is the acute stage of gastroenteritis, a tendency to diarrhea.
Hypotonic people should consume frozen cherries in very moderate quantities, as they help lower blood pressure.

Sort through collected or purchased cherries. Remove specimens unsuitable for freezing. We remember that you can only freeze ripe berries without the slightest trace of spoilage.
Wash the fruits along with the “tails”. Remove the stems and place the berries on a clean cloth. The more moisture is absorbed into the fabric, the better the quality of the frozen cherries - the cherry will separate from the cherry.

How to freeze pitted cherries in the freezer

Necessary utensils and auxiliary materials

Boards, trays or baking sheets that fit freely into the freezer;
A piece of polyethylene that, when placed on boards or trays, will hang a couple of centimeters over the edges.
Plastic bags or plastic containers with lids.
Clean cloth or old towel.

Procedure

Remove the pits from the prepared cherries and place the pitted berries on a towel.
Place bags and dry, clean containers in the refrigerator - we need them cold.
As soon as there are enough fruits on one tray, put plastic on it and distribute the berries in one layer.
Place in the freezer for pre-freezing (18°C), which lasts about two hours.
Do the same with the entire batch of fruits.
After two hours, take out the “frozen” berry, carefully lift all four edges of the polyethylene (two with your left hand and two with your right), pour the fruits into bags or containers.
We close the containers with lids, release the air from the bags, tie them or close them (if using zip-lock bags). Here's how easy it is to freeze pitted cherries for the winter.

My comments

You can store the product in the freezer for one year.
Be sure to tightly close the container in which you place the fruits in the freezer to prevent the absorption of foreign odors.
Label the container, indicating the name of the product, weight and date of filling.

The easiest way to freeze cherries at home

I found an interesting video about the easiest way to freeze cherries at home.

How to freeze cherries with pits for the winter

Is it possible to freeze pitted cherries? If you have too many cherries and you don’t have time to process them, you can freeze the berries with pits for the winter. This product should be stored for no more than six months.

Prepared berries with seeds should be “frozen”, as in the above recipe.

Then pour them into containers and bags and store them in the refrigerator freezer or freezer.

Frozen cherries with sugar for the winter

First way

Place the prepared cherries, pitted or pitted, into dry, clean containers, sprinkling each layer with sugar. Tap the container as you add each layer to help the berries and sugar pack more tightly.
Send containers for quick freezing. Freezing fruits with sugar will take longer than without it.
Place the completely frozen product in the storage compartment. Make sure that the dishes are level to avoid leakage of not completely frozen cherry juice.

Second way

Mix the prepared fruits with sugar in a deep bowl. The ratio of sugar and berries is 1:1.
Place in the refrigerator and wait for the sugar to completely dissolve in the released juice. Shake the berries periodically.
Separate the fruits from the sugar syrup. Place in clean, dry containers. Pour in the syrup, keeping in mind that its volume will increase by about 20% when frozen.
Close the containers with lids and place them in the quick freezing compartment. Freezing will take a long time. It is possible that the syrup will not freeze completely.
Place the products in a storage section.

Third way

Grind the seedless berries in a blender and mix with sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
Stir the mixture and wait until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into small plastic cups with lids. Send for freezing and then storage.

My comments

The berries are the most aromatic with the first method, and the tastiest with the second.
To remove the product prepared using the third method, place the glass in hot water for a few seconds.

Many people use a microwave to defrost berries, some defrost berries in the refrigerator, and you can also hear methods for defrosting berries in cold and even hot water.

When defrosting in the microwave, the berries often burst, their appearance deteriorates, and a lot of juice appears. And this can be compared, perhaps, if we drank hot tea after ice cream. Often it even cramps my teeth. And also when defrosting in the microwave, vitamins are destroyed.

Hot water is completely excluded from defrosting options. It is also not very good to defrost berries in cold water.

It is best to defrost berries on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or at room temperature for a very short time.

