Frozen persimmon: benefits and harms to the body, loses its properties or not

Persimmon is an extremely healthy fruit, a valuable source of vitamins, macro- and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the body. However, unfortunately, it has a pronounced “seasonality”. Fresh fruits appear on store shelves literally for 2-3 months, then again you have to wait another year. The problem of such a “deficit” is solved if persimmons are frozen for the winter in a timely manner. At the same time, its “presentability” will suffer, but the benefits will remain for a long time.

Does frozen persimmon lose its properties

If the fruits are frozen, this will not affect the vitamins, macro- and microelements contained in them. The benefits of this fruit after exposure to low temperatures are fully preserved. Characteristic is the presence of high concentrations of vitamins A, C, group B, PP, phytosterols, as well as:

• potassium;
• calcium
• magnesium;
• iodine;
• gland;
• manganese;
• copper;
• chromium;
• molybdenum;
• cobalt

If the fruit is frozen, it retains not only taste, but also benefits.

With such a rich composition, the complex beneficial effect of the fruit on the body is as follows:

• increase in general tone, physical and mental endurance, stress resistance, at the same time causeless irritability and anxiety disappear;
• strengthening immunity, recovering at a rapid pace after a viral or infectious disease, surgery;
• strengthening the walls of blood vessels, restoring and maintaining their elasticity, cleansing of cholesterol “plaques” (extremely useful for varicose veins and atherosclerosis), normalization of blood pressure;
• activation of the body’s defense against the negative effects of environmental factors, neutralization of free radicals, preservation of youth for a long time, improvement of the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
• acceleration of tissue regeneration processes at the cellular level;
• combating iron deficiency in the blood, stimulating the synthesis of red blood cells, for women, the fruit helps maintain hemoglobin levels during menstruation;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract, removal of toxins and toxins;
• prevention of the development of cancer, according to some reports, the fruit can neutralize not only carcinogenic, but also radioactive, toxic substances, salts of heavy metals;

Why freeze persimmons

Persimmons are frozen for two main reasons:

1. To be able to eat this seasonal fruit at any time of the year. Some are simply not ready to come to terms with the fact that persimmon appears on store shelves only for a few months a year. The fruit that has been in the freezer can be eaten just like that or replaced with fresh persimmon in any recipe that requires its presence.
2. To improve her taste. Whether the fruit will be unpleasant to “knit” in the mouth cannot be determined by the appearance of the fruit (of course, if they are not completely green). In such specimens, not only taste is affected, their consumption may well provoke an upset stomach and / or intestines. The tannin contained is “responsible” for the viscosity, which is destroyed under the influence of negative temperatures.

How long can persimmons be stored in the freezer

If you keep frozen fruit in a freezer at a constant temperature of 18 ° C, its taste, nutritional and energy value, and beneficial properties will be preserved throughout the year. It must be remembered that once a frozen fruit cannot be thawed and frozen again. After such manipulations, the persimmon turns into an unappetizing brown slimy gruel.

Frozen fruit should, if possible, be airtight. To do this, persimmons are wrapped in several layers of cling film or laid out in special reusable bags for freezing with a zipper.

In the absence of tightness, you will have to take a separate shelf for persimmons in the freezer. To avoid the transfer of pathogenic microflora, the fruit should be kept away from meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms.

How to choose a persimmon for freezing

To maximize the shelf life of frozen persimmons, you need to choose fresh fruits suitable for this:

1. Ripe, but not overripe. The first can be determined by the shade of the skin (it varies markedly depending on the variety), its brightness and saturation. To understand that the fruit is overripe, it is enough to lightly press on it with your finger. Unsuitable for freezing fruit will leave a dent.
2. The absence of even minimal damage to the skin, violating its integrity. The shell should be smooth and “glossy”. Specimens with cracks, dents, dark spots on the skin, suspiciously similar to developing mold, rot, and other pathogenic microflora are not suitable for freezing.
3. Mandatory presence of leaves and stalk. They should be dry, uniform greenish-brown in color.

It directly depends on the quality of the “raw materials” whether the frozen persimmon will last for a long time and what its taste and appearance will be like after defrosting

The best choice for freezing is a medium-sized persimmon. Fruits that are too large, if placed whole in the chamber, take up too much space. Small persimmons most often do not differ in pronounced taste and smell.

How to freeze persimmons for long-term storage

There are several ways to freeze persimmon for a long time. When choosing, they are guided by how much free space there is in the freezer. It is also important how the fruit is subsequently planned to be used.

entirely

The easiest way is to freeze the whole persimmon. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Wash the persimmon in cool running water. You can not make its pressure too strong, you can damage the thin skin and tender flesh. Especially carefully it is necessary to wash in the area of ​​​​the stalk. It is not recommended to remove it in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit.
2. Arrange the fruits on paper or ordinary towels, napkins. Let dry completely. Even individual drops or a thin “water film” on the surface of the skin in the freezer turn into ice crystals, “tearing” it and the pulp.
3. Put each persimmon in a regular plastic or special plastic bag for freezing, or wrap in 2-3 layers of cling film.
4. Keep in the freezer for at least 12 hours.

