Frozen sea buckthorn

Frozen sea buckthorn will be a real vitamin find in winter or early spring. In autumn, fresh berries are harvested, which retain their healing properties if the freezing rules are followed.

Is it possible to freeze sea buckthorn

Berries containing a lot of minerals and vitamins, if properly frozen, are almost identical to fresh ones in composition. Frozen sea buckthorn is healthier than jam and canned compote. If the freezer is spacious, sometimes whole branches of a plant with berries are placed in it.

Nutritional value of frozen sea buckthorn

In properly frozen fruits, the composition of trace elements remains almost the same as in fresh ones – 90%. Vitamins also do not suffer, except for the rapidly decomposing vitamin C, which still remains in large quantities, unlike heat-treated products. This substance is very unstable. Even when stored in a room for 24 hours, its amount is reduced by ten percent. The same happens with a frozen product, but for 6 months. If you freeze quickly, it leaves a little – up to 20% of ascorbic acid.

Frozen sea buckthorn calories

In 100 g of berries, depending on the conditions of their growth, there are 75–85 kilocalories. As part of fresh berries:

• 1,2 g of proteins, or 5 kcal;
• 5,7 g of carbohydrates, or 25 kcal;
• 5,4 g of fat, or 52 kcal.

Frozen fruits contain almost the same amount.

The benefits and harms of frozen sea buckthorn

The healing effect after eating berries differs only in a smaller amount of vitamin C in a frozen product. Fruits have a positive effect on increasing the body’s defenses, the state of blood vessels, treat beriberi, inflammatory processes, and promote healing of skin lesions. Sea buckthorn is rich in antioxidants, is considered a strong natural antibiotic, and is used as a cancer prevention.

At the same time, the presence of acids makes it undesirable for use in case of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, gallbladder. Being an allergen, it can cause a painful reaction.

How to select sea buckthorn for freezing

Only ripe orange berries should be frozen. After harvesting, the fruits cannot be kept for a long time, a maximum of 5–6 hours, so that they do not lose vitamins naturally. Thoroughly prepare for freezing:

• the fruits are freed from large branches, leaves, poured into a deep bowl with water several times;
• after each change of water, the number of twigs, petioles and damaged fruits that float to the surface decreases;
• then they sort it out, removing the crushed berries, – they make tea or compote from them, grind them with sugar;
• whole selected fruits are taken out with a slotted spoon and laid out in a thin layer on a kitchen towel for drying for 20–30 minutes.

How to freeze sea buckthorn for the winter

There are several methods for freezing berries, including using modern household appliances. Refrigerators with shock freezing chambers allow you to preserve the structure of tissues and get rid of germs. Freezers with a quick freeze function process the product at -22 ºC. It is better to freeze fruits in small portions, so that you can immediately use the thawed product. You can not re-expose the berries to low temperatures, as useful substances are lost. You can prepare ready-made portions of fruits grated with sugar in small containers.

Shock freezing sea buckthorn

This technology is more common in industry, but there are also household appliances that allow you to instantly reduce the temperature in a separate freezer to -30 … -50 degrees. When frozen in a conventional chamber, large ice crystals form in the intercellular space of the fruit, tearing the cell walls. Thawed berries leak juice, become flabby. Under the conditions of shock freezing, the smallest crystals are formed, the cell walls remain intact, as a result, the product looks like fresh. Shock freezing requires a rapid drop in temperature from -25 ºC.

Portion freezing of sea buckthorn in containers or plastic bags

A container is prepared in advance in which the frozen product will stay. They purchase special small containers for the freezer or use small containers from under dairy, culinary or confectionery products. The process of freezing whole fruits of the “Siberian pineapple” is carried out in two ways.

1. Most freezers have a compartment with a shelf-tray for freezing fruits and vegetables. It is covered with parchment paper and the fruits are laid out in one layer. Frozen berries are then packaged in portioned containers or sealed bags of small volume.

   

2. The fruits are immediately placed in selected containers or regular bags in pre-distributed small portions. Dry and clean containers or cups are not filled to the top and are not closed immediately, but after freezing.

   

Sea buckthorn frozen with sugar

A sweet semi-finished product is also prepared.

1. The berries are rubbed through a sieve.
2. Sugar is added to the finished puree to taste.
3. Packed in convenient containers so that you can use sweet jam in one day.

How to defrost sea buckthorn before eating

It is worth taking care of defrosting before use. You need to plan when you need vitamin products.

1. Berries are best thawed in the refrigerator by placing the bag on the top shelf. The advantages of this method are that the nutrients of sea buckthorn are preserved, and harmful microflora does not develop. The process is long, takes up to 9 hours.
2. At room temperature, sea buckthorn will defrost faster, but there is a danger of simultaneous multiplication of bacteria.
3. It is not recommended to quickly defrost sea buckthorn in the microwave, because the technology destroys the cellular structure of the product.

What can be cooked from frozen sea buckthorn

Frozen berries contain most of all its useful components.

• Fruits are consumed without any processing, with porridge or tea.
• Combining with sugar, they get a high-calorie, but high-vitamin dessert – fresh jam.
• Frozen berries or jam briquettes are used to make fruit drink, jelly or compote.
• If sea buckthorn is taken for these purposes, it is not thawed, but immediately put in boiling water, adding sugar.
• For the filling of pies, sea buckthorn is thawed and kept for some time in a sieve so that the juice stacks.
• They prepare jellies and sauces for pancakes, as well as for meat.
• Sour berries are used when stuffing poultry for baking in the oven.

Shelf life of frozen sea buckthorn

Packages and containers with frozen berries are laid out in storage sections. It is advisable to keep them separate from meat and fish so that odors are not absorbed. Make sure that the containers are hermetically sealed and that no moisture is released: due to condensation, the chamber has to be defrosted more often. At normal freezer temperature, -18 ºC, sea buckthorn is fully stored for 9 months. During this period, a valuable product needs to be used, otherwise it will not bring any benefit to the body later.

Conclusion

Frozen sea buckthorn will pleasantly diversify the set of products in cold weather. Vitamin berries of sea buckthorn are best stored frozen for the winter. They will be indispensable in the cold season.