How to store cranberries at home without a refrigerator

Video

Cranberries are valued not only for their taste, but also for their unique composition and medicinal properties. Every season, thrifty housewives think about how to store cranberries correctly, because they help fight many diseases and are a good addition to drinks and meat dishes.

The berries are harvested in September – October

You can save berries for the winter in different ways: from regular freezing to soaking and drying. This article discusses popular storage options at home.

Useful qualities of cranberries

Cranberries strengthen the body's immune system and increase resistance to disease. Fruit drinks, jams, juices, and syrups are made from it, which are then used to treat flu and colds. In order for the berries to retain their positive qualities and vitamins to the maximum, they must be stored correctly. It is not necessary to freeze the fruits; there are other ways to enjoy cranberries in winter.

Many women make masks with cranberry juice. They have a rejuvenating effect. After a course of use, the number of wrinkles is significantly reduced and their depth is filled. Thanks to the procedure, the skin is nourished with vitamins and moisture. As a result, a woman becomes the owner of firm, smooth, elastic skin.

Berries are great for cleansing the skin. It is enough to scrub your face and décolleté with several fruits. The procedure will achieve softness and smoothness. With regular use, the effect will be no worse than from salon procedures.

Cranberries act as a strong natural disinfectant. Due to their high acid concentration, they quickly and effectively remove limescale from surfaces. Cranberry juice is used to wipe door handles, faucets, and locks. The effect is like after using an expensive cleaning product.

Juice squeezed from fresh cranberries is an excellent hair conditioner. After washing your hair, rub in a small amount of juice. Leave for a few minutes and then rinse. In a couple of procedures, the hair becomes smooth and silky. In addition, the juice will help get rid of dandruff. With regular use of the juice, hair will begin to grow faster.

How cranberries grow and bloom

Regardless of the type of crop, we can name the main places where cranberries “like” to be located.

This:

forests with coniferous trees;
shores of lakes with a swampy wet surface;
swamps fed by precipitation;
transitional swamps.

Cranberries grow (photos of all its types can be studied in advance) always in small “foci”. There is an impressive distance between them. Cranberry lovers can plant several shrubs in their garden. But it is important to create the right conditions, especially prepare the soil. It should be sour. In this case, the composition of the earth is unimportant. Only a pH of 2.5 is enough.

The plant blooms very beautifully. This process is quite long. It continues throughout the spring and usually ends in June. Miniature delicate buds appear - drooping, with pink or white petals. Later, berries appear in place of flowers.

In the swamp

The most common place where you can find cranberries is in various swamps. In their natural form, the shrubs of the culture under discussion have low creeping stems. They can weave right over the swamp, covering it. The berries are located under the leaves.

To avoid getting into the swamp, modern berry pickers have come up with special devices to make harvesting easier. This is a special big comb. It is an instrument with thin and long pointed teeth. Such devices are often made from metal or wood.

In Russia, cranberries can be found in swamps in the European part of the country. It is also found in large quantities in Kamchatka.

Near the pond

In the wild, berries can be found in wetlands near bodies of water. Usually the bushes are located along their low banks. Under such conditions, berries are much easier and safer to pick. The assemblers will not need special clothing or equipment.

The photo shows how cranberries grow near bodies of water.

Near the pond there are ideal conditions for the rapid ripening of cranberries. First of all, this means sufficient humidity at any time of the year and regardless of the weather.

In forests

In Russia, cranberries most often grow in forests. These are damp spaces with most of the coniferous trees. The plant needs a lot of clean water and enough light. Therefore, in environmentally unfavorable areas it grows very poorly and may not occur at all. For example, you will not find large areas of cranberry bushes near large cities.

In the garden

It is very easy to grow cranberries in gardens. As noted above, this crop is not demanding on soil composition. Acidic clean soil is enough.

Soil fungi become cranberry helpers. They help the berries obtain the necessary nutritional substances from the soil.

Preparing cranberries for long-term storage

If the fruits were picked in September, they are not yet ripe. In order for the berries to ripen, they are placed in a basket or cardboard box with holes for ventilation. Cover the container with fabric in advance. The packaging is placed in a dry and warm place. After 2 weeks, check for readiness.

