Summer, preparation time. We preserve and dry many products. But no less interesting way is freezing. Frozen foods retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Today we’ll talk about freezing apricots.
Recipe content:
Summer feeds winter and pampers with wonderful tastes, useful vitamins and delicate fragrance. Today we will talk about apricots. They are harvested for the future in the form of jam or compotes, the berries are also dried to get dried apricots, but today we will freeze them for long-term storage until spring. In addition, with this method of harvesting, all vitamins and minerals are preserved in fruits by almost 90%. And this, nicotinic acid, vitamins: C, B1, B2, PP. Apricots also contain trace elements: copper, manganese, iron, cobalt, potassium. And sunlight gives carotene, which in them is as much as in egg yolk. Apricots are useful for diseases of the cardiovascular system, and for facial skin burns, masks are made from their pulp.
It will be useful for every housewife to learn this recipe, since other products can also be harvested using this technology: plums, peaches, strawberries, currants, etc. Also remember the following tips. It is impossible to quickly freeze berries and fruits, as they can turn into an unappetizing "porridge". For the same reason, defrosted fruits cannot be re-frozen. Therefore, immediately pack them in small convenient containers or bags so that you can use the products in one go for cooking or eating. Although mostly frozen berries are used without defrosting.
- Calorie content per 100 g - 48 kcal.
- Servings - any quantity
- Cooking time - 20-30 minutes of preparation work, plus time for freezing
Ingredients:
- Apricots - any quantity
Step by step cooking apricot for the winter:
1. Select for freezing not spoiled, strong and moderately ripe, but not overripe apricots, otherwise they will turn into porridge when defrosted. Place them in a colander and rinse under running water, scrubbing the furry sides thoroughly. It is most convenient to do this with a special soft kitchen brush, rubbing the berries in water from all sides with it, and then rinse again.
2. Put apricots on a towel and leave to dry. To speed up the process, you can wipe the fruits with a paper towel.
3. Cut dry berries in half and remove the stone.
4. Do a similar procedure with all fruits. If the apricots are large, then cut them into smaller pieces.
5. Take a convenient container, and carefully fold the berries. Do not squeeze tightly so as not to crush the berries.
6. Close the containers with lids and send the apricots to the freezer.
If you have a large freezer vessel, then spread the fruits in one layer on a board or paper and send them to the freezer for pre-freezing at a temperature of -20 ° C for 3 hours. After the fruits have hardened, pour them into a plastic bag or plastic container, close tightly and send to the freezer for long-term storage. Store frozen apricots at -18°C.
Apricot is a fairly popular fruit crop that has become widespread in our latitudes. Its fruits are distinguished by their bright appearance, sweetness and excellent aroma. Such qualities have made them a favorite delicacy not only for children, but also for adults.
The only drawback of such fruits is a relatively short shelf life of only a couple of weeks. Based on this, a completely logical question arises whether it is possible to freeze apricots in the freezer, the answer to which is not as unambiguous as it might seem at first glance.
Characteristics of apricot, its features and the possibility of freezing
Ripe apricots flood our gardens at the end of June and delight us until mid-July. At the same time, the size of the fruits, the ripening time and their color depend on the characteristics of the varieties, of which there are more than a dozen.
Them distinctive feature It has a bright color due to the high content of carotenoids. Ripe fruits are characterized by high fleshiness, juiciness and high sugar content. However, despite the sweetness, the energy value fruit is quite low and is only 45-50 kcal. What makes it possible to include it in your diet, not being afraid to get better.
The main feature of these fruits is their taste qualities, characterized by incredible tenderness and increased sweetness, which are in perfect harmony with each other.
At the same time, the shelf life of ripe apricots is only 5-10 days, after which they become unusable. You can extend it in several ways, among which the most popular is the use of a freezer.
Serving this kind of heat treatment, the apricot retains its taste and most of the nutrients, which makes freezing one of better ways to increase its shelf life. However, it is necessary to freeze fruits correctly in compliance with the technology and taking into account all the requirements, since only in this way can the structure of the fruit be preserved.
