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Cloudberry is a useful northern berry that grows in the tundra and the Arctic Circle of our country. In order for it to bring maximum benefit and reveal its nutritional properties, it is not enough to collect it correctly – you also need to save it according to all the rules. Not all lovers of delicious vitamins know how to store cloudberries, and most importantly, how to bring them and not spoil them.
Cloudberry harvest time
First of all, the product must be collected on time. The berry should be slightly unripe, especially if it needs to be transported over long distances. Collection times may vary by region. On average, for storing cloudberries for the winter, the optimal collection time is July-August. If you miss this period, then the berry will overripe, and it will not be possible to transport it.
How to properly store cloudberries
For storage, strong specimens are selected without bruising and juice release. It is better if the berry is strong and whole. This way you can keep it as long as possible. It is optimal to leave it fresh, because the less processed, the more useful properties it will retain.
How long is cloudberry stored
The storage period depends on the storage method chosen. A frozen berry can lie in the freezer all winter, and even more than one year, but after defrosting it cannot be refrozen. The preparation using cooking will be perfectly preserved in the basement for a couple of years, but the fresh product in the refrigerator will last no more than a week. If the fruits are harvested overripe, then the shelf life is reduced to several hours.
How to save cloudberries for the winter without cooking
You can save cloudberries for the winter in the form of jam or jam, but most housewives prefer not to process vitamins with temperature so that they are better preserved. Therefore, there are several basic ways to store cloudberries without subjecting them to heat treatment.
First of all, this is fresh storage, but this method does not allow you to save the crop for a long time. Honey or granulated sugar is also used as preservatives. Another common way is in your own juice.
How to keep cloudberries fresh
Fresh untreated berries can last up to three months. To do this, it must be poured into clean, sterilized jars. It should be sorted out and washed first.
In jars, it is recommended to crush or compact the berry a little. After filling the container, put a moistened piece of gauze on top and cover the jar with a nylon lid.
The berry packed in a jar must be placed in a dark and cool room. Within three months, fresh vitamins will always be at hand.
If you put the berry on a plate and cover with cling film, then you can store fresh cloudberries in the refrigerator for a week.
How to keep cloudberries in sugar
To keep cloudberries fresh and with sugar, you will need to take a kilogram of fruits and granulated sugar. A third of the sand should be left, and the rest mixed with berries in a blender. Pour the resulting mixture into sterilized glass jars and cover with the remaining sugar.
Cover with capron lids. Store in basement or cellar. In the apartment you can store on the balcony, the main thing is that it is cool and dark there.
How to keep cloudberries in honey
If the fruits are not overripe, then pouring honey will be an excellent method of storing cloudberries. It will take half a liter of honey per liter jar of berries.
Harvest needs to be sorted out and washed. Then carefully pour layers into a sterilized jar. This is done as follows: a small layer of raw materials, on top of 4 tablespoons of honey. And so on, until the bank is full. The last layer should be honey.
Cover with a nylon lid and place in a cool place for storage. So storing cloudberries for the winter is convenient, but expensive, since honey is not a cheap pleasure. But the benefits of the final product in winter, at the peak of colds, are invaluable.
How to keep cloudberries in their own juice
This is a unique recipe that helps to keep a storehouse of vitamins for a long time without losing nutritional properties. Berries need to be washed and sorted out from debris. And also remove the sepals and twigs. Pour raw materials into jars in layers. Pour sugar between the layers of berries. On a layer of 2 cm of berries, pour 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar. After filling the jar, sugar must be poured so that it lies with a slide, and only then cover with pre-boiled lids.
Banks in this form should stand for about 5 hours for the berries to release juice.
The next step is to sterilize the jars with the product in the pan for 15 minutes. Then roll up and wrap in a blanket.
Freezing cloudberries for the winter
Freezing is considered the best way to preserve all the vitamins and nutrients in raw materials. To make the process as simple and hassle-free as possible, you need to properly prepare the product.
For freezing, choose a whole, unspoiled berry without signs of illness or bruising. Then it must be washed and dried. You need to freeze in packages where the berry will lie in one layer. There should be a single serving in one package, since defrosting and re-freezing have a bad effect on appearance and nutritional properties.
In addition to freezing in its entirety, freezing is also used in the form of mashed potatoes. To do this, the washed and sorted fruits are crushed in a blender and 250 g of sugar are added per kilogram of raw materials. In this form, the puree is frozen.
Storage of unripe cloudberries
Unripe raw materials do not let the juice so actively, and therefore it is easier to transport. From unripe raw materials, you can make jam, as well as jam. Many people use an old recipe and cook pickled berries. They can be stored for several years. You can spread the berry on the windowsill and let it ripen.
The only recipe that is not very suitable for an unripe berry is in its own juice. Cloudberries can be stored for the winter in their own juice only if they are fully ripe and can release this juice.
Cloudberry blanks for the winter
From a beautiful northern berry, you can cook a number of delicious preparations that will be stored for a long time. First of all, drying is applied. You can dry in the oven, as well as in the electric oven. The storage and harvesting of cloudberries is similar to the storage and harvesting of its relative, raspberries.
In addition to drying, you can cook jam, as well as jam or confiture. Gelatin is used to make jelly.
For lovers of vitamin drinks, there are numerous recipes for northern berry compotes of varying degrees of sweetness and taste.
How to transport cloudberries over a long distance
The royal product grows in the north of our country, and therefore it is often taken by train from other regions. In this case, the question arises about the safety of raw materials during transportation. If the distance is long, then it is recommended to collect an unripe berry: it will not let the juice out, it will retain its integrity, and it will also ripen on the road. This is especially true if the berry is being brought for sale.
How to bring cloudberries on the train
It can be too hot on the train, and therefore there are two ways to transport raw materials. You can use special cooler bags and put the berry there so that it freezes slightly and in this form it reaches the house. If there is no saving bag, just sprinkle the berry with sugar and cover tightly. To do this, you will need jars or a pan with a lid. In this form, cloudberries will release juice and calmly survive the road.
How to save cloudberries on the road
Before you go on a long journey, everything that you have collected is recommended to be carefully sorted out. You should not take crumpled and diseased berries with you, they can ruin the entire crop during the journey. Only a whole and strong berry can carry a long journey. It is recommended to transport raw materials in jars or in containers where the berry will be minimally wrinkled. Cloudberries that are packed too hard will release their juice quickly, so store fresh cloudberries best if they are slightly underripe.
Conclusion
There are many recipes for storing cloudberries, all of which are healthy and simple. The housewives themselves choose the best method for preserving vitamins and the taste of the northern beauty for the winter.