If it is necessary for the berries to ripen faster, place a tomato or apple in the basket. They release ethylene, which speeds up the process.

The picked berries are cleaned of particles of dirt, debris, and leaves. It is better to remove the crumpled specimens and make a puree with sugar from them or use them for preservation - confiture, compotes. The berries need to be sorted carefully.

Whole, ripe cranberries can be stored at home. They will last for several months. In an apartment or house, the product is placed in a dark place. It should be well ventilated. If there is poor ventilation, cranberries will begin to deteriorate over time. This occurs due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide.

Methods for keeping it fresh

There are many ways to preserve cranberries for the winter without freezing. For example, you can store berries at home in the refrigerator. If the temperature allows, the product can be moved to the balcony. If you have a large amount of containers, store them in water. At the same time, the entire complex of nutrients and vitamins will be preserved. And all thanks to benzoic acid.

Canadians also know a lot about cranberries - they will soon be harvested

The listed methods of storing the product for the winter have only one drawback - some of the fruits at home will still spoil in the future. To minimize losses of stored crops, you need to select unripe fruits. This way they will not wrinkle with each other and over time everything will reach the desired condition.

But there are alternative methods regarding where and how to keep the berries fresh.

Underground

Cranberries can be stored in a cellar or basement. The main thing: how to prepare for storage. This can be done like this:

Sterilize glass or plastic containers. Or wash and dry metal or wood boxes. A plastic bag will also work.
Cranberries prepared for storage are poured into a storage container in a layer of one to three centimeters and left underground in the dark and cool. The room must be ventilated. You can, subject to similar parameters, store cranberries on the balcony.

This storage method provokes possible darkening of the berries. However, its beneficial qualities will remain the same. The period during which the crop can be stored is three to four months.

In soaked form

Another good method for storing cranberries at home is to simply soak them. Any jars or containers are suitable as containers. The containers should have a convenient opening for pouring and removing the product from them. The thing is that you will then have to remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon.

Cranberries intended for winter storage are washed and poured into a clean container. The berries are filled to the brim with a boiled and cooled mixture of water, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, peas and cloves. Then seal and leave in a cool place. The solution will make the berry watery, but this will not affect the therapeutic properties.

With sugar

At home, cranberries are stored with sugar outside the refrigerator. First, the jars are sterilized, 2-3 cm of sugar is poured inside, and then a berry layer of cranberries is placed. Then they sprinkle it again with sugar, then with cranberries - and in that order until the end. Then the jar is shaken. The last layer should be sugar.

There is another option - do not alternate the layers, but immediately mix the cranberries with sugar, chop the mixture and place it in a sterilized container. This will preserve the cranberries better, but most of us still like to feel the berries on our tongues.

You only need to store it in a cool place – from -1 degrees and below. An uninsulated balcony or cellar will do.

Dried

In an apartment, cranberries can be dried in several ways - for example, in the oven. First, the cranberries are blanched, then dried, and then they cover a baking sheet with parchment and spread the crop on it in an even layer. The oven is brought to 94-97 degrees, and then the heat is reduced to 60-64 degrees. In this way, the cranberries are dried for about 8 hours. However, times may vary. The hostess periodically monitors the berries and stirs them.

Canned

Cranberries can be preserved for the winter, either as part of other vegetables and fruits or alone. For example, you can use it to make jam, marmalade or marmalade, prepare jars of compotes, or add it to other pickles. Jam is made from cranberries only, and in combination with citrus fruits like oranges.

Cooking with lingonberries, apples or pears is also acceptable. The most original option is a twist with walnuts.

How to store cranberries so they ripen

To store cranberries for the winter without refrigeration, they are collected in early September. In the future, it will ripen in a storage container.

Our ancestors specially collected green berries, believing that they were stored for as long as possible. It is true - scientists have proven it.

In order to store unripe cranberries without refrigeration, you will need a wicker basket or cardboard box with holes for ventilation. The bottom is lined with any hygroscopic material - cotton fabric, for example. The harvest is scattered along the bottom, and the basket itself is placed in a warm and dry place.

After a couple of weeks you should check whether the cranberries are ripe.

