How to store viburnum at home in different ways?

Not everyone knows how to store viburnum at home, although this berry deserves the close attention of those who lead a healthy lifestyle. You can find viburnum if you walk through the autumn forest, you can grow it in your garden. It is sold in specialized health food stores and on the market, and its quality remains consistently excellent everywhere. The only pity is that it is not always possible to purchase this healing berry.

How is viburnum useful?

The traditions of its use in Russia for treatment, prevention of diseases and simply for the pleasure of experiencing its refreshing taste go back more than one century. The unique composition containing minerals, vitamins, organic acids and many other useful substances contributes to its wide use:

to maintain the tone of the heart muscle;
for the treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies;
for the treatment of skin diseases (lichen, acne);
for the prevention of atherosclerosis, colds;
as an additional remedy in the treatment of nervous system disorders.

Knowing how to preserve viburnum at home for the winter, you can use these healing fruits for a long time.

Beneficial properties and possible harm of viburnum

Viburnum is a tasty, healthy berry.

Thanks to its rich chemical composition, the berry copes with many ailments:

vitamin C – improves immunity;
K and Mg – strengthens the heart muscle;
Fe, Mn, Cu - get rid of waste, toxins, bad cholesterol, increase hemoglobin, normalize blood pressure;
P, Ca - strengthen the skeletal system, improve joint mobility and muscle elasticity.

Viburnum has found wide use in folk medicine. It is used to treat the genitourinary and respiratory systems. Due to its antibacterial, antipyretic and analgesic properties, the berry is used for colds.

Viburnum is irreplaceable for hypertension. Taking 1 handful of berries with honey daily will help normalize blood pressure within 1 month.

The method is effective, but requires compliance with certain rules:

Regular blood pressure monitoring . Since its sharp decrease can lead to fainting and stroke.
During treatment, it is important to monitor blood counts . With regular intake of viburnum, there is often an excess accumulation of ascorbic acid, potassium and magnesium in the blood.

In general, viburnum is ideal for hypertension. It renews the blood, cleanses blood vessels from plaques, and increases the overall tone of the body.

Since ancient times, viburnum has been considered a female berry.

Since it is recommended to be used for the following diseases:

uterine bleeding;
severe symptoms during menopause;
painful menstruation;
mastopathy;
menstrual irregularities.

Important! Since the berry has contraindications, consultation with a specialist is necessary before consumption.

Despite its positive aspects, viburnum can be harmful to health.

You may be interested in: The best refrigerator under 20,000 rubles (2019)

It is not recommended to consume it in large quantities:

Pregnant.
For arthritis and arthrosis at the acute stage.
Hypotonics.
People with gastrointestinal diseases.
For thrombophlebitis and varicose veins.

How to properly collect viburnum?

The best time to collect it for preparations for the winter is late autumn, the time after the first frost. It is then that the fruits lose their inherent bitterness and become sweeter. The berries are not picked one at a time, otherwise they will lose their juice. The best way to collect is to cut off the clusters using pruning shears. Brushes can be transported in a fairly thick layer in any container to the recycling site. The skin of the berries is strong enough, and you don’t have to worry about them bursting.

How to prepare viburnum, ground with sugar?

The beneficial components in the berries are not destroyed even under the influence of sugar. Grinding ripe fruits with this component is one of the simplest and most common options for preparing a product for the winter. The procedure looks like this:

We remove the berries from the brushes, sort them, remove the poor quality ones and wash them in cool water. Dry the viburnum on paper towels until the moisture completely disappears.
Now the products need to be crushed, while collecting all the healing juice. For this purpose, we use a sieve, blender or meat grinder.
There is no need to try to remove the seeds during the chopping process. They will not reduce the quality of the composition, nor will they spoil the texture.
For one part of berries, take two parts of sugar and mix these components thoroughly.

The finished dish should be stored in sterile glass jars. Sterilization time should be at least 10 minutes. After this, close the twists and put them in a cool place. Do not worry if during storage the fruits release juice, which will sink to the bottom of the container. This does not affect the taste and composition of the mass.

Storing fresh viburnum

At home, you can store berries directly in clusters, placing them in a loosely closed container in the refrigerator or hanging them in any cool room. You don’t have to worry about the product deteriorating or losing its healing properties; this won’t happen for several months.

When storing bunches of berries in an apartment, the lifespan of the product is slightly reduced. If it is not possible to store the berries at low temperatures, it is advisable to process them.

Freezing viburnum

Remaining on the tree, the berries survive the frosty winter quite calmly, if they do not become food for wintering birds. Even viburnum brushes hanging on the balcony can withstand prolonged frosts and retain their taste and beneficial properties after defrosting. In order to extend the life of medicinal berries, you can freeze them by separating them from the cluster along with the stalks.

Advice
There is no need to wash viburnum in order to store it in the freezer; this is done right before use.

