Culinary tips. Freezing for the winter: 20 products that belong in your freezer

Summer is fleeting. And we really want to enjoy healthy vegetables, fruits and herbs all year round. Previously, in order to please their family with summer berries or crispy cucumbers in winter, housewives made preparations in large quantities: they made jam, pickled vegetables, and canned compotes. This was the only opportunity to preserve seasonal products before the onset of cold weather. Today, home freezing has become very popular. This method of storing vegetables, herbs, berries, mushrooms and fruits is considered very convenient, the main thing is to do everything correctly. So, let's learn how to freeze the gifts of summer for the winter. We will tell you about 20 products that will retain their taste and vitamins for your dishes even after defrosting.

Raspberries

Raspberries are an amazing berry. Even being deep frozen, it retains its beneficial properties and taste. Unfortunately, after defrosting, the berry loses its shape and becomes soft and watery. These raspberries are not suitable for decorating desserts, but you can safely add them to compotes, jam and baking fillings.

There are several ways to freeze raspberries. One of them is to grind the berries with sugar into a puree, which is then sent to the freezer in airtight containers. If you prefer to keep the berries whole, then it is better to use blast freezing. In this case, fresh ripe berries are laid out in one layer on a special tray and placed in the freezer for 2 hours (–18°C). There is no need to pre-wash raspberries. When the berries are completely frozen, they can be transferred to a container or bag for more convenient storage. Just close the container tightly so that the berries do not absorb foreign odors and spill.

What can be stored in the freezer

At the present stage, the problem of preparing food for the winter, as well as those products that are not planned to be used immediately, is best solved using a freezer. So what can you freeze?

Greenery . Any greens can be frozen. The exception is leaf salads. However, first you need to wash it, dry it, cut it, and only then put it in the freezer. For convenience, it can be placed in molds intended for ice.
Berries . It is recommended to freeze berries as follows: First, pre-freeze on a board or tray. Next, final freezing in portioned containers or bags.
Fruits . Frozen fruits retain their beneficial qualities. This is why they should be frozen. However, only high-quality fruits should be frozen. In addition, any frozen meat or fish should not be nearby.
Fresh vegetables . Many vegetables can also be frozen. However, there are some subtleties here too. So, for example, it is best to freeze baked eggplants, carrots, beets, grated zucchini, peppers in any form, tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped pumpkin.
Mushrooms . Mushrooms can be frozen either boiled or raw. They just have different shelf life. Boiled ones last for about a year, raw ones have a shorter shelf life of about 4 months.
Meat . Any meat can be frozen for a period of four to six months. Moreover, meat can be re-frozen, however, after re-freezing it is best used for broth or stewed.
Fish . Any fish can be frozen. The freezing period depends on its fat content, so the fatty one can be stored in the freezer for up to three months, and the rest - for six months.
Butter . Butter can be frozen if necessary. But it must be well packaged, since oil tends to absorb odors. In a freezer with a temperature of minus 18 degrees or lower, the shelf life of unsalted butter cannot exceed five months, and salted butter - 12 months.
Semi-finished products . The shelf life of semi-finished products usually varies from three to four months. If semi-finished products are not homemade, then on their packaging you can read additional information on the shelf life of these products.
Dough . Any dough (yeast, puff pastry, shortbread) can be frozen and its quality will not be affected.
Chicken . The shelf life of chicken cut into pieces is nine months, but a whole chicken can be stored for no more than a year.
Hard cheeses . Cheeses of these varieties are quite suitable for freezing, since it does not affect their taste at all, and the consistency remains the same.
Sausages . Sausages can be frozen either whole or sliced. Their shelf life is no more than two months at a temperature of minus 18 degrees.
Breast milk . Breast milk should only be frozen in a special container. At the same time, mothers need to know that when frozen, some vitamins lose their beneficial qualities, which means that the milk becomes less nutritious. Therefore, it is recommended to resort to this only in case of urgent need.
Raw eggs . When raw eggs are frozen, the white does not change its consistency, but the yolk becomes more elastic. There is only one caveat: eggs must be frozen without shells so that they do not explode.