If the goal is to achieve accelerated ripening, then a ripe tomato or apple is placed in a container with cranberries. Ethylene emitted by ripened fruits will speed up the process.

Storage in water

The original way is to store cranberries in water. This method is considered one of the most ancient, but today it is undeservedly forgotten. Meanwhile, storage in water requires a minimum of ingredients - water itself and sugar.

This way the berries will definitely not be crushed!

Using this method, vitamins are preserved in almost their entire composition, and the berries themselves do not wrinkle or crush against each other. From “water” cranberries you can create fruit drinks, compotes, and jams; you can add them to other drinks and use them in desserts. The method is simple and accessible: you will need a glass, ceramic or enamel container, as well as a berry that has been cleared of impurities. Of course, also water - plain or sweetened.

The liquid should be boiled and cooled in advance. If it is to be stored in sweetened water, then use a couple of tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt per two kilos of crop. The cranberries are poured into a container and filled with solution. Some people prefer to add cloves or cinnamon. In winter, you need to store this tincture underground.

Interesting fact: the liquid drained from a jar of soaked berries should not be disposed of. It has adopted a lot of valuable properties and is suitable for use for cosmetic purposes.

In a refrigerator

Housewives most often ask whether cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator. This option, apart from the freezer, is the most popular today. And at the same time very simple. The technology is like this:

cranberries that need to be stored are first dried;
packaging containers are prepared - plastic containers are used (preferably not too large), as well as zip bags;
as much crop is placed in the tank as can actually be consumed at one time - that is, portion packaging occurs;
portions are placed in the refrigerator and stored until required.

In the freezer, cranberries can last about a year, and in the refrigerator - four times less. But it is better not to refreeze thawed berries.

There is another option: store cranberries, grated with sugar, in small jars. To do this, a small batch is washed, ground with sand, hermetically sealed and placed in a fruit bowl.

Features of storage in the apartment

One of the most practical ways to store berries in an apartment is to fill containers that are resistant to temperature changes with the harvest. Boiling water should be poured into this container, completely submerging the berries in it, and then placed on the balcony.

You should periodically monitor the weather outside the window, and before frost hits, drain all the water. In this form, the berries can be frozen without a freezer. It will remain on the balcony for up to five months - provided that the winter is strong and frosty. But if a thaw suddenly occurs in January or February, the cranberries can be evacuated to the freezer.

Among other things, berries that have been filled with water for storage can remain in underground storage for a long time. And if the goal is to preserve the crop unchanged without flooding it, then you need to prepare a ventilated, dark and cold room. The cranberries themselves should be placed in a container that does not oxidize - this is enamel without chips, stainless materials, as well as wooden barrels and ceramic containers. The berries will need to be inspected as often as possible, and those specimens that begin to rot should be eliminated.

Soaking in water

When considering ways to store cranberries, it is worth mentioning soaking in water. With this method, the berries will not lose their vitamins and rich taste. To preserve the product, you need to use glass containers or enamel containers.

Spring, filtered, and settled water is used as filling. First of all, it is boiled and cooled. The berries are sorted and packaged in prepared containers. The mass is filled with water so that it is completely immersed. All that remains is to close the lids. In this form, the fruits will be stored for up to 2 years if they are taken out to a cool place.

Instead of water, the berries can be filled with sugar syrup. To give it additional taste, add cinnamon and cloves.

Soaked berries are great for meat delicacies. Since the distant past, they have been prepared with fried and baked meat and poultry.

Cranberries in liquid form must be kept in a cool room - a basement, barn, refrigerator or balcony.

When does berry picking time start and end?

Cranberries are found in different seasonal harvests. As photos from gardeners suggest, it grows and ripens only in the fall. But it gathers at different times. There may be summer, spring and autumn assembly.

Its summer version is the most unpopular. During this period, the fruits are still hard, entirely white or not completely red. These cranberries are sour and not too juicy. It is collected only in rare cases.

Early autumn

The berries are most often harvested in early autumn. This is the period from September to October until the first light frosts begin. It is at this time that most foragers can be found in the forest. In autumn, active trade in cranberries begins. During this period, it has the most reasonable prices. The berry preparations are also starting. Cranberries are used to make jam, jam, juices and fruit drinks.