Leaving the stalks on will prevent the juice from leaking out when storing the berries. The fruits are placed in bags or plastic containers. If the berries are dry, they will remain crumbly even after freezing. From frozen viburnum you can prepare fruit drinks, compotes, jelly, and medicinal infusions.

We recommend: How to properly store an open package of coffee beans?

Frozen viburnum in cosmetology

In home cosmetology, both fresh and frozen berries are used.

The gruel and juice are suitable for preparing masks and tonics that have beneficial effects for the skin:
Moisturize and nourish, giving the skin softness and velvety.
Whitens, eliminates pigmentation.
Evens out complexion.
They tighten the oval of the face and smooth out facial wrinkles.
Eliminate swelling and bags under the eyes.
Restore lipid metabolism.
Mattify the skin, normalizing the functioning of the sebaceous glands.
Cleanses pores, eliminates pimples and blackheads.
Accelerate cell regeneration.

Drying viburnum

You can prepare these berries for the winter by drying them in the oven. The brushes are laid out on a baking sheet, the regulator is set at 50–60 ⁰С. The oven door should be slightly open to prevent viburnum juice from leaking out of the bursting berries. The stalks can be removed after drying the berries. Dried viburnum should be stored in dry glass jars, closed with lids.

Advice
Drying is considered complete when the berries become wrinkled.

You can dry berries for the winter in a less intensive way, but simply by laying them out in the open air in the shade. The fruits are laid out on clean white paper, covered with gauze or a thin cloth on top. This drying method requires time and patience; the berries need to be carefully stirred from time to time.

Rules for collecting viburnum

There is nothing military about the rules for collecting viburnum. By learning a few simple and intuitive tips, even a novice gardener can carry out this process flawlessly.

It's time. Full ripening of viburnum occurs at the beginning of September. But if you pick the crop at the beginning of autumn, the berries will taste bitter. The unpleasant bitterness disappears after the first sharp drop in temperature below 0 degrees. Therefore, it is worth collecting fragrant fruits only after the first autumn frost covers the ground in October.
“No” to rain. It is customary to pick berries from the bush exclusively in dry weather. After rain or early in the morning, when the plants are covered in dew, it is not worth harvesting. Otherwise, it will not be stored for as long as we would like.
Special equipment. It is not recommended to break off viburnum brushes with your hands, so that the valuable berries do not fall from the tree. It is better to use pruners or special scissors for this.

Rub with sugar

To preserve the healing properties of viburnum, this method of preparing it for the winter, such as rubbing the berries with sugar, is perfect. To do this, you need to sort out the berries, separate those that are not of good quality, rinse the fruits in cool water, and dry them.

The following methods are used for grinding:

rubbing through a sieve;
blender grinding;
grinding the mass using a meat grinder.

Advice
There is no need to separate the seeds from the berries, otherwise you will lose the healthy juice. Crushed seeds will not interfere with the use of pureed viburnum.

The crushed mass must be mixed with sugar in a 2:1 ratio, that is, there should be twice as much sugar as berries. It is laid out in sterile jars and stored in the refrigerator or in a cool basement. During long-term storage, juice may separate and fall down the container, but this does not affect the quality of the original product. This method of preparing berries for the winter allows you to preserve all the vitamins in them.

You can store pureed berries by sterilizing in boiling water. Half-liter jars filled with crushed berries and sugar need to be sterilized for 10 minutes, and liter jars - twice as long. The amount of sugar during canning can be reduced by half compared to the previous recipe. After sterilization, the pureed berries are rolled up and stored in a cool place.

Freezing viburnum for the winter: 3 ways

Everyone knows that viburnum is a super healthy berry that helps in the winter and not only cope with many ailments and diseases. Freezing viburnum for the winter is an excellent way to harvest berries, which completely preserves all the beneficial substances and does not require jars for storing them.

You can freeze viburnum for the winter in several ways - with whole berries in their natural form and with sugar, as well as in pureed form, freezing the puree in ice cubes. It is better to collect viburnum for freezing in dry weather, cutting it from the bush along with the tassels. You can purchase frozen vegetables, mushrooms, fruits and berries in a wide range at Unicom at the link https://www.yunikom.com/catalog/zamorozka/

How to freeze viburnum

After separating the berries from the branches, sort through them, removing debris and spoiled material. Place the sorted viburnum in a deep bowl and cover with warm water for 10-15 minutes. This way, the berries will be able to acidify well and be cleaned of cobwebs and dirt. Change the water several times, carefully sorting the berries with your hands.

Drain the viburnum in a colander, wait until the water has completely drained, and then spread it on several layers of paper towels to absorb all the moisture. It is important to thoroughly dry the viburnum before placing it in the freezer. Be careful, viburnum juice can strongly stain the work surface.

