In this article we will look at ways to freeze plums. This is very useful, because the fruit does not lose vitamins, and it can be used for various purposes.
Plum is a very healthy berry that contains a number of vitamins and microelements necessary for the body. Plums of almost all varieties are rich in pectin, organic acids, vitamin C, A, B1, B2, PP, etc. Also, plums have a diuretic and laxative effect.
In summer, of course, plums are enough, but in winter you can use plums to prepare various desserts and drinks. You can preserve the fruits, but it is worth remembering that during heat treatment the plum loses some beneficial properties. In this case, it is best to freeze the fruits.
Preparing berries for freezing
Before freezing, you need to follow two mandatory procedures: wash the berries and dry them thoroughly.
The berries are washed under a tap or in a large basin, but usually they have virtually no contamination, so long soaking is not required.
Clean plums are wiped with towels until completely dry.
Methods for freezing plums for the winter
Frozen plum with pit
If you plan to use the berries to make compote, you can freeze them whole, right with the seeds.
Clean, dry plums are placed in plastic bags, sealed tightly and placed in the freezer. The main thing is not to forget to sign that this preparation is frozen with seeds.
How to freeze pitted plums
The core should be removed from a clean berry. This is done using a knife, cutting the berry in half.
You can freeze pitted plums in halves or quarters, or you can also freeze whole berries, if, when removing the pit, the cut is made only on one side.
To prevent the berries from sticking together into one lump when frozen, peeled and chopped fruits should be laid out on a cutting board or tray lined with cling film. In this form, the plum goes into the freezer for at least 4 hours.
After the specified time, the frozen berries can be poured into bags for freezing. This method allows you to get frozen food, which is convenient for baking.
If you plan to freeze berries in portions, and the friability of the finished product does not matter to you, then you will be interested in watching the video from Lubov Kriuk - My method of freezing berries and fruits.
Plum sprinkled with sugar
The berries are prepared for freezing in the same way as in the previous recipe: the seeds are removed and cut in your favorite way.
Then sugar is poured into the container with the fruits and everything is thoroughly mixed. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the original product, but experienced housewives advise using a ratio of 1:5.
The workpiece is laid out in containers and stored in a freezer.
You can sprinkle the plums with sugar immediately in a freezer bag. For more information about this method, watch the video from the “Blooming Garden!” channel. - Plums. Freezing for the winter.
How to freeze plums in syrup
This method is the most time-consuming, but the end result is a very tasty product.
Plum frozen with sugar
Those with a sweet tooth will love this frozen recipe, where sugar is an additional ingredient. Its amount depends on the natural sweetness of the plum. Housewives usually use 1 part sugar to 5 parts prepared pulp. Whole plums are not frozen in this way. The product turns out to be a sticky lump. After defrosting, you practically get a sweet puree, where the bones will only get in the way.
Ingredients you will need:
- 5 kg plums;
- 1 kg granulated sugar.
The freezing process consists of the following steps:
- The pulp is cut into slices. It is better to give preference to slices.
- Pieces of plums are laid out in layers in a saucepan, sprinkled with sugar.
- The entire contents of the container are carefully mixed to crush the slices as little as possible.
Now all that remains is to pack the product into containers and put it in the freezer. You can even store slices with sugar for the winter in plastic bags.
Cooking process
When thinking about how to freeze plums at home, opt for freezing the fruit in halves and purees. Plum halves can be used to create drinks, bake or stew almost any meat with them, especially fatty ones, and add to vegetable sauces. Plum puree is ideal as an additive to porridge in the morning, for feeding babies, for making tea, fruit juice, lemonade, etc. However, it should be remembered that fruit puree acquires a rich burgundy color only after heat treatment, so fresh crushed plum puree will be a little pinkish.
Since all frozen fruits and berries lose 20% of their sweetness, it is best to harvest Hungarian plums (prunes), and not cherry plums, otherwise the resulting product will be more sour!
So, buy or pick ripe plums and let's start cooking!
Place the plums in a bowl and rinse each one in water, removing any dust or dirt.
Using a knife, carefully cut each plum in half along the fruit's join line and separate into two halves. Remove the pit. In this way, peel and halve all the washed fruits.
Place one third of the plum halves in a chopper container or in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse for about 2-3 minutes.
Place the plum halves into a freezer bag and the plum puree into small containers or plastic containers. Cover carefully and place in the freezer for a minimum of 40 minutes, up to a maximum of 1.5 years.
Don't forget to write on the surface of the workpiece what is in it. If you store it for more than a year, then the date.
After the specified time, freezing the plums for the winter will be completely completed.
What can you cook from it?
What can be made from plums frozen for the winter? In fact, the range of dishes where frozen plums can be used is large. Freezing can subsequently be used in the preparation of baked goods, cereals, desserts, smoothies, cocktails, decorating cakes and salads. Drinks also include fruit drinks, jelly and compotes. Real gourmets can even add plums to pizza and sauce.