Autumn berries contain a lot of pectin. Therefore, they are best suited for any processing and preparation of confectionery products. They are great for winemaking. After all, active microorganisms that are necessary for fermentation processes still remain on the skin of the fruit. Autumn berries are best suited for transportation. Especially long-distance and long-term ones.

During the period of frost

Even when the first frosts begin, you can still go into the forest for cranberries. True, during such a period it is already less comfortable for collectors. In cold weather it is difficult to spend a long time in the forest. Especially - sitting for a long time and picking cranberries.

in spring

Different varieties of cranberries have an interesting feature - the berries can remain on the plant even throughout the winter. At the same time, they do not deteriorate. Frosts (even the most severe) do not harm the fruits. They just accumulate sugar. Therefore, experienced berry pickers often choose to go for cranberries in the spring. You can go berry hunting as soon as the frost subsides and the snow melts.

It is believed that spring cranberries are the most delicious - with a rich, bright taste. But there are practically no vitamins left in it over the past winter period. Vitamin C is especially actively destroyed in the process. Spring fruits are the worst stored in the future.

How to harvest from a bush

When picking cranberries at any time, it is important to pay attention to the color of the berries. Experienced pickers suggest that it is best to pick fruits from the bushes that have already acquired a purple tint to the skin. It is in such cranberries that there is a maximum of useful substances.

The berries in question grow close to the ground. Therefore, it is not always easy to notice them. Pickers often take with them special tools to search for cranberries. These are long combs that can be used to lift branches creeping along the ground and even pick berries from bushes.

Ripening cranberries after harvest

White and unripe cranberries can be left to ripen. To do this, it is laid out on the bottom of a cardboard box covered with a clean towel made of natural fabric. The container is sent in this form to a dry place at room temperature. The berries will spend 10-15 days in such conditions.

True, cranberries ripened at home turn out bitter. It contains few nutrients and a lot of bitterness.

Rules for storing berries without freezing in the basement

To keep cranberries fresh in the basement or cellar, use different containers:

glass jars, bottles;
enamel containers;
wooden boxes;
packages.

They put already fully prepared berries, washed and dried. Be sure to leave it in the dark. Berries need to be checked sometimes and spoiled ones removed. In winter, the basement must be ventilated.

In the same way, cranberries are stored on the loggia. There they may darken, but will not lose their beneficial qualities. Storage duration is 3-4 months.

Adviсe

To avoid mistakes when choosing, purchasing, storing and consuming, you should take into account a few tips:

To check the freshness of the berries, you can throw them on some surface; if they bounce, this will mean that they are good.
You can dry the fruits in a special electric dryer. She will do it better and much faster.
After thawing cranberries, freezing them again is not recommended, as they will not only lose their elasticity, but also lose their beneficial substances.
If the berries were picked unripe, they can be left in the sun for a while. However, as a result they will be less sweet and will also spoil quite quickly. Therefore, this method is not suitable for long-term storage.
If the fruit is stored at a constant temperature of -3, it will last for about 7 months, but the vitamin C content will decrease by 65%.

Cranberry is a special berry that has amazing properties. It contains a huge amount of essential vitamins and microelements that improve health. In order to get this whole useful complex to the fullest, you should be able to not only choose it correctly, but also store it in the most suitable conditions.

Cranberry is an invaluable berry with such a rich composition that it is popularly called the “sour doctor.” These fruits are used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology and medicine. However, if chosen incorrectly, stored and consumed, it can cause harm to the body.

Storing berries in sugar

The hostess can choose one of two ways:

Take any container. Pre-washed and dried berries are laid in layers, between which granulated sugar is poured. When packing, the berries are sometimes shaken so that they fit more tightly. The final layer is sugar.
Cranberries and sugar are taken in equal proportions, placed in a blender or passed through a meat grinder. The resulting mass is transferred to a jar, rolled up with a metal one or covered with a nylon lid. Store in a cool place.

Jars used for storage are sterilized in advance by any available method.

Preserving for the winter

Juicy berries collected in the fall are suitable for harvesting. There are several methods of preservation.