As already noted, you can freeze viburnum berries in bulk, in containers with sugar, or in puree cubes.

1. Freezing whole viburnum berries in bulk

For this freezing method, whole elastic berries should be selected. When the viburnum is thoroughly dry, lay it out on a flat surface. To do this, cover a tray or pan with cling film, arrange the berries and place them in the freezer at a temperature of –18 degrees for 2-3 hours. When the berries are well frozen, transfer them to a container or bag and place them in a permanent storage location in the freezer. Before freezing, try to remove as much air as possible from the bag using a drinking straw. It is also advisable to label the bag with the date of freezing.

The shelf life of frozen whole viburnum berries is 10-12 months at a temperature of -18 degrees.

2. Freezing whole viburnum berries with sugar

Place the dried viburnum berries after washing into glass containers or plastic trays, sprinkling with sugar in a 1:1 ratio, no less, because the berries themselves are not entirely sweet, with a characteristic bitterness. Close the lids of containers or trays tightly and place in the freezer.

The use of viburnum frozen in this way is very different - for fruit drinks, compotes, vitamin tea, and also as a filling for pies and pies. But in the future, when you prepare dishes with such viburnum, do not forget to take into account the presence of sugar in it.

The shelf life of the product is 10-12 months at a temperature of –18 degrees.

3. Freezing grated viburnum with sugar

Place the washed viburnum berries in a blender bowl, add sugar and grind to a puree consistency. Then grind the berry mass through a sieve to get rid of hard particles of seeds.

Grated viburnum with sugar can be placed in small plastic containers, allowing for portion defrosting for the intended use. It is convenient to put this puree into ice cube trays and put it in the freezer for 3-4 hours so that the mass freezes well.

Then remove the frozen cubes of viburnum puree from the molds, carefully prying them with a knife, put them in a plastic bag and send them to permanent storage in a secluded corner of the freezer.

The shelf life of this product is 9 months at a temperature of -18 degrees.

Should the product be defrosted before use?

There is no need to defrost viburnum before cooking. Frozen berries can be used to cook compotes, preserves and jams, make sauces, vitamin tea and baked goods from them. For baked goods, simply allow for the defrosting process when baking by increasing the cooking time by 3-5 minutes.

If you nevertheless decide to defrost the viburnum preparation, move it from the freezer to the refrigerator. Thawing won't take long.

is the official manufacturer of the products. You can view the assortment at the link https://www.yunikom.com/catalog/konservacziya/ That is why prices for canned and frozen food in small wholesale are low.

Bon appetit and delicious preparations!

Squeezing the juice

By separating the juice from the berries, you can stock up on a healthy product for the winter. The selected fruits are washed, sorted and sent to the juicer. Add sugar to the juice obtained after squeezing and mix. It is mixed in a 1:1 ratio and poured into sterilized containers (jars, bottles). Viburnum juice should only be stored in the refrigerator.

You can replace some of the sugar with honey or use the following recipe to store juice for the winter:

viburnum berries – 1 kg;
water – 200 ml;
honey - to taste.

We recommend: Where and how best to store cauliflower at home - 8 ways and tips

After squeezing the juice from the viburnum, all ingredients must be mixed, boiled for 10 minutes and stored in a cool place. This preparation can be used to prepare viburnum marshmallow or jam, marmalade, fruit drink, compote.

What can you cook from frozen viburnum?

If you follow the freezing rules, viburnum can be used throughout the cold period. Thawed berries are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes.

Several proven ways to properly defrost viburnum:

in a microwave oven, on the “Fast defrost” mode. Defrosting time 2-3 minutes;
in cold water – 10 minutes;
in the refrigerator - up to 6 hours.

Important! Frozen berries do not need to be thawed to prepare the filling for pies. At high temperatures, the berry releases juice, thereby making the dish more fortified and healthy.

Healthy recipes

To surprise your household, you can prepare original dishes that will appeal not only to children, but also to adults. There are many cooking recipes, choosing the one you like most, an everyday day can turn into a holiday.

Viburnum compote

The compote turns out tasty and healthy. The recipe is simple and even a young housewife can handle it.

Ingredients;

viburnum – 750 g;
water – 2 l;
honey – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

Thawed berries are ground into puree.
The released juice is poured into a separate container, and the cake is transferred to boiling water.
After 15 minutes, add honey and juice.

Viburnum sauce for meat

The prepared sauce will be an excellent addition to meat dishes.

Products:

viburnum – 0.5 kg;
sugar – 1 tbsp;
citric acid – ½ tsp;
spices - to taste.

Preparation:

Thawed berries are ground in a blender.
To get rid of seeds, grind the prepared puree through a fine sieve.
Place the viburnum puree into a bowl and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
2-3 minutes before the end of cooking, add sugar, citric acid and spices.

Viburnum jelly

Viburnum jelly will become a favorite delicacy for children and adults.