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Is it possible to freeze plums for the winter and how to do it correctly in the freezer, with sugar and with a stone
To enjoy the taste of aromatic berries in winter, you can not only preserve them in the traditional way, but also freeze them. This storage method is becoming increasingly popular due to its simplicity and accessibility. Plums are not just tasty, but also very healthy berries. These fruits contain extremely useful dietary fiber, as well as acids, minerals, vitamins A, B, and E necessary for the human body. It reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and also helps eliminate heavy metals from the body. Helps normalize intestinal function and also strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
How to defrost
Experienced housewives advise defrosting fruits gradually. This is necessary so that they do not turn into a mushy mass. After freezing the plum, transfer it to a plate and place it on one of the shelves in the refrigerator. Leave it like this for several hours. When the product thaws, remove the released moisture from the container and place it at room temperature for 60 minutes. Next, prepare the intended dish.
Please note that re-freezing plums is not recommended.
Features of freezing plums for the winter
A properly frozen plum perfectly preserves not only its aroma and appetizing appearance, but also all the beneficial substances contained in the fruit.
To freeze it correctly, you must adhere to several basic rules:
- You can freeze plums with or without pits, as well as in sugar, syrup or in vacuum packaging. In this way, you can preserve not only fresh fruits, but also prunes.
- It should be frozen in small portions to make it convenient to use.
- During pre-freezing, the fruits should be in a container or on a plate in one layer to avoid damage.
It is also recommended to remove the bags on the second day to completely remove any air from them, and then place them back in the freezer.
Preparing the product for freezing
Freezing plums, like prunes, is a simple matter. But it is very important to prepare the berries correctly. Only whole fruits should be selected; cracked or spoiled ones should be removed. You need to wash them thoroughly and then dry them. For freezing fruits, plastic bags with or without a slider (special fastener), as well as various food-grade plastic containers, are suitable.
Preparing the Freezer
The freezer compartment of the refrigerator where the berries will be stored should first be thoroughly washed and dried. Enough space should be left in it so that the fruit can be placed in one layer for the first few hours for initial freezing.
It is worth considering exactly where the product will be stored. There should be no foods with a strong smell, such as meat, fish or seafood, in the refrigerator near the drains.
Selection and preparation of raw materials
For freezing, they use the harvest of any variety of crop, including cherry plum, and varieties that differ in color and shape - the usual blue and purple, burgundy and yellow, oblong and round fruits. Fresh fruits are best: firm to the touch, free of damage, dents and putrid spots. When choosing fruits for harvesting, you need to take into account their ripening time and degree of ripeness.
Frozen semi-finished product from overripe and slightly spoiled fruits can be used to prepare compotes and sauces, jams and marmalade.
Preparation of raw materials comes down to removing the stalks, sorting, washing and drying. The fruits are placed in a basin with running water and washed thoroughly. Clean fruits are removed into a colander. After the water has drained, place them on a tray or baking sheet lined with a thick paper towel. The fruits are placed in one layer at a short distance from each other and allowed to dry well for half an hour. If desired, the fruits are pitted by pushing them out with a stick or removing them from the cut halves - depending on how well they are separated. After this you can start freezing.
How to freeze plums at home
Various recipes for preserving goodies for the winter can be found freely available on the Internet. Next we will talk about the most well-known methods.
With a bone
This is the least expensive method since there is no need to peel the berries. Washed and dried whole fresh plums should be laid out on a tray so that the berries hardly touch, then put in the freezer for several hours. This is done so that they do not become deformed when frozen.
After 3-4 hours, the plums are taken out and transferred to prepared containers or bags and returned to the freezer.
Seedless
If you are going to freeze seedless fruits, first wash them, dry them with a towel, and then remove the pit. The berries should be fresh and firm.
In this case, it is better to give preference to those varieties in which it is easily removed - the preparation process will go better and faster.
The fruit halves should be laid out in one layer on a plate, covered with cling film and placed in the freezer. They should sit in the freezer for 3-4 hours. The drains should be placed at a short distance from each other so that they do not touch.
Then the hardened fruits must be placed in bags or containers for freezing and sent to the freezer for long-term storage. It is preferable to freeze the fruits of the Hungarian variety.
Slices
You can also freeze it in slices. In this case, the fruits are also washed, dried, the pit is removed, and the pulp is cut into slices with a sharp knife so as not to cause damage. Next, the process is the same as for freezing pitted plums.
Plum puree
It can even be prepared from highly ripe fruits or varieties whose flesh is too tender to be frozen whole or in slices. The peel and pit of the prepared plums are removed, and the pulp is ground to a paste using a blender. If necessary, add sugar to taste.
It is convenient to freeze such a preparation for the winter in clean small jars of yogurt, silicone molds for baking muffins or cookies, and if you pour the puree into ice molds, then from several cubes poured with boiling water you get a quick and tasty drink.
Frozen food storage
Frozen plums can be stored at a temperature of –10 for up to six months. If the temperature is lower (within -19 degrees), the shelf life will be longer - up to 9 months.
You can place a piece of paper in a bag or container with frozen plums on which the freezing date is written. This will help determine in the future which fruits should be used first.