Be sure to read:

How to properly dry rose hips at home: drying fruits, leaves and flowers

Pickled cranberries

Boil 1 liter. water, add 4 tbsp. l. sugar, black pepper, cloves, a pinch of salt. Wait until the water cools down. Wash the berries, add water, add spices. Cover with a cloth and leave in the room for a week.

After 7 days, transfer to the balcony. The temperature should not be higher than +18 degrees Celsius.

Grinded with sugar

Take a whole berry or chop it, place it in a container in layers, sprinkle with sugar. For 1 kg of product, about 500 g of granulated sugar is required. Stir and place in a bowl.

You can also mix the berries with sugar in equal proportions.

The cranberries will be sweet and tasty.

Cranberry jam

Cranberries have a very specific taste, so not everyone likes to eat them fresh. A delicious jam is made from the berries.

Classic recipe:

Take 2 kg of cranberries and chop them.
Place the resulting puree in a large saucepan and add 2 kg of sugar. Leave the berries as is without stirring. Wait until they give juice and soak up the sugar. This takes about three hours.
Place the container on the fire and bring to a boil. After this, reduce the heat and cook the sugar-berry mixture for 15 minutes.
Ladle into jars and cover with metal lids.

Cranberry-apple jam:

Place 1 kg of cranberries in a cooking container, add 250 ml of cold water.
Wait for the berries to boil over the fire, boil for another 15 minutes, drain the liquid, and rub through a sieve.
Wash the apples, remove seeds and peel, and cut thinly.
Pour cranberry puree into a bowl, add apples, 3 kg of honey, 200 g of walnuts.
Cook the resulting mixture for about an hour.
Place the jam in jars, roll them up, and let them cool under the blanket.

Cranberry with orange:

Mix 700 g of frozen berries, a glass of orange juice, 3 cups of granulated sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a glass of water.
Boil this mixture.
Process in a blender.

Cranberry jam:

Pour boiling water over 1 kg of fresh berries and leave in a colander until the liquid drains.
Wipe, add 2 kg of sugar, mix.

Five-minute jam:

Blanch 1 kg cranberries.
Pour a glass of water into the pan, add 2 kg of sugar, mix. You will get a thick syrup.
Add berries to the syrup and bring to a boil.

Be sure to read:

How to properly store dried apples at home?

Cranberries in their own juice:

Mash 1.5 kg of berries, heat the resulting puree, strain through cheesecloth.
Pour the juice into a saucepan.
Add 1 kg of whole berries, heat.

Another cooking option:

Fill clean jars with berries and place in a water bath.
Wait until they release juice and decrease in volume.
Add more cranberries.
Do this until all the juice has come out.

Marmalade:

Mix 1 kg of product with a glass of sugar so that the berries burst, give juice, and place on low heat.
When the mixture boils, cook, stirring, for 8 minutes.
Wipe the berries.
Add 40 g of gelatin diluted in water.
Pour the marmalade into molds and place in the refrigerator to harden.

Blueberry jam with cranberry juice:

Squeeze 2 kg of crushed cranberries through a gauze cloth.
Add 1 kg of sugar, cook the syrup.
Add 1.5 kg of blueberries and continue cooking for half an hour.
Rub the berries on the sides of the bowl and stir.

Under the sugar plug:

Grind 2 kg of berries in any way.
Add 1 kg of granulated sugar.
Place in a cool place overnight.
Divide into jars.
Cut out circles from parchment. Their diameter should be 3 cm larger than the neck of the jar.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar onto the parchment.
Close with lids.

In the slow cooker:

Wash and chop 1 kg of product.
Tangerines, cut apples, remove bones.
Sprinkle berry and fruit puree with sugar.
Leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
Place in a multicooker container and turn on the stew mode for half an hour.

Pear with cranberry:

Combine a glass of water and 800 g of sugar.
Add a cinnamon stick.
Dissolve on fire.
Add 300 g cranberries and boil for 25 minutes.
Be careful not to overcook the fruits.
Peel the pears, remove the core, cut into slices.
When the pear becomes transparent, the jam is ready.

Lingonberries with cranberries:

Pour 1.5 kg of sugar into 750 liters of water.
Cook until dissolved.
Add 0.5 kg of cranberries and the same amount of lingonberries, boil for 35 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Skim off any foam that has formed.

