In the coldest time of the year, we so need vitamins , and although pharmacies are replete with different types of vitamins for every taste and pocket, not a single tablet can compare with the huge dose of vitamins contained in vegetables and fruits.
And if in the fall we have the opportunity to continue to pamper ourselves with seasonal vegetables and fruits , then in winter this becomes completely impossible and then the question arises of how to extend the fruit and vegetable season until winter. The answer is very simple - freezing . Is it possible to freeze apples and pears for the winter? This article will talk about how to freeze pears for the winter at home .
Therefore, you can safely freeze or dry those substandard pears that are not suitable for you to store fresh in the cellar. By the way, you can read about how to make dried fruits from pears at home in our articles:
- "Drying pears on the street."
- "Drying pears at home."
- “Drying pears using household appliances.”
general information
Is it possible to freeze pears for the winter at home?
First of all, it is worth answering the question whether pears are generally frozen at home and whether they retain their beneficial properties.
And we will be happy to answer you that you can freeze pears and you should! How to properly freeze pears for the winter?
You can do this in any form, cut into slices, whole or pieces , in general, as your heart desires! The main thing in this matter is the presence of time, desire and imagination. As the Russian folk proverb says, “Prepare the sleigh in the summer and the cart home,” which means that you need to be prepared for everything not only for today, but also for tomorrow and for a longer period of time.
Therefore, having spent a considerable amount of time and effort on the freezing process in the summer, you will feel healthy and energetic in the winter, when you can afford summer fruits.
Selection and preparation of pears before starting the process
There are a lot of varieties of pears. To freeze fruits, you need to choose a type and wait until the fruit reaches the required state. Then carefully assemble and begin preparation.
First, rinse the pears well and leave to dry. To speed up the process, wipe them with a towel. Further preparation depends on the chosen freezing method.
Pears are cut into slices, cubes or quarters, the core is removed, and further processing is carried out.
Benefit
Is it possible to freeze pears, and what are the benefits of them? Pears, like any other fruit, are very beneficial for human health and have a huge list of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and nutrients. Pears contain such groups of vitamins as: A, B, C, E, H, K, PP and minerals such as: Potassium (155 mg), Calcium (19 mg), Magnesium (12 mg), Sodium (14 mg), Phosphorus (16 mg) and Iron (2.3 mg).
As well as microelements such as: folic acid, carotene, pectins, catechins, mineral salts of iron, manganese, iodine, cobalt, as well as tannins and fiber.
And most importantly, scientists note that frozen vegetables and fruits are in no way inferior to their fresh counterparts in terms of the amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
In frozen fruits, all nutrients, flavors and aromas are completely preserved much better than with any other method of canning.
Using the refrigerator
How to freeze pears in the freezer for the winter or refrigerator?
Of course, pears, like any other vegetables and fruits, should be frozen in the freezer and not in the refrigerator, since the refrigerator cannot boast of the optimal temperature required to successfully freeze your fruits. The refrigerator is suitable for storing pears at home for one month.
To freeze pears at home, you should use a freezer, but it is important to take into account the fact that the pear should not have “chamber neighbors” such as fish, meat and other food products that have a specific odor and can transfer it to the pear.
If you are the owner of a modern refrigerator model and your freezer has a super-fast freezing compartment , then we advise you to use it, this will only improve the freezing process.
The benefits and harms of frozen cherries
If frozen correctly, cherries will bring great benefits to the body in winter. It will retain a maximum of vitamins and minerals, and will help maintain immunity in the winter during the flu season and colds.
Other beneficial properties of cherries:
- eliminates constipation, gently cleanses the intestines. The merit of plant fiber;
- strengthens the heart muscle. The merit of coumarins, anthocyanins, and other beneficial substances of the composition;
- normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, helps fight stress and overwork;
- has a positive effect on joints. Regular consumption helps to avoid exacerbations of arthritis, arthrosis, and other similar diseases;
- has an antitumor effect. The credit goes entirely to anthocyanins. People use cherries in winter and summer to prevent cancer;
- has a positive effect on the skin. Frozen berries are used externally in home cosmetology. The product helps improve the condition of the skin in winter, gives tone and a healthy appearance;
- accelerates the flow of bile;
- improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Digestion of heavy, fatty foods is accelerated.