Strawberry

Strawberries are another vitamin-rich summer berry that is often stored for the winter. Like raspberries, they are used to make preserves, jams, and compotes. Strawberries that have been in the freezer also remain very tasty. Strawberries need to be properly prepared before freezing. Here are some tips.

For freezing, choose fresh and firm berries picked from the garden in dry, sunny weather.
Rinse the strawberries first under running water and dry well on a clean towel. Tear off the stems.
The containers in which the strawberries will be placed must be dry and free of foreign odors. It is best to use glass ones.

You can freeze strawberries with sugar: pour them over layers of berries or make a puree.

Currant

Currants are a recognized leader in vitamin C content. The berries have a pleasant and rich taste, which allows them to be used in the preparation of various dishes. This berry is available fresh only in the summer, and to preserve it until winter, you should resort to freezing. Rinse freshly picked black, red or white currants in running water and dry. Remove the leaves and small debris and leave the twigs - miniature clusters of currants look very beautiful and are often used to decorate desserts. Carefully place the prepared berries, being careful not to crush them, into tight sealed bags and put them in the freezer. In such conditions, currants can be stored for up to a year, and at the same time they will not lose their taste. After defrosting, the berries are added to fruit drinks and compotes.

You can also freeze currant puree by first chopping the berries in a blender.

What ready-made meals can be frozen?

You can also freeze ready-made dishes, for example, fried cutlets tolerate freezing well.

Cream soups also retain their taste properties after defrosting.

You can freeze the broth to preserve it for making soups.

Ready-made pancakes, cabbage rolls, pasties, muffins, pies, dumplings, manti can be stored either raw or ready-made in the freezer.

Is it possible to store salty foods in the freezer?

You can store foods containing salt in the freezer. The only thing is that you should not store marinades; most likely, when defrosted, the taste of the pickles will change for the worse.

What foods can be frozen only whole or chopped or grated?

Here we can advise you to focus on the form in which you will need the frozen product. If you need chopped vegetables for frying, chop them before freezing. If you need whole peppers for the filling, freeze them whole with the cores cut out.

Also, be guided by the size of your freezer so that everything fits; it is more convenient to store it in cut and grated form.

What foods can be frozen for a longer period, for example for the winter?

Almost all vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, poultry, semi-finished products, and mushrooms can be frozen for the whole winter.

What foods should not be frozen in the freezer?

You cannot freeze boiled eggs; boiled egg whites acquire a disgusting taste after freezing. Do not freeze mayonnaise, cream cheese, carbonated drinks, canned fish and meat.

Cherry

Cherries belong to the category of berries that, after freezing, retain not only their taste, but also their shape. This applies to those fruits that are harvested with a stone. After defrosting, such cherries can be used to prepare compotes and decorate desserts. It is better to freeze cherries with pits using the dry method. And if you still take out the seeds, you can prepare delicious cherries in your own juice.

Ingredients:

cherry – 600 g
sugar - 100 g

Cooking method:

Rinse ripe fresh berries thoroughly under running water and dry on a paper towel. Tear off the branches.
Carefully remove the seeds.
Place the cherries in containers for freezing, add sugar, and mix well. Place the container in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
The next day, when the berries give juice, transfer the container to the freezer.

As for the seeds, they can also be used. For example, add it to homemade cherry liqueur. They will give the drink a pleasant light bitterness.

How to defrost correctly

Frozen vegetables must be properly prepared for future use.

If vegetables are to be eaten raw:

leave on the plate for 3-4 hours at room temperature;
a bag of vegetables is placed in another, tied tightly and defrosted in cold water.
directly in the bag in the refrigerator for 12 hours;

Do not defrost vegetables intended for cooking. They are immediately thrown into the pan to preserve the vitamin C.