Preservation in own juice

This is another way to preserve cranberries. To do this, take ripe and slightly bruised fruits and pound them until pureed. Then the mass is heated a little and the juice is squeezed out.

Place whole berries in a saucepan and pour juice into it in a 2:1 ratio. The mass is heated, but not brought to a boil. Then they are poured into pre-sterilized jars. Next, the jars are covered with lids and sterilized. All that remains is to wrap the containers and, after completely cooling, take them to a cool place before winter sets in.

How to choose cranberries for storage?

There are two harvests of cranberries: early, back in September, when the berries are not yet fully ripe, and late, after the first frost, when they are as juicy as possible. If you are going to store cranberries frozen all winter, it is better to choose slightly (!) unripe berries. If they are too ripe, after thawing the taste of the product will decrease significantly.

Drying berries

Dried products are used to prepare fillings and compotes. But it is worth knowing that in this state there are few vitamins and useful elements left in the berries. Nevertheless, the method of preserving fruits is common and is often used.

Drying cranberries is carried out in the oven, electric dryer or simply in the fresh air. The latter option is preferable. Place the berries in one layer on any hard surface in a dark place and leave until completely dry.

If drying takes place in an apartment, then the cranberries are taken out to the loggia and placed so that the sun's rays do not fall on them. The finished fruits are transferred to glass containers and sealed with lids to ensure tightness. Dried fruits can be stored for up to 3 years.

The berries have a dense, hard skin. It is recommended to blanch them in boiling water before drying them in the oven. This is done in a few minutes. After the skin bursts, transfer the berries to a colander and then onto a towel. Next, spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Turn on the oven and set the temperature to 95 degrees. After 10 minutes, the temperature is reduced to 65℃. Open the door slightly and dry it this way.

Drying the berries

There are two drying methods:

Wash the berries, peel them, place them on a baking sheet, and place in a preheated oven for 6 hours.
Peel the berries, place on a plate, add 2 egg yolks, stir. Dip the berries in powdered sugar, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and dry at 70 degrees.

Be sure to read:

How to preserve apples until spring: 7 ways

Cranberries prepared in this form are suitable for compotes, desserts, and baked goods. Dried berries can be stored for 5 years.

Cranberry jam

Since the fruits have a specific taste, not everyone will eat them fresh. Then you should think about making berry jam. The classic recipe looks like this.

Components:

fresh cranberries – 2 kg;
granulated sugar – 2 kg.

How to make vitamin jam step by step:

The fruits are crushed in any available way to a puree.
The resulting mass is transferred to a saucepan, and sugar is poured into it.
Allow the ingredients to stand without stirring them. You need to wait until the berries give juice and the sugar begins to melt. It will take about 3-5 hours.
Next, place the pan on the stove, turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Next, reduce the fire. Boil the berry mixture for 20 minutes over low heat.

All you have to do is pour the jam into pre-sterilized jars with a ladle and close the lids.

How to select and prepare fruits for storage

The cranberry harvest occurs in several stages. You can start harvesting berries as early as September, but they are usually fully ripened by November. But even after winter frosts, cranberries remain fresh, so you can enjoy them even in the spring. However, such a product will no longer be suitable for long-term storage.

Unripe fruits are dense, light red or pink in color, sometimes with a white side. They taste sour, with a tart aftertaste. They are suitable for long-term fresh storage, as well as for drying and freezing. These cranberries are harvested in September.
Ripe berries are soft, filled with juice, have a sweet and sour taste and a rich red color. Sometimes their color is dark red or purple. At this stage of ripening, the juice and pulp contain the most useful substances, so these cranberries are best consumed fresh. Such berries are not very suitable for drying and freezing due to their high humidity and softness, but grinding them with sugar is quite appropriate. The picking period for ripe berries is November.

The collected cranberries must be washed in running water, dried on a towel, and then carefully sorted. Some of the debris will be eliminated during the washing process.

Leaves, twigs and remaining plant debris can be removed in this way:

Place dry fruits in a saucepan or bowl. Prepare a second container of similar size.
Prepare an inclined board covered with a terry towel. Place the empty pan under the bottom edge of the board.
In small portions, slowly pour the berries over the board so that they roll down into the empty container. Small plant debris will linger on the terry towel, and individual spoiled berries can be easily selected.