Is it possible to repeatedly freeze and thaw cherries?

Berries from the freezer cannot be re-frozen after defrosting; they will lose their shape, taste, and vitamins. Freeze everything in small portions so you can take it all at once.

What can you cook from frozen cherries?

Vareniki

For cooking, you can take frozen berries with or without seeds.

Ingredients

400 g flour;
240 ml boiling water;
3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
one egg;
salt;
four cherries for each dumpling;
two coffee spoons of sugar into each dumpling.

How to cook

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add the egg and stir lightly with your finger.
Boil water, brew flour, knead the dough. Cover it with a towel and leave it to rest for half an hour.
Roll out, cut out circles or roll sausages, cut into pieces, roll each piece into a circle.
Place four cherries per circle, sprinkle with sugar, seal.
Cook in boiling water with salt, serve with cold sour cream.

Milkshake

Ingredients

250 ml cold milk;
80 g frozen pitted cherries with sugar.

How to cook

Place all ingredients in a blender bowl.
Beat at high speed until a stable foam is obtained.
Serve in glass glasses.

Ice cream

Ingredients

200 ml heavy cream (33%);
100 g frozen cherries with sugar, prepared in the third way (see above).

How to cook

Place all ingredients in a blender bowl.
Beat at high speed.
Pour into a plastic container and place in the freezer.
After forty minutes, mix the mixture thoroughly.
Perform the mixing operation three to four more times.

I have given three recipes as examples. What else can you cook?

Compotes, jelly, .
Fillings for pies, rolls, strudels.
Fillings, decorations for cakes, compote for mousse cakes.
Jam, jam (either alone or in combination with raspberries, strawberries, wild strawberries).
Decoration of creamy, mousse desserts.
For cooling alcoholic cocktails (a whole cherry with a pit is thrown into the drink)

Dear readers of Irina Zaitseva’s blog! I will be very glad if my information is useful to you! I am waiting for your questions, which I will answer with pleasure and joy.

With sincere wishes of health, good luck and love Irina Rybchanskaya, blog author Essay by a Culinary Amateur.

Dear readers, if you are interested in other culinary recipes, I invite you to our “Culinary Study” section. You can go to the category by clicking on the button below.

Delicious recipes for the whole family

Among the methods of preparing fresh berries for the winter, housewives consider freezing to be the easiest and fastest. It is able to preserve taste and vitamins. Freezing berries for the winter allows you to enjoy them throughout the cold period, when summer is so lacking. The main thing is to make the preparations correctly. The instructions below on how to freeze cherries will help you with this.

How to select and prepare berries for harvesting for the winter

In the store you can find packages of frozen cherries at a reasonable price. For lovers of berries and fruits in winter, they are simply irreplaceable. Only often after purchase it is discovered that the fruits in them are completely unattractive, and therefore there is no desire to eat them. If you have your own harvest of these berries, then you can easily use one of the recipes for freezing cherries for the winter. The main thing with any method is to properly prepare the fruits. To benefit from the product you are required to:

remove crumpled or overripe cherries, as well as leaves and stems;
wash the fruits thoroughly under running water several times;
pour the berries onto a towel and wait until they dry.

After this, you need to decide on a specific method for freezing cherries in the freezer. Among the more common ones, only 2 stand out: with or without seeds. The first option is good because the shape of the fruit is not disturbed, which is why the juice does not flow out. Under this condition, they are not suitable for preparing various dishes, including pies and other baked goods. They are used for compote or juice. If you remove the seeds from it, then after defrosting you will not have to carry out additional manipulations.