Cranberry

It would be a good idea to freeze cranberries for the winter, because this sour, slightly tart and juicy berry is considered one of the most valuable. For example, you can prepare an effective antipyretic from wild cranberries at home, and it is recommended to drink warm cranberry juice when you have a cold. The taste of this berry is highly valued in cooking - it makes excellent sauces for meat and fillings for desserts.

Cranberries should be frozen immediately after harvest. The berries should be ripe and firm, without damage. Before placing cranberries in the freezer, they must be thoroughly washed, sorted and dried. It is recommended to store frozen berries at temperatures from –5 to –20°C. Once defrosted, cranberries cannot be re-frozen.

Parsley and dill

Let's move on to the greens. Dill and parsley are two herbs that complement each other perfectly. They are often used in tandem when preparing various dishes. For convenience, dill and parsley can be frozen together for the winter. This way you will save space in the freezer and get a healthy, flavorful addition to soups, sauces and main courses. By the way, it is better to add greens to dishes 1–2 minutes before the end of cooking, otherwise the herbs will take on an unappetizing appearance due to the long heat treatment.

First, you need to rinse the greens well and cut off the thick stems. Then you need to dry the dill and parsley on a clean towel, and then put them in special ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. Greens frozen in this way will retain not only their taste, but also their attractive appearance. You can also freeze dill and parsley in oil. To do this, they need to be washed, dried, crushed, placed in ice trays and filled with olive or sunflower oil. Use quality plastic ice cube trays with a lid, otherwise the intense herbal aroma may spread throughout the freezer.

Green pea

Frozen green peas are a product that is quite in demand in cooking. It is added to salads and soups, and made into side dishes. To avoid buying peas in the store, you can freeze them yourself. The easiest way to do this is to remove the peas from the pods, put them in bags and put them in the freezer. However, after thawing, peas may become dull and tasteless. To avoid this, ripe peas must be blanched before freezing. To do this, bring water in a large saucepan to a boil. Place the peas in a colander, place in boiling water and keep for 2-3 minutes. Then immediately place the colander containing the peas in the ice water. Remove and allow excess liquid to drain. Pack the green peas into bags and put them in the freezer. It should be stored at a temperature of –18°C for about a year.

Spinach

Frozen spinach can often be found on supermarket shelves. Housewives add it to casseroles, omelets and fillings for savory pies. This preparation can also be made at home if you have harvested a large crop of spinach. Finely chop the washed greens, place in a colander, plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately place in a container with ice water and dry slightly. Fill ice cube trays with blanched spinach and place in the freezer for 1–1.5 hours. When the spinach is firm, remove the cubes and place in storage bags.

How to properly freeze beets

In the case when a housewife does not have the opportunity to store fresh root vegetables in the cellar or on the balcony, since in the heat they lose their juiciness, wrinkle and wither, then freezing beets is an excellent way to preserve supplies until the next summer season.

All types of root vegetables are well suited for freezing; they can be either fresh or boiled, cut into cubes or strips, or the fruits unchanged.

Preparing the root vegetable

Simple rules will help preserve all the valuable qualities of the root crop. By following them, every housewife will be able to prepare delicious and healthy beet dishes for her family all winter:

Root vegetables should be of medium size, ripe, without visible defects. The pulp is rich in color, without obvious veins, which give the beets a rough texture. Before freezing, the product must be washed several times and allowed to dry, then chopped in the most appropriate way. These can be strips or cubes.
It is better to choose small containers for freezing; polyethylene bags are perfect. They are good because you can put a single serving in there. Correxes or small plastic containers are also acceptable.
At home, the root vegetable is frozen in standard freezers of household refrigerators.
If it is possible to make the products in deep-frozen freezers, then they will be of very good quality in the future.

Freezing boiled vegetables

Many housewives wonder whether it is possible to freeze boiled beets to save cooking time. There is a special technology for freezing a boiled product:

For boiling, medium-sized vegetables are chosen, and the tail and top with tops are not cut off, but are left to preserve the taste and nutritional qualities.
During the cooking process, add a little vinegar to the water to preserve the bright color of the vegetable. Then dishes prepared using such semi-finished products will have a rich color and excellent taste.

