TOP 10 recipes for freezing gooseberries for the winter at home in the refrigerator

Ripe berries provide the greatest amount of health benefits. Most vitamins are found in the skins of gooseberries, which are lost during cooking. Therefore, Freezing is the best way to preserve berries for the winter., which preserves the aroma and taste.

To enjoy this natural delicacy all year round, you need to know how to properly freeze gooseberries.

Can you freeze gooseberries?

The product is well stored at low temperatures and retains:

• nutritional qualities;
• structure;
• taste qualities;
• vitamins.

Selecting and preparing berries for freezing

The beneficial properties depend on the color of the fruit:

• green or white - the most useful;
• brown or red ones are the sweetest.

Thick-skinned, sweet-fleshed gooseberries are ideal for dry freezing. Thin-skinned gooseberries are frozen with sugar. To preserve their shape, thin-skinned berries are frozen in sugar syrup.

Preparation rules:

• harvested in the morning hours. The weather should be dry;
• Twigs and leaves are completely removed. Spoiled and unripe berries are set aside. Only firm specimens that remain firm when pressed are retained. An unripe berry is very hard. A soft berry is either stale or overripe.
• cut off the tails;
• wash;
• Place on a towel and dry. No excess moisture should remain, otherwise a layer of ice will form on the surface.

It is necessary to follow certain rules when choosing berries:

• When purchasing, choose dried berries with stems, which help preserve their beneficial properties;
• choose mature ones, without signs of disease and without damage;
• Unripe fruits have poor flavor and are therefore not suitable for winter storage. An exception might be made if you plan to make compotes or jam later.

Methods for freezing gooseberries at home

Before freezing, prepare the freezer. Wash it thoroughly and wipe it dry with a cloth. There should be no foreign odors, as the gooseberries will absorb them, negatively affecting not only the aroma but also the flavor.

It is recommended to freeze berries in portions so that you can consume the required amount of berries at once.

To preserve the aroma of berries, do not store them in the same compartment with fish and meat products.

Whole berries

Whole berries are perfect for filling pies and cakes. They can be used to make delicious compotes or jams at any time of year. To properly freeze gooseberries, follow these simple guidelines:

1. Sort the fruits, then carefully wash and dry.
2. Place on a tray and place in the freezer. Set to deep freeze. Let stand for an hour.
3. Place the berries in prepared containers or bags. Place the containers in the freezer. After two days, seal the lids. Squeeze out all the air from the bags and seal them. Pack quickly to prevent the berries from defrosting. Frozen gooseberries can be stored without cooking until next season.

Freezing gooseberries sprinkled with sugar

You will need:

• sugar – 600 grams;
• gooseberries – 2 kilograms.

Preparation:

1. For harvesting, use only firm, dense specimens, which are washed and dried. Sprinkle with sugar and stir.
2. Place in containers. Freeze for two days. Then seal with lids. Alternatively, pack into bags that are tightly sealed. This method prevents the mixture from turning into a block of ice.

In sugar syrup

This method is suitable for thin-skinned and slightly overripe berries. This type of freezing will help transform the berries into a standalone dessert.

You will need:

• sugar – 500 grams;
• gooseberry;
• water – 1 liter.

Preparation:

• Pour water over the sugar. For a better flavor, you can add a sprig of mint. Bring to a boil. Simmer for three minutes. Cool.
• Place the prepared berries in a container. Pour the syrup over them, leaving about two centimeters from the top.

• Place in the freezer. Freeze. Store containers uncovered for two days, then seal with lids. The smaller the container, the faster the product will freeze.
• Defrost in the refrigerator. Store frozen for up to six months.
• If you need whole berries to prepare a dish, add them without defrosting.

In the form of puree

Gooseberries are delicious when pureed. Overripe but not rotten fruits, as well as thin-skinned berries, are ideal for this.

You will need:

• sugar – 350 grams;
• gooseberries - 1 kilogram.

Preparation:

• Remove leaves and stems. Rinse and dry with paper towels. Place in a blender and blend.
• You can use a masher. This will preserve more vitamins, as contact with metal causes the berries to oxidize, which results in the loss of their beneficial properties.

• Pour the mixture through a sieve. The mixture will be smooth and skinless. This step can be skipped, as the skin contains the most vitamins.
• Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Pour into plastic portioned containers. Place in the freezer. Freeze for an hour, then cover with lids. The fruits retain their beneficial properties for up to 6 months.
• You can pour the prepared mixture into ice cube trays or plastic cups. Freeze. Then remove and portion out the small cubes into plastic bags. Wrap the cups in cling film.

Shelf life of frozen gooseberries in the freezer

Supermarkets sell berries that have been flash-frozen. This preserves their vibrant color and fully preserves their flavor. This process is difficult to carry out at home, so follow these recommendations:

1. Fruits frozen at a temperature of -18 degrees and below can retain their properties for about a year.
2. A frozen product at a temperature of -3 degrees can be stored for no more than three months.
3. At zero temperatures, the berries will remain edible for two months.

Recommendations and advice

The latest freezers feature a "deep freeze" function, which approximates the process with a blast freeze. To achieve the desired, rapid freezing, it's recommended to activate this function at least two hours in advance.

Regardless of freezing method, it's recommended to label your frozen berries. Green berries are easy to distinguish from other varieties in the freezer, but dark varieties of gooseberries can easily be confused with rowan or black currant.

Defrost at +6 degrees in the refrigerator compartment for 5 hours.