Frozen apricots can be stored in almost any container and even in plastic bags. At the same time, the use of each container has its own characteristics, which should not be ignored. Bags are used to store puree or deformed fruits, the shape of which does not matter. Typically, they are used as a filling or to create jam.
Hard-walled dishes are used when it is necessary to ensure maximum preservation of the shape and appearance of the fruit. The best representative of such containers are plastic containers with a lid, which do not take up much space and easily fit in the freezer.
Apricot freezing recipes and their characteristics
You can freeze apricots in almost any form or form, both as a whole and as a puree. Each of these options requires strict adherence to technology and contains separate nuances that require their observance. Most often, apricots are frozen whole or in halves, removing the stone from them. The following sequence of actions will help to do this correctly:
Such a recipe makes it possible to freeze fruits, preserving their structure and appearance as much as possible. When defrosted, they will not lose their integrity and will be an excellent decoration for any dish. In addition, thanks to this arrangement, it is very convenient to get them out of the container.
You can freeze apricots not only as a whole, but as a puree, which is ideal for creating fillings or for direct consumption. The following recipe will help you make it:
The above recipes emphasize the versatility of apricots and the possibility of their preservation for a long time. However, their taste and beneficial features remain virtually unchanged, which is a significant plus.
Important! Frozen apricots must be stored under certain conditions, without being subjected to defrosting or sudden temperature changes.
The more frequent violations occur, the more they will affect appearance fruits. As a result, they can not only stick together or deform, but also completely become unusable.
Apricots are incredibly popular fruits that grow almost everywhere in our latitudes. At the same time, their period of use is only a couple of weeks, and it is fashionable to extend it with the help of freezing. It is not so difficult to do this, the main thing is to strictly adhere to the chosen technology and not violate the storage conditions. Subject to all requirements, frozen fruits can be easily stored in the refrigerator until the next harvest.
Have prepared, but the fruit is still not over? So let's freeze them! Just imagine - in winter for tea you can bake a delicious fragrant cake, and not with jam or jam, but with fresh fruit! The guests will be surprised! We have our own proven recipe for how to freeze apricots for the winter in two ways: in halves and in the form of mashed potatoes with added sugar. Frozen fruits make a lot of delicious things: pastries, desserts, casseroles, sweet sauces, smoothies and much more.
How to freeze apricots for the winter in the refrigerator
Ingredients:
- Ripe apricots;
- sugar;
- food containers;
- thick bags or special freezer bags.
Frozen apricot halves
Fruits of any ripeness are suitable for freezing: those that are very soft can be crushed and prepared with sugar, and more densely frozen in halves. Apricots need to be washed, dried dry. With a sharp knife, make a circular incision along the relief groove. Turn the halves towards one another if the fruit itself has not opened. Get the bones. They can be used to make delicious food.
Take a flat plate or board, cover with cling film or polyethylene on top. Lay the halves cut side up at a short distance from each other. Put in the freezer for 4-5 hours. Pour hardened fruits into tight bags, sign and put away for permanent storage.
How to freeze apricots for the winter with sugar
I remember how surprised my girlfriend was when in winter I offered fruit puree instead of jam for cheesecakes and it was impossible to distinguish it in taste from that made from fresh fruits! “What, apricots can be frozen for the winter? I never would have guessed, I only cook jam. Now, of course, she also has a freezer full of fruits, but that day there was no limit to surprise. In order to freeze apricots with sugar, you do not need selected fruits, any will do, but tastier mashed potatoes will turn out from ripe, even overripe fruits. First, they need to be rinsed cold water and dry. Then divide into halves.
Transfer to a blender, sprinkling with sugar. How much sugar to put is up to you, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your taste. But do not forget that the more sugar, the slower the puree freezes and the more vitamins are lost.
Pour the apricot puree into small containers or disposable plastic cups. Put in the freezer for 10-12 hours. Then wrap each serving with cling film or put in a separate bag, label and tie tightly. Store in the freezer for 6-8 months.