Ingredients:

water – 1 l;
berry – 300 g;
starch – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
sugar – 100 g.

Preparation:

The thawed berries are ground into puree, transferred to a saucepan, filled with water and boiled for 7-10 minutes.
The compote is filtered, sugar is added and put back on the stove.
Starch is diluted in ½ tbsp. warm water until the lumps disappear completely.
Starch is added to the boiling compote in a thin stream.
With constant stirring, boil the jelly for 2-3 minutes.

You might be interested in: Is it permissible to place a refrigerator on top of a refrigerator?

Viburnum juice

Highly concentrated juice is rich in vitamins and microelements. This drink will boost your immunity and get rid of colds.

Ingredients:

water – 1 l;
berry – 700 g;
sugar – 130 g.

Cooking method:

The viburnum is thawed and ground into puree using a blender.
The resulting mass is ground through a sieve and the juice is squeezed out.
Place the juice on the stove, add sugar and bring to a boil over low heat.
The prepared juice is bottled, sealed with airtight lids and stored in a cool place for storage.

Making the liqueur

A medicinal liqueur can be prepared from these healthy berries, preserving their healing properties for the winter. It includes:

viburnum juice – 100 ml;
water – 100 ml;
sugar – 100 g;
vodka – 500 ml.

All components of this recipe need to be moved and kept at room temperature for two days, then seal the liqueur and bottle it. This drink can be stored at any temperature, even room temperature.

How to squeeze juice from viburnum and prepare liqueur?

The juice obtained from viburnum can be used not only fresh. It is collected and poured into suitable containers to be stored for several months. The procedure looks like this:

We sort the fruits, wash them, dry them and put them in a juicer. Using a sieve or masher is not very suitable here; the liquid will not be released as actively.
Mix the extracted juice with sugar in equal proportions and pour into sterile glass jars or bottles.
If desired, you can add water (a glass of liquid per 1 liter of juice) and a little honey. In this case, the mass should be boiled for 10 minutes. This product can be stored for 1-2 years, thanks to heat treatment.

Viburnum juice is used in the production of jam, fruit drinks, compote, marshmallows, and marmalade. And the fresh component is often used to prepare the liqueur. You just need to mix 100 ml of juice, water and sugar with 0.5 liters of vodka and keep the mixture at room temperature for two days. The finished liqueur is bottled and sealed for the winter. You can keep it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Cooking jam, jelly, pastille

You can prepare a lot of sweet viburnum delicacies for the winter. To make jelly, just take a kilogram of berries and sugar and two glasses of water. First, the berries are boiled with water for half an hour. Then sugar is added to this mass and the jelly is cooked for another 45 minutes. All that remains is to put it in jars and roll it up.

To make jam, you need to take 300 ml of water and 1.3 kg of sugar per kilogram of berries. To evenly soak the fruits, they need to stand in hot syrup for 10-12 hours. Then the jam is cooked, removing the foam, and packaged.

A tasty and healthy delicacy - viburnum marshmallow - is made from a kilogram of berries, boiled until soft in a glass of water. The mass, rubbed through a sieve, is mixed with sugar and boiled again until the consistency of a soft dough. This mass should be spread on wooden baking sheets and dried in the oven.

Viburnum oil

For this product, you can use the cake left over from making juice. It is passed through a meat grinder and filled with vegetable or olive oil in a ratio of 1:4 (four times more oil than cake). This remedy should be left in a dark place for three weeks to infuse. After squeezing the cake, it is poured into containers. The value of this undeservedly forgotten recipe is comparable to the benefits and healing properties of sea buckthorn oil.

Important aspects

To store without a refrigerator, you need to create conditions in which the berries will be in a cool, dry place. Since ancient times, fruits have been stored like this:

tied into bunches of bunches, hung on a thread in a dry basement or attic;
if you have a cool pantry, you can store the berries there;
Instead of an attic, you can place them suspended on a glazed balcony;
Alternatively, put the bunches in a cardboard box, cover it with paper and take it to a dry cellar.

It is also convenient to keep fresh viburnum in bunches in the kitchen, beautifully hanging it from the ceiling. This will not affect the taste and healing properties of the berries, but they will become shriveled as moisture is lost.

Shelf life in this form is up to 6 months in the kitchen and up to 10 months in other specified places.

Making vinegar

The benefits of such a natural product are comparable to the benefits of apple cider vinegar. For viburnum vinegar, you need to put half a kilogram of berries in a three-liter jar, a glass of sugar, and pour two liters of water. You can flavor vinegar with blackcurrant and cherry leaves. This jar should stand in a dark place at room temperature for about two months. During the first week, its contents are stirred periodically. Viburnum vinegar is ready when it becomes transparent.

The availability, ease of storage and preparation of these medicinal fruits make them one of the most common products for use as a health remedy.