Cranberry marmalade

To prepare a tasty and healthy dish you need to take:

cranberries - 1 kg;
granulated sugar - 1 tbsp;
gelatin - 40 g.

Method for preparing dessert:

The fruits are combined with a glass of sand and left for a while so that the skin bursts, the berries release juice and melt the sugar.
Place the pan on low heat and wait until the mixture boils.
Then add a mixture of gelatin and water.

The marmalade is poured into molds, allowed to cool and placed in the kitchen cabinet.

Frozen cranberries

The method of freezing cranberries in the refrigerator is the most affordable and easiest, it does not require a lot of time or any expenses. The only equipment needed is a refrigerator. The storage principle is the same as in the previous method, only here the cranberries are placed not in water, but in disposable thin polyethylene bags. To consume cranberries, simply defrost them. You can also make any drink from it and be sure that the usefulness and quality of the berries will remain unchanged.

Tips and tricks for hostesses

It’s worth checking out some advice from experienced people:

When choosing an enameled container, you must first make sure that it does not have chips or cracks. If there are even the slightest cracks, flaws or scratches, dangerous metal will be visible on the surface. When combined with an acidic environment, it will cause severe food poisoning. Then the person faces intoxication, subsequently gastric lavage.
It is recommended to immediately sort the berries into storage areas, as they will spoil faster. Overripe, bruised fruits should be processed. And elastic berries are suitable for long-term storage.
If the housewife wants to preserve the fruits for a long time, then it is better to take cranberries that were harvested in September-October. Spring berries are sweeter, but they are not suitable for long-term storage. They also contain fewer vitamins and lose zinc and iron.
If the berries are a little frozen, they are still better in the freezer. This way their beneficial qualities will be preserved.

Cranberries contain benzoic acid. It increases the body's resistance to harmful and pathogenic microorganisms. For this reason, the berries do not spoil for a long time without prior heat treatment, the use of sugar or preservatives.

Note to the housewife: lingonberries have similar qualities. It is also stored outside the refrigerator.

Some housewives put other berries in cranberries - viburnum, red currants. But it’s better not to do this, because with this combination the products will quickly deteriorate. When you combine the berries, you get a delicious vitamin juice or fruit drink, but in this case you need to prepare it right away. Or the berries are dried separately.

Preparing the berries

To preserve cranberries at home, you do not need to perform any special, highly complex manipulations. It's easy to store. However, it is necessary to approach the process responsibly and follow a certain technology when making preparations, otherwise after a short period of time the product will simply become unfit for food.

You should also know how long cranberries can be stored. This is a unique berry. It may not lose its nutritional value for quite a long time without adding any preservatives. It contains benzoic acid (a preservative), which is often used to preserve food. However, while benzoic acid is obtained in laboratory conditions for use in the food industry, cranberries contain it in its natural form. Due to its properties, the berry can not spoil from several months to 2 years (depending on the storage method).

Another similar product that contains a powerful natural preservative is lingonberries. This berry contains an even higher concentration of benzoic acid than cranberries.

Cranberries are harvested twice a year: in autumn and spring. It is believed that “snow” cranberries are sweeter and more tender, but they are not suitable for long-term storage. For these purposes, it is better to use the autumn harvest, which is harvested in September-October (depending on climatic conditions). A ripe, bright red, elastic berry will be ideal for winter storage.

You can also use unripe fruits that will ripen during storage (it is enough to scatter them in a dry room at room temperature). However, they will be inferior to ripe berries in taste and beneficial properties.

Before starting to make the blanks, it is necessary to do the preparatory work:

Sorting. For fresh storage, select cranberries without defects (dents or cracks). The rest of the fruits can also be used by making fruit juice or jam from them.
Removing garbage. The berries are cleaned of stalks, leaves, twigs and other inedible elements.
Flushing. The fruits are washed well under cold running water (it is recommended to use a colander or slotted spoon). Next, you should place them in a container with cold water for about half an hour, periodically stirring with your hands so that all remaining specks (pieces of foliage, midges, etc.) float to the surface.
Drying. The berries must be thoroughly dried, for which they are laid out on a clean fabric surface in one layer.