The product will cause harm if you have individual intolerance, allergies, or intestinal problems. Should not be given to children under one year of age. Serious problems can also arise if stored incorrectly. After defrosting, the product must be consumed within 24 hours.
Diabetics should not eat cherries. The product contains a lot of sugars and causes spikes in glucose levels.
Methods for freezing cherries for the winter
Methods
What is the best way to freeze pears: in slices, whole pears or another way? You can freeze pears in any way convenient for you. There is no universal or best way , it all depends on how you like it best and how you will subsequently use your frozen product.
If you want to cook compote, then it is preferable to choose freezing in slices ; if you want to please your family and friends with a delicious pie with pear filling, then you should choose freezing in slices .
Is it possible to freeze pears in sugar for the winter? If you want to make delicious pear jam or make jam or confiture, then freezing pears cut into halves in sugar syrup . If you are a housewife whose time is very limited and there are no assistants on hand, then pear fruits can be frozen whole .
The most important thing to note is that any freezing method you choose does not affect the final result of freezing .
In any form, pears will retain all their nutrients and beneficial substances.
Features of freezing pears for the winter
In order to freeze a product for the winter, you need to properly prepare the fruits. Before you start preparing pears, you should decide which variety you need to pick and when.
If the pears are too green, then they will not taste good when frozen; if they are overripe, then it will be difficult to freeze them.
Features of freezing fruits in the refrigerator:
- It is recommended to cut the pears, in some cases you should get rid of the skin.
- The fruit retains its structure and taste when thawed. At the same time, beneficial properties are preserved.
- Before laying, sprinkle the sliced workpiece with lemon juice or add citric acid.
- There are many ways to freeze, you should choose the most suitable one for your family.
You don’t have to do anything special, the main thing is to follow the proportions and recommendations of experienced chefs. And the tasty, healthy preparation will last for at least a year.
Basic Rules
Temperature
The temperature in the freezer should not be lower than -18 degrees Celsius - this is the best choice if you want to preserve frozen fruits for as long as possible. Note that all modern standard freezers have a temperature from -12°C to -18°C .
Dishes
For dishes for freezing fruits, in our case pears, we can use either special food containers or ordinary plastic bags .
The latter take up significantly less space than containers, but there is one “but”: frozen fruits become hard and their edges can easily tear the bag.
Therefore, giving preference to food boxes is much safer .
Time
Pears should be frozen immediately after purchase; do not put the matter off and delay the freezing procedure , since the longer the pears lie, the less nutrients remain in them. Therefore, if you want to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins, minerals and microelements, then the freezing procedure should be started immediately after purchasing the fruit.
These are some of the most important and important rules for freezing pears at home; we will provide a more detailed description below.
Step-by-step instruction
Fruit selection
One of the most important components of successful freezing of pears is choosing the right raw materials . To obtain a high quality frozen product, it must meet the same requirements when fresh.
Therefore, the choice of fruits should be approached with all seriousness and responsibility . For freezing, you should choose ripe fruits without damage, with soft flesh and medium size.
Tart fruits with hard pulp are not suitable for freezing.
Preparation
- First of all, thoroughly wash the pears.
- Next, cut the pears into four parts and remove the cores .
- Now we leave the pears to dry thoroughly , for this you can use either a paper towel or a cutting board.
After these three simple steps are completed, the pears are ready to be frozen.
Selection and preparation of dishes
As mentioned earlier, pears can be frozen in the freezer, both in simple plastic bags and in special food containers, where preference should still be given to the latter due to the fact that this container is more reliable .
In this case, plastic bags lose out due to the fact that they do not have optimal strength and can tear at any time, unable to withstand the pressure of the hardness of frozen fruits.
Like fruits, dishes should also be prepared for the freezing procedure. All containers are thoroughly washed and dried , and only after that the product that will be subjected to the freezing process is laid out in it.
A little advice for housewives: the freezer capacity will be used more fully if you freeze food in rectangular rather than round molds.
