Ways to freeze apples for the winter
It turns out that not only vegetables, but also fruits can be frozen at home. The fruits in this form retain about 90% of the nutrients. How to freeze apples for the winter and what dishes can be prepared from such a product, the information is relevant for many hostesses.
Ways to freeze apples for the winter
Suitable varieties
Not all apple varieties are suitable for such processing and further storage. It is necessary to use the harvest of autumn and winter varieties with sweet and sour pulp.
You can freeze the following varieties: Antonovka, Sinap, Glory to the winners, Richard, Kutuzovets, Golden. The harvest of such apple trees is excellently preserved at subzero temperatures.
You can determine how suitable the apple variety is for freezing: you need to peel the fruit and place it on the top shelf of the refrigerator. If after a while it does not darken, you can safely freeze it.
Preparatory work
For storage in the freezer, it is necessary to use ripe apples without mechanical damage, cracks, traces of mold, signs of disease and parasites.
After defrosting, overripe apples will turn into mashed potatoes, their benefits will be lost, and it will hardly be possible to cook something tasty and aromatic from them.
Apples are sent for freezing immediately after picking: the less they "lie", the better they retain their beneficial properties.
All fruits are thoroughly washed under running water, wiped dry, then cut, depending on the chosen method of freezing.
Freezing methods
There are several ways to freeze apples fresh - it all depends on the further use of such a blank.
We pack each apple individually
Wholly
You can freeze apples for the winter entirely: washed, wiped dry fruits are carefully freed from the tail and seeds, put in plastic bags so that there is no air in them, and sent to the freezer. To save time, it is best to use seedless varieties.
This method of freezing requires a lot of space, so it is only suitable for large freezers.
Dry freeze
You can freeze sliced apples. First, the fruits are washed under running water, then they are rubbed, cut in half, peeled, and the core removed. Each half is divided into four wedges.
To avoid sticking, the slices are laid out on a board, frozen, then transferred to a plastic bag or sealed plastic container and sent to the freezer.
If the slices are intended for compote, you do not need to peel the fruit. This will make the drink more aromatic and tasty.
In syrup
To use this storage method, you need to prepare a syrup: 500 g of sugar is required for 750 ml of water. It is necessary to achieve complete dissolution of the product.
Clean and dried apples are cut into slices, as in the previous method, placed in the prepared syrup, transferred to a plastic bag and sent to the freezer.
After defrosting, such a product is an excellent raw material for making cocktails, jellies and other desserts.
Puree
Before freezing apples in the freezer, you need to prepare the following ingredients:
- granulated sugar - 300 g;
- citric acid - 5 g;
- fresh apple puree - 1000 g.
First you need to make applesauce: the washed whole apples are placed in a saucepan, filled with water so that it completely covers them. Put on low heat and cook until the fruit softens. Sugar is dissolved in hot water, citric acid is added to it and this mass is poured into a saucepan with fruit. Stir, then grind through a sieve.
The puree mass is laid out in glass bowls or placed in a plastic container and sent to freeze. Such a product is useful for children: it contains many useful substances.
Shock freeze
Some housewives use the method of shock freezing apples at home, setting the temperature at minus 23 ° C. This method is suitable for whole fruits or sliced apples. Fruit in this form is especially beneficial because they freeze quickly and retain their original taste and aroma.
Terms and conditions of storage
Subject to all storage rules, fresh apples are stored in the freezer from six months to a year. At the same time, it is important to maintain the temperature regime within minus 18-20 ° С. If this figure is higher, the apples will lose their useful properties, and after defrosting they will not be so tasty.
Do not re-freeze defrosted food. It contains bacteria and germs that can cause irreparable harm to human health. Divide the apples into single-use portions before placing them in the freezer for the winter. This way you have less waste.
Product application
Apples are used for cooking different dishes.
In modern cooking, there are many original and delicious frozen apple recipes. They are used, like fresh fruits, for cooking:
- pancakes, pancakes;
- pies, bagels, buns (for filling);
- different drinks;
- fruit salads and jellies.
In addition, frozen fruits are whole baked in the oven and used to create sauces for meat and fish dishes.
Compote
Ingredients:
- 5 liters of water;
- 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
- 500 g frozen product.
Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar, bring to a boil. After the sugar has completely dissolved, defrosted apples (whole fruits or slices) are placed in the container. Cook for several minutes over low heat, then insist under the lid for half an hour.
Charlotte
You can use frozen apples, cut into wedges, for making charlotte. The housewives who prepared such pastries claim that it turns out to be as tasty as with fresh apples.
Required Ingredients:
- chicken eggs - 4 pcs.;
- wheat flour - 1 tbsp.;
- granulated sugar - 1 tbsp.;
- frozen fruit pieces - 3 handfuls.
Eggs heated at room temperature are beaten with a mixer until they are foamy, sugar is gradually poured in, without stopping beating them. After complete dissolution of the dry component, add flour, gently stirring everything with a spoon. At the end - defrosted apples.
The mass is poured onto a baking sheet covered with parchment and greased with a piece of butter. Then it is placed in the oven for 40 minutes, the temperature is 180 °.
Pancakes
Pancakes with the addition of defrosted apples turn out to be healthy and very tasty. They are great for breakfast or a light snack.
Required Ingredients:
- milk - 250 ml;
- sugar - 3 tbsp. l .;
- soda - ½ tsp;
- flour - 2/3 tbsp.;
- sour cream -1 tbsp. l .;
- defrosted apple pulp - 4-5 tbsp. l .;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- vanillin (optional and to taste).
All products are combined in one container, mixed, soda is added at the very end.Fry pancakes in vegetable oil on both sides. They are served with sour cream.
Sauce
You can serve this aromatic product with a sweet and sour taste with any meat or fish.
Ingredients:
- defrosted applesauce - 6-7 tbsp. l .;
- granulated sugar - 100 g;
- cinnamon - one stick;
- lemon (lime) - ½ citrus.
It is necessary to transfer the mashed potatoes to a saucepan, add cinnamon to it, simmer over low heat under a lid for 10 minutes. Then - transfer the product to a bowl for whipping, squeeze out the juice of half a lemon or lime, beat until smooth. After cooling, the sauce is ready to serve with fish, pork, turkey or beef.