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The fruits of the fig tree, fig tree (figs) are sweet, juicy, with very tender pulp. It is difficult to keep them during transportation and until the next harvest. For this, drying and freezing are used. The latter method allows you to save not only the useful properties of the product, but also its taste and aroma. How easy it is to freeze figs for the winter later in the article.
Is it possible to freeze figs in the freezer
Almost the only way to save figs for the winter is freezing. Thus, you can save all the vitamins and minerals that the product is rich in. These are vitamin A, B vitamins, folic and ascorbic acids. This fruit is low-calorie, only 47 kcal per 100g, suitable for dietary nutrition. The taste and aroma of the berry deteriorates slightly when frozen, but not critical.
Shock freezing chambers are suitable for harvesting fig fruits. In them, the berry is preserved under the influence of ice vapor, which envelops it after immersion. In a simple freezer, the humidity is increased, and the fruit will turn into ice. The taste and appearance of it will greatly deteriorate.
The first time the fruits are frozen for no more than an hour. The fruit cut into pieces is placed on a flat plate and set to freeze in the chamber. After the specified time, the product is taken out and transferred to bags, tied tightly. After the fruit is again placed in the freezer for storage.
Thawed fruit in winter can be used to make compotes, jelly, jams. Frozen figs go well with meat dishes.
Such a product can be consumed even by diabetics, unlike dried fruits. Frozen fruits contain little sugar, and anyone can freeze a berry at home.
Which figs are suitable for freezing
For freezing for the winter, only dark varieties of fruit are suitable. It is stronger, will not turn into porridge under the influence of low temperatures. Berries are selected whole, intact, medium in size, not overripe. To check their quality, you can gently press on the peel. It should not be too soft, fingerprints should not remain. Even if you get a dent, the peel should straighten out soon.
To preserve the bright taste of the berry, before freezing it is cut into portioned pieces and left to dry in the sun. After the figs are sent to the freezer.
How to freeze figs at home
At home, the berry is frozen as a whole or in slices, you can use one or the other method. To freeze fig slices, do the following:
- The selected fruits are washed with cold water and the stalks are cut off.
- After the figs are cut into 4 parts.
- The slices are carefully laid out on a flat plate or tray, then sent to the freezer for 60 minutes.
- After an hour, a maximum of 6 hours, the slices are removed from the freezer and laid out in plastic bags in one layer. You can use special plastic containers for freezing. It is very convenient to store fragile fruit in them.
- The bag is tied, the plastic container is sealed with a lid. Third-party odors from the freezer should not penetrate inside the bag or container. Figs well absorb the smells of spicy foods, meat, fish.
You can store such a frost for the winter from 6 to 12 months. It is better to harvest figs before a new crop is obtained.
How to freeze whole figs for the winter
For this method of harvesting figs in the freezer, slightly unripe fruits are selected. They are washed with cool running water and left to drain. After they dry, they are laid out on a baking sheet or tray in one layer and exposed to the sun to dry. This process will last from 1 to 3 days. In this case, it is important not to get dried fruit.
After 2-3 days, the figs are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to the freezer for several hours. After they take it out, they put it in bags or plastic containers. Seal tightly and send to the freezer for storage. If there are a lot of figs, in winter they are stored on the street or on the balcony in bags.
Before freezing for the winter, you can dry the figs in a special dryer or in an oven. The dryer is used in accordance with the instructions. Only dry, and subsequently freeze whole berries in this way will not work.
Whole figs can be dried in the oven. To do this, the washed and dried fruits are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to an oven preheated to 40 ° C for 8-12 hours. After that, it is allowed to cool and sent to a shock freezer for an hour. After the finished product is laid out in storage containers and put them in the freezer for the winter.
Terms of storage
Frozen figs retain their qualities for about a year. But it is better to store it until the next harvest. It’s about six months. The main thing is not to allow the temperature in the freezer to rise during storage and not to freeze the product again.
Frozen Fig Reviews
Conclusion
It is necessary to freeze figs for the winter to preserve their beneficial properties. This is done using a conventional freezer. Throughout the year, you can enjoy sweet, fragrant fruits that will bring many benefits to the body, exhausted in winter.