After such processing and peeling of the beets, depending on the final dish, housewives decide in what form they need to freeze:

for Korean appetizers and soups, chop finely;
for vinaigrettes and salads, cut into cubes or strips;
for dietary nutrition in large pieces.

Next, the finished semi-finished products are transferred to various containers or bags and frozen, depending on the available household appliances.

Corn

Many people know and love the taste of juicy, sweet, sun-grown corn from childhood. It’s a pity that you can only enjoy it in the summer. In winter, corn is available mainly in canned form. We recommend freezing the corn kernels yourself. Choose young, fully ripened cobs - their grains will be soft and juicy. Before placing them in the freezer, rinse the grains in running water and dry. Place the corn in ziplock bags and place in the freezer. The temperature in it should not be higher than –15°C. The shelf life of frozen corn kernels is 8 months. You can add them to casseroles, salads, soups, and snacks. You can also freeze assorted corn, peas and green beans.

How to properly freeze food?

Now that we have prepared the food and put it in containers, it’s finally time to freeze.

The basic rule is that the faster we freeze the product, the better. Therefore, the freezer needs to be prepared in advance - we free up space and bring the temperature to a minimum. Chilled products should be placed in a layer of about 2 centimeters for 5-6 hours in the coldest place of the chamber, and only after that the resulting products are placed for storage.

Vegetables, mushrooms and herbs

If you want to freeze vegetables properly, freeze them immediately as soon as you bring them from the cottage or store. We wash, cut into pieces, blanch if necessary, cool, dry, pack in a plastic bag - and into the refrigerator. With mushrooms, speed is also important. But, if vegetables (except cucumbers) can be prepared raw or blanched, then carefully sorted porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, champignons, chanterelles and honey mushrooms can be frozen raw, boiled or even fried. We wash the greens, carefully dry them and place them in airtight packaging; many housewives store the greens already chopped.

Fruits and berries

Small fruits can be frozen whole, but large ones are cut into pieces. It is advisable to remove the seeds in advance, as well as the cores of apples (sweet and sour varieties are best) and pears. If the fruit is juicy, then after defrosting it is best to make puree from the resulting porridge. Absolutely any berries can be frozen in the form of ready-made puree. It is better to store capricious raspberries and strawberries sprinkled with sugar.

Fish and meat

Both fish and fresh meat should be frozen in small pieces in airtight packaging. Before storing fish in the freezer, we always clean, rinse and dry it.

Flour products

We also store dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, fresh bread and rolls in the freezer. It is only important to ensure that the bags are airtight, the finished products do not stick together, the bread is fresh and preferably cut into pieces immediately.

We have frozen the food, how will we store it? In no case do we forget about the shelf life for frozen foods! Fruits, berries and vegetables can be stored for about 9 months, mushrooms for about six months. Minced meat should not stay in the freezer for more than a month and a half, lean meat for 6-7 months, fatty meat for about 4 months. Bread can remain edible for 2-3 months. Fish, depending on size, from two months to six months.

Well, well, we have prepared the supplies, now it’s time to put them into action, i.e. start cooking. And for this they need to be properly defrosted.

Tomatoes

Almost any vegetables, including tomatoes, can be frozen for the winter. And although their taste will change somewhat after being in the freezer, they are still suitable for preparing a number of dishes: sauces, roasts, stewed vegetables, soups and even tomato juice. But it is better not to use such tomatoes for fresh salads. Choose fruits for freezing that are fleshy, dense, and not overripe. Wash each tomato first and dry it with a paper towel. Then cut into rings or small pieces and pack into bags.

You can also prepare Italian-style tomato puree for the winter. Let's share the recipe.