How to properly freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator

The harvest is collected and prepared, then you can start freezing. While you have not yet decided on a recipe, check out the general rules that must be followed to obtain a high-quality and tasty product:

Don’t delay freezing, because the less time passes from harvesting, the tastier the final product will be.
Choose only ripe fruits, and it is better to eat overripe ones right away.
The container for the berries must be thoroughly washed. In addition, it should be able to be sealed tightly so as not to allow any odors to escape.
It is recommended to first place the cherries loosely on a plate, then freeze them for about half an hour. Only after this the fruits are sent to a container for final freezing.
Plastic containers, cups with a lid, vacuum bags, or simply freezer bags with a zipper are used as containers.
Place only a portion of berries in one container, because they cannot be frozen again.

With a bone

How to easily freeze cherries for the winter? Just don't remove the seeds from the berries. To freeze one portion this way, you only need to prepare:

cherries – 0.3 kg;
sugar - to taste;
special freezer bags, glass or container.

To prepare, use the following recipe:

Remove stems, leaves and debris from the berries and rinse under warm water.
Spread the fruit loosely on a board or small baking sheet that will fit inside the freezer.
Place the cherries in the freezer for half an hour.
When the berries become firm, transfer them to the prepared container. Here, if you want to sweeten, sprinkle them with sugar.
Try to get as much air out of the bag or glass as possible, then close the clasp or lid tightly.

Pitted

Freezing pitted cherries for the winter will require more patience and time from you. To make one serving, prepare items from the following list:

cherry – 0.3-0.4 kg;
sugar - optional;
container for subsequent storage of berries in the freezer.

Before freezing, prepare the berries again by clearing them of any debris and rinsing them thoroughly. After that do the following:

To remove the seeds, use a pin or a special machine.
Place the berries not very tightly together on some flat surface, for example, a board, a small baking sheet or a flat plate. Leave for 30-40 minutes. into the freezer.
Remove the berries from the freezer and place them in the bottom of a container or inside a zip-top bag. If necessary, sprinkle with sugar.
Close the container tightly, after releasing as much air as possible.
Place the berries back into the freezer.

Frozen cherries in sugar

If the previous instructions included optional sugar, then in this recipe it is required to be added. The ingredients and materials are almost the same:

the berries themselves – 0.3 kg;
sugar – 4-5 tbsp. l. or to taste;
container for freezing.

The recipes described above use the dry freezing method, since the berries are first placed in the refrigerator for half an hour, and only then sent to the freezer for the whole winter. You can immediately place them in a container, but then the fruits will freeze to each other and become a single lump, which is very inconvenient, especially for decorating desserts. To prepare cherries with sugar, follow these steps:

Peel and wash the berries, remove the seeds.
Repeat the procedure with pre-freezing for half an hour.
Place the fruits in a container, alternating them with layers of granulated sugar, or sprinkle them further on the board, and then immediately place them in bags.

How to freeze berries for the winter in their own juice

The last way to freeze cherries for the winter is considered the most delicious. This way you can immediately get a ready-made filling for cakes and dumplings or a base for making jam. The required ingredients are as follows:

cherries – 0.3-0.4 kg;
sugar – 0.1 kg.

The cooking process includes several simple steps:

Remove the seeds from the peeled and washed berries and place them in a container, but not all the way to the top.
Mix the remaining berries with sugar, then beat with a mixer or blender until smooth.
Pour the resulting syrup into containers with cherries.
Closing the lid tightly, place the container in the freezer.

How long do frozen berries last?

In addition to providing vitamins in winter, freezing cherries has another useful property - low calorie content. It is only 53 kcal/100 g. If you used sugar for freezing, then there will be more calories. In general, this cherry dessert can be used as a substitute for sweets during a diet. The main thing is to store it correctly. The temperature according to GOST should not be higher than 16 degrees. With it, the shelf life reaches 6-8 months. If you did not take out the seeds, use the product for up to six months: during long-term storage, hydrocyanic acid is released, i.e. poison for the body.

How to defrost correctly

The main thing when defrosting a product is not to rush. First, you need to place the container or bag in the main compartment of the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. When the berries have thawed, you can take them out and finally defrost them at room temperature. Please note that the product is designed for one defrost cycle only. This means that the berries cannot be re-frozen.