Whole frozen persimmons require a lot of space to store.

In pieces

If persimmon is frozen in this way, it will subsequently be ideal for those who plan to use it as a pastry filling, an ingredient in salads and desserts. The preparation in this case is similar to that described above. Next, they act like this:

1. Remove the stem. With a sharp knife with a thin blade, cut the persimmon into pieces of the desired size and shape, removing the seeds in the process. Most often, the fruit is divided into four, six or eight parts.
2. Arrange the pieces on disposable plastic trays, containers, lining the bottom with cellophane, foil or baking paper. Wrap them with cling film, being careful not to damage the contents. You can also use plastic food containers. In this case, the film is not required, the container lid will provide tightness. Pieces cannot be stored in open containers and pallets, they quickly absorb any foreign odors.
3. Freeze the persimmon by placing the fruit containers in the freezer for at least 12 hours.

Do not make persimmon pieces too small, otherwise they will turn into porridge when defrosted

Puree

If you freeze persimmon puree, then you can add it to cereals, smoothies, curd mass, and other desserts of a similar consistency. Prepare it like this:

1. Washed and dry fruits remove the stalk. Then they are cut in half, the bones are removed, the skin is removed or the flesh is scraped out with a spoon.
2. Grind the pulp in a blender until a smooth puree. It can also be passed through a meat grinder or even grated.
3. Arrange the puree in small disposable containers, tight plastic bags. Cover with cling film on top. Put in the freezer for 8-10 hours.

If you freeze the puree, the persimmon will not take up much space in the freezer

How to freeze a persimmon so that it does not knit

In order for the persimmon to lose its unpleasant viscosity, it must be frozen entirely according to the same algorithm as described above. The minimum holding time is 2-3 hours. But it is better to wait 10-12 hours. Then not only the unpleasant astringency will disappear, the frozen persimmon will also become noticeably sweeter.

“Metamorphosis” is easily explained by the fact that tannin, which provokes the appearance of an astringent taste in the mouth, is destroyed at sub-zero temperatures. Thus, it is possible to significantly improve the taste of even unripe persimmons.

How to defrost a persimmon

Frozen persimmons are important to defrost properly. There are several ways to do this too. And you have to choose what is more important – speed or aesthetics.

Quick

Persimmon will quickly defrost if, without unpacking or even removing the cling film, put it in a container filled with hot (40-45 ° C) water. It should cover the entire fruit. Change the water as it cools down.

Frozen whole persimmons can be eaten after 1,5-2 hours. Pieces and small portions of fruit puree require even less time.

Whole fruits with a quick defrosting method lose their shape, the pulp turns into gruel

In the microwave

The frozen fruit, having removed the cling film from the container, is placed on the bottom of a special deep dish for the microwave oven, pouring water on the bottom with a layer 1,5-2 cm thick. Then the “Defrost” mode (if available) is turned on, focusing on the approximate weight of the persimmon. If the device does not have such a function, it is simply set to minimum power.

In vivo

It will take about 4-5 hours to thaw a whole persimmon in a natural way. Remove the cling film from the fruits extracted from the freezer, take them out of the bag, container, other container and transfer them to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. The defrosting process is brought to the “logical conclusion” at room temperature.

After “natural” defrosting, the fruit retains its shape and benefits, the consistency of the pulp practically does not change.

What can be done with frozen persimmons

Frozen persimmon, like fresh, is widely used in cooking:

• mousses, jelly, puddings are prepared from it;
• puree is added to ice cream, smoothies and other fruit cocktails, homemade yoghurts, curd mass, creams, desserts with cream cheese;
• turn the fruit into a filling for sweet pastries or a layer for cakes;
• prepare salads (persimmon goes very well with any green salad, cheeses, nuts).

A good addition to persimmon desserts is mint, nuts and dark chocolate.

Only cooking scope of frozen persimmon is not limited. Homemade face masks are made from it. The pulp in approximately equal proportions is mixed with:

• egg yolk;
• honey;
• any base oil used in cosmetology;
• homemade dairy products (cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, yogurt).

The course of such masks, which is 10-12 “sessions” with an interval of 3-4 days, provides the skin with intensive nutrition, evens out its tone, and restores a healthy fresh complexion. A pronounced lifting effect is also noticeable.

Persimmon is one of the most effective means for skin rejuvenation in the arsenal of home cosmetology.

Conclusion

If you freeze persimmons for the winter, following simple rules, you can provide yourself with a supply of delicious and extremely healthy fruits for the next year, just before the next “season”. The substances contained in them, necessary for the body, tolerate a decrease in temperature without compromising their properties. But the tannin, “responsible” for the unpleasant viscosity, is destroyed, therefore, after defrosting, the taste of persimmon improves significantly. It can be eaten immediately or used to prepare various desserts and other dishes.