Ingredients:

tomatoes - 3 kg
salt - to taste
Provençal herbs - to taste
olive oil – 10–20 ml
garlic - 5 cloves

Cooking method:

Rinse the vegetables thoroughly. Remove the stems.
Cut the tomatoes into 2-4 parts and place in a deep baking tray, greased with oil. Sprinkle with Provençal herbs and add garlic cloves cut in half. Place in an oven preheated to 150–160°C.
Leave to simmer for 1 hour.
After the tomatoes have cooled, rub them through a sieve. Pour the resulting puree into molds and store in the freezer.

What should not be stored in the freezer

Despite the fact that freezing is an excellent way to preserve food, it is not always possible to resort to it, since there are a number of products that, when frozen, lose their taste and beneficial qualities. For example, these:

Hot dishes . When dishes that have not had time to cool down are sent to the freezer, a violation of the general temperature regime of the freezer occurs: it increases, and this threatens not only spoilage of the products already there, but also often leads to: activation of bacteria; more active operation of the refrigerator.
Boiled eggs . It is not recommended to freeze boiled eggs for the following reasons: after freezing, the white becomes like rubber, so it is simply impossible to eat; Once in the freezer, the egg shells crack and the bacteria that are located both inside and outside the eggshell are sharply activated, and this can cause poisoning of the human body.
Mayonnaise, sauces, soft cheeses . These products spoil quite quickly in the freezer, so there is no point in sending them there. In addition, sauces, as a rule, also change their density.
Any types of canned food . The reason for this ban is very banal - an iron can placed in a freezer usually explodes.
Fruits and berries containing a lot of water . In such products, the water they contain expands when frozen, and this leads to a disruption of their structure and, after defrosting, they become simply inedible.
Coffee and cocoa . Coffee placed inside the freezer perfectly absorbs odors, including unpleasant ones.
Some alcoholic drinks . We will, of course, be talking about light alcohol, which includes beer, wine and champagne.
Dishes using gelatin . Dishes prepared using gelatin, and these are various jellies, aspic, jellied meat, cannot be frozen, since gelatin, if defrosted, crystallizes, which means that food prepared with it will become tasteless.
Yogurt, sour cream . Freezing these dairy products changes their consistency and turns delicious dairy products into something completely unappetizing.
Chocolate . It is not recommended to freeze this delicacy due to the formation of an ice coating on it, which will melt when defrosted and spoil the taste of the chocolate. The same applies to chocolates.

Preparation for borscht

Borscht is a dish that takes a lot of time to prepare. However, the process can be significantly speeded up if you freeze the vegetable stock for borscht in advance. Moreover, fresh carrots and beets are stored well in the freezer. The preparation is made as follows.

Peel the carrots and beets, then grate them on a coarse grater or cut them into thin strips.
To prevent the beets from losing their color in the future, sprinkle them with fresh lemon juice.
Place the chopped vegetables in bags and put them in the freezer. All you have to do is remember to defrost the preparation before preparing the borscht.

You can also freeze onions, bell peppers and herbs along with beets and carrots. Similar preparations are easy to make for any other soup.

Shelf life

And finally, the most important point. The fact is that no product can be stored in the freezer for many years. The maximum is 1 year. And in most cases even less.

It must be remembered that during storage, even in a frozen state, the quality of the product deteriorates. This is especially true for fatty foods - fatty fish, for example, loses a lot of taste if stored frozen for more than 2-3 months.

To avoid mistakes with shelf life, you can stick labels on each product with the date of freezing. It is best to also sign what is in the package so as not to unwrap the package again.

So, the maximum can be stored:

Bird - 9 months

Beef, pork, lamb, horse meat - 4-6 months

Fish : oily - 2-3 months, all other fish - 6 months

Seafood - 3-4 months

Semi-finished products (dumplings, dumplings, cutlets, pancakes, cabbage rolls, minced meat, etc.) - 3-4 months

Article on the topic

We cook once a month.
Why is this convenient and profitable? Ready-made meals , including broths and soups, sauces, cutlets - 2-3 months
Vegetables and fruits up to 1 year, except tomatoes (2 months), peppers (3-4 months), zucchini and pumpkins (10 months), apples ( 4 months), apricots (6 months), peaches (4 months)

Mushrooms : boiled up to 1 year, raw - 8 months

The berries are usually stored for six months.