Freezing process
After you have prepared the pears and containers, we move on to the freezing procedure itself. There is nothing unusual or complicated here, we simply put the prepared fruits in airtight containers, after sprinkling the pears with lemon juice (this is done to prevent the pears from darkening). Next, place the pears in the freezer for 2 hours at -30°C.
Storage temperature
How to store frozen pears in the refrigerator? At home, freezing berries and fruits is done in the freezer compartment (the temperature in it is maintained from -12°C to -18°C). The most optimal temperature for storing frozen vegetables is -18°C.
Method number 3: how to freeze pear puree?
250 grams of ripe fruits are peeled, cut into cubes, placed in a saucepan, add one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of sugar. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. When the fruits become soft, turn off the heat and grind the pears to a puree using a blender.
The finished puree is cooled and placed in jars, disposable cups and small containers, leaving a little free space. Then the container is carefully wrapped in cling film, closed with a lid or packaged in bags and sent to the freezer. The puree can also be frozen in molds designed for making ice.
Saving periods
Can pears be stored in the refrigerator for a long time? According to scientific experiments and the experience of housewives, pears can be stored in the freezer for 6 to 12 months . But housewives recommend storing pears in the freezer for no more than 8 months. Although, if you think sensibly, then you won’t have , since no matter how much fruit you have, there will always be not enough of them.
Having once pleased your family with a delicious pie filled with pear puree, serving it in combination with warm pear compote, your family and friends will not remain indifferent and will ask you to cook it again and again until the useful fruits come to an end. More important information is the rules for defrosting frozen pears.
Defrosting fruit
It is not enough to freeze fruits correctly and know the shelf life; it is also very important to know how to properly defrost frozen fruits so that they do not lose their beneficial properties.
To achieve the most effective results, follow the “golden” rule: freeze quickly - defrost slowly .
Never, under any circumstances, re-freeze defrosted fruit; it is better to immediately throw it in the trash.
Since the benefit from such fruits will be equal to 0. To avoid this situation, defrost pears in small quantities , knowing exactly what you are using, and you will save yourself from the temptation to re-freeze the leftovers that were not used. There are two ways to defrost pears:
- Defrosting at room temperature is the most natural and optimal method. For faster defrosting, you can place frozen vegetables under a thin stream of warm water. It is important that with this type of defrosting the loss of vitamins will be very small.
- Defrosting in a microwave oven is a traditional method, but the least optimal. Despite the fact that it is very fast, its main disadvantage is that in this case the pears are subjected to heat treatment, which significantly reduces the amount of vitamins in the finished product.
Method number 1: how to freeze pears in syrup?
The syrup in which fruit is frozen can be of different levels of thickness:
- Easy: Dissolve one and two-thirds cup (333 grams) sugar in 4 cups of water (950 ml).
- Medium: Dissolve two and two-thirds cups (533 grams) of sugar in 4 cups (950 ml) of water.
- Thick: Dissolve four cups (800 grams) of sugar in 4 cups (950 ml) water.
Place all the fruits in a large saucepan, add the ingredients for the syrup and boil them in it over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. In this case, the sugar should completely dissolve. Carefully remove the foam with a spoon.
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Recipe
Pears for the winter in syrup
To freeze pears this way we will need the following ingredients:
- pears – 1.5 kg;
- sugar – 0.5 kg;
- vanilla sugar – 1 sachet;
- lemon juice – 1 teaspoon.
a novice housewife can handle it . First of all, we thoroughly rinse the pears and dry them so that all excess liquid drips off as much as possible. Next, cut the pears into halves and cut out the core and trim the tails.
Sprinkle the halves with lemon juice so that our fruits do not lose their color and begin to place them in containers.
We take a pre-prepared sealed food container and begin to layer our pears, not forgetting to sprinkle the pears with sugar .
After you complete this fairly simple procedure, put the pears in the freezer and store them until the right time.
How to choose pears?
The fruits must be elastic, whole, without dents or spoilage. If you come across softer specimens, they can be used for preparing and freezing puree.
To determine the ripeness of the fruit, experts recommend gently squeezing it with your fingers in the stem area. The pulp at the stem should be slightly soft. If this is not the case, you should choose another fruit. The pear should not be too soft in the middle: an overripe fruit is not suitable for freezing.