It is better to freeze apricots in half and with sugar in portions so that the package can be used at a time without re-freezing. If you need to get fruit for the pie, then do it as quickly as possible - pour as much as you need, immediately put the rest back. For baking, the halves are not thawed, but spread on the dough and sent to the oven.
You can use frozen apricots in the preparation of the most different dishes, pastries, drinks and even serve as an original side dish for baked or fried meat. We hope that our tips on how to freeze apricots for the winter will be useful to you, and your freezer will be full of useful supplies!
Greetings, dear friends! Today we will talk with you how to properly freeze fresh apricots in order to enjoy the taste of these delicious fruits in winter. It would seem that there should be no questions whether these fruits freeze. Of course, apricots are frozen, like any fruits and berries. But before you start harvesting, you need to understand for what purposes you are doing this, and that you will cook frozen apricots as well.
There are several ways of this preparation, and today I will tell you how to freeze apricots in a freezer for compotes and pies. Frozen fruits are not defrosted before being added to compotes and pies, and are always added directly from the freezer. You can also make jam or jam from such apricots.
How to freeze correctly: the nuances
All apricots that you have available are suitable for freezing, including substandard ones.
The subtleties of the choice of containers
Wash fruits and remove seeds. It is highly desirable to use vacuum bags or containers with a tight-fitting lid to freeze apricots. Due to the tightness, moisture will not quickly evaporate from the apricot, and the apricots will not be saturated with foreign odors from the freezer.
We lay out the prepared fruits in containers and bags, and close tightly. Immediately put the apricots in the freezer.
A small conclusion
Friends, now you know how to freeze fresh apricots in the freezer. I wish you delicious and healthy preparations from these delicious fruits. Next time I will tell you how to freeze fresh apricots for a child, so subscribe to site updates so as not to miss new interesting recipes.
Got apricots? Let's freeze! Sunny fruits can be stored for the winter with the entire set of vitamins without loss - namely, dried or frozen. At home, you can do this quickly and easily. Read our Smart Tips.
Today, many housewives, especially busy ones, resort to freezing as the easiest, fastest and most economical way to prepare food. So we had the idea to make the preparation of apricots by freezing.
What apricots are suitable for freezing
To get a quality product, choose ripe apricots for freezing, there are more vitamins in ripe fruits. Ripe but not overripe.
The fruits should not have dents, traces of skin wounds, rot, suspicious points.
The best varieties for freezing are with dense pulp, high sugar content and rich aroma: Pineapple, Red-cheeked, Triumph, Aquarius, Iceberg, Melitopol, Black Velvet.
Features and complexity of the process
When freezing apricots, one important point must be taken into account - the pulp can ferment and darken. But to prevent this from happening, the fruits must be subjected to the so-called shock freezing, at the lowest possible temperature. And if on an industrial scale this temperature is -50 degrees, then at home the lowest temperature of modern freezers is -24 degrees.
You can freeze the fruits in halves, whole and in the form of raw mashed potatoes (with or without sugar). But in any case, before freezing apricots, you need:
- sort;
- Rinse;
- dry.
As a container, use special freezer bags or plastic containers (in which the fruits will not break when shifting).
Each fruit or half is first frozen separately (preferably on a plank or plate), and then placed in a bag or container.
If you freeze the halves, before placing them in the freezer, they must be sprayed with a 1 to 1 solution of lemon juice, it is better to use a spray bottle.
Freeze fruits in portions so that when using, take the amount that you need.
We freeze apricot puree immediately in the container that you have prepared. The fruits need to be crushed with a blender, but it is better to pass through a juicer. Add sugar to taste, mix and transfer to small plastic containers. Put in the freezer.
Another interesting harvesting method is freezing fresh apricots in sugar syrup. The fruits are placed in a container and poured with chilled sugar syrup. We prepare it from 1 cup of sugar. 500 ml water and 50 ml lemon juice.
Enjoy the aroma and taste of sunny fruit at any time of the year. And a portion of apricots, frozen with your own hands, will help you with this.