Greens and herbs - 6-8 months

Ice cream can be stored for 2 months

Margarine and butter - about 9 months

Bread and other baked goods – 2-3 months

Pumpkin

It’s not for nothing that pumpkin is called the queen of autumn. This bright, healthy and juicy vegetable ripens in September and is stored until the onset of cold weather. And to eat pumpkin in winter, you will have to freeze it. This is not difficult to do. Cut the ripe pumpkin into several pieces. Remove the seeds and fibers inside, cut off the peel with a vegetable peeler, and cut the pulp into cubes. It is better to shock-freeze the pumpkin first. To do this, place the pieces on a tray at a short distance from each other. Place in the freezer for 3 hours. Only after this can the workpiece be transferred to convenient containers or bags.

bell pepper

Fresh pepper is a highly perishable product, so the only chance to keep it fresh until winter is to freeze it. To do this, you need to wash the vegetable, remove the seeds, cut it into large strips and place it in bags. You can also stuff peppers and make homemade frozen semi-finished products.

Ingredients:

bell pepper - 7–8 pcs.
chilled minced meat - 600–700 g
carrots - 1 pc.
rice - 250 g
onions - 2 pcs.
salt - to taste
ground pepper - to taste
sunflower oil - 20 ml

Cooking method:

Boil the rice until half cooked, adding salt to the water first. Cool.
Wash the peppers, then carefully cut off their tops and clean out the insides.
Finely chop the onion and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Fry them together in oil until done.
Combine the minced meat with rice and vegetables, mix well, add salt, pepper and stuff the peppers with the resulting filling.
Place the semi-finished products in a freezer container, cover with a lid and place in the freezer for storage.

Potato

In order for potatoes that have been in the freezer to remain tasty and have an attractive appearance, they must be frozen correctly. This method is suitable for preparing the famous French fries.

Peel medium-sized tubers and cut into neat strips 5–7 mm thick.
Soak the potatoes in cool water for an hour to remove excess starch. This will help preserve the taste of the vegetable after deep freezing.
Bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a saucepan. Place a colander with chopped potatoes in it. However, make sure that the water and potatoes do not touch.
Cover the container with a kitchen towel and hold the workpiece over a steam bath for 3-4 minutes.
After this, dry the potatoes and then place them in the freezer for 1 hour on a tray.
Take out the potato strips and sprinkle them with a little olive or sunflower oil. Place in a bag and put in the freezer.

The maximum shelf life of the resulting semi-finished product is 6 months.

Can boiled eggs be stored in the freezer?

Eggs are stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time, but it happens that the housewife did not use them on time. Or, after the bright holiday of Easter, there are a lot of boiled eggs left, which are suitable for consumption for up to 7 days, but you have not found a use for them during this time. There is no need to be upset that you have to throw away the product. Boiled eggs can be stored in the freezer.

Question: “Can boiled eggs be stored in the freezer for some time?” not that common, but it does exist. In this article we will give some tips on how to do it correctly.

Many people believe that the place for both raw and boiled eggs is not in the freezer. However, this statement is wrong. Raw and boiled eggs can be stored by freezing for about a year, without losing their beneficial qualities. But to resort to this method of storing eggs, you need to know that both the white and the yolk can be frozen raw, but only separately. The yolk and white are beaten in different containers, added some salt, poured into containers for freezing and sent to the freezer for storage until convenient. When eggs are boiled, it is impossible to store them whole, or rather, it is possible, but they will be unsuitable for use. Boiled frozen protein changes its consistency and tastes disgusting. Therefore, you can only freeze boiled yolk, which can be used in various dishes.

