Stocking up on cranberries for future use means having a natural source of vitamins on hand all year round. To preserve all the benefits of this unique berry, it is worth figuring out how to store cranberries in the refrigerator. If stored improperly, vitamins are destroyed and the berry becomes useless.
Knowing how to properly store cranberries will preserve their beneficial properties.
Cranberries are harvested in early autumn or after the first frost. In the first case, the berries will be slightly unripe. If you plan to harvest for a long time, it is better to choose just such. Overripe cranberries lose their taste after defrosting.
Berries for storage are selected strong, not wrinkled. Here’s what you can do with them:
- Soaked cranberries. Prepare suitable dishes: jars, plastic containers, you can even use plastic bottles. You need to boil the water, wait until it cools down, and pour the berries. For a richer taste, the water can be sweetened – add sugar to it at the rate of 1 tablespoon per kilogram of fruit. Soaked cranberries are the best option for making fruit drinks.
- Frozen cranberries. How to store cranberries in the refrigerator couldn’t be easier. It is packed in plastic bags. The bags should be tied tightly and folded neatly into the freezer compartment. On sale there are special plastic bags designed specifically for freezing food.
- Cranberries, grated with sugar. Sweet lovers will love this recipe. The washed berries are covered with sugar to taste and chopped with a blender. The mixture is laid out in jars and covered with lids. Cranberries in this form are well stored in the refrigerator or in the cellar.
- Dried cranberries. This storage method is inferior to the previous ones, since a significant part of the taste and aroma is lost. Still, dried cranberries can be used as a filling for baked goods. Berries can be dried naturally by spreading them out on a horizontal surface, in the oven or in an electric dryer. An additional plus of drying: the berries take up very little space.
- Cranberry jam. Grind a kilogram of cranberries with a blender, pour in a glass of orange juice, mix. Add 3 kilograms of sugar to the mixture and cook over low heat for 50-60 minutes. After cooling down, put in sterilized jars and close them with lids.
How to keep fresh cranberries? It can be stored for a long time and without any additional manipulation. The main thing is to select strong, unripe berries and place them in a cold place.
Cranberries are extremely useful, choosing the way to store them, you need to give preference to the one that retains the maximum of vitamins.