Apricots

Apricots are juicy, fragrant, tender gifts of summer, which can only be enjoyed in winter when prepared. Housewives willingly make jam, compotes, and jams from this fruit, but frozen apricots are no less good, the main thing is to choose the right fruit. They should be firm, fully ripe, without barrels or dents. Rinse the fruits in warm running water and dry. Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Place the halves on a tray and place in the freezer for 1 hour. When the fruits harden after blast freezing, put them in bags or containers for long-term storage.

Peaches

After deep freezing, peaches retain not only their taste, but also most of their vitamins and nutrients. How to properly freeze peaches? The easiest way to do this is to cut them into slices. But if you want to freeze peach puree, you will have to tinker a little. Rinse the ripe peaches well in running water, pat dry with a towel and cut in half. Remove the seeds and carefully remove the skin using a knife. Place the pulp in a deep container and grind it to a puree using an immersion blender. If you find the product not sweet enough, add sugar to taste. Pour the puree into ice cube trays and place in the freezer. You can add the resulting fruit cubes to compotes, juices, cocktails, smoothies, and cereals.

The shelf life of frozen peaches at a temperature of –15°C will be from 6 to 9 months.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms complete our selection. Boletus, aspen, champignons, honey mushrooms, boletus, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles - all these mushrooms have one thing in common: they are perfectly preserved frozen without losing their taste. If you want to prepare them for the winter not only in dried and salted form, take note of the following recommendations.

Clean freshly picked mushrooms from sand and blades of grass, cut into slices.
In a deep saucepan, bring water to a boil, add salt, and place the mushrooms in it. Cook for 15 minutes.
After this time, place the mushrooms in a colander to drain excess liquid.
Cool the workpiece and place it in tight bags. Store in the cold at a temperature no higher than –10°C.

Is it possible to freeze fresh mushrooms for the winter? It is possible, and you can do it quite quickly. Clean mushrooms are cut into slices, placed on a cutting board or tray and placed in the freezer. The main thing is to remember that the temperature in it should not be higher than –18°C.

Using frozen beets in dishes

For hot dishes, you can get frozen chopped mixture and add it in this form to soups or meat, gradually bringing it to readiness during the cooking process. For cold appetizers, semi-finished products must first be defrosted. If a boiled vegetable was to be frozen, the dish will turn out faster in time.

If you don’t have time to pre-process the root crop, you can make preparations from raw beets. To do this, you need to peel it and chop it in a blender or on a grater. It should be remembered that when frozen, fresh beets tend to take on a pale appearance and will not add a vibrant color to the dish.

Another option for freezing is whole. The beets are thoroughly washed and, without cutting off the tail and tops, boiled in water with the addition of vinegar. After the vegetable is cooked, it needs to be cooled and frozen whole or cut into pieces as desired. Whole frozen vegetables cannot be chopped without first defrosting them. When frozen, ice crystals form inside the beets, which disrupt the original shape of the vegetable. Slicing from such semi-finished products will turn out loose and will not hold its shape.

A little trick in the technology of freezing semi-finished products: if the housewife wants to prevent the pieces of the frozen product from sticking together into one lump, you can prepare the mixture by laying out the pieces on a tray in one layer. After keeping in the freezer for about 2-3 hours, the frozen food is poured into a separate bag and then stored as usual. This is convenient for future use.

In addition to the beets themselves, some housewives also freeze the tops, since they, like any greens, contain useful vitamins and minerals. To freeze the leaves, they need to be thoroughly washed, dried, cut into small portions and placed in small bags, which are then placed in the freezer for storage.

Beets frozen for the winter are a very convenient semi-finished product for preparing many delicious dishes. Simple secrets for preparing root vegetables will help every housewife feed her family with healthy soups, salads or stews at any time of the year.

In our northern conditions with a lack of sunny days, it is very important to eat throughout the long winter with fully preserved vitamins from vegetables and fruits. In addition, freezing is also the most relevant method of storage during the winter. In addition, frozen foods in any form are already semi-finished products that save housewives a lot of time. After all, cooking with them is a pleasure - you don’t have to peel, wash, or cut them, and often you don’t even have to defrost them. Freezing canning is easy, and storing these foods is even easier.