Is it possible to freeze gooseberries for the winter: benefits, 5 ways to freeze

When comparing the taste of gooseberries with other berries – strawberries, raspberries, cherries, he most likely loses. But in terms of the content of vitamins, he does not have so many competitors. For a long time, the most popular ways of harvesting berries for the winter were canning – jam, compotes, jams. Today, many are trying to freeze gooseberries for the winter in the freezer of the refrigerator to preserve all the valuable substances, beneficial properties and taste.

The method is simple, affordable, does not require a lot of time, additional budgetary investments. There are several options. You should know how and in what form you can freeze the berries so that the resulting preparations for the winter are tasty, healthy and in demand.

Is it possible to freeze gooseberries

Thanks to the functionality of modern freezers and refrigerators, it has become possible to freeze almost any vegetables, fruits, herbs, while obtaining high-quality products. With the same success, gooseberries can be frozen for the winter. The main advantage of such products is their high quality, the preservation of all properties after defrosting.

The main freezing methods are:

• in bulk;
• with sugar;
• in syrup;
• like puree;
• assorted with other ingredients.

When preparing berries, their freezing and further use, it is necessary to follow the basic rules of packaging, storage, maintaining the temperature regime.

Benefits of frozen gooseberries

When freezing gooseberries for the winter at home, most of the nutrients contained in it are preserved. The loss of vitamins from such processing does not exceed 10%, so thawed berries are a real storehouse of substances useful for the body. They include:

• vitamins B, PP, A, E;
• iodine;
• molybdenum;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• iron;
• zinc;
• fluorine;
• magnesium;
• alimentary fiber;
• organic acids.

Thanks to this chemical composition, gooseberries, even after freezing, have a lot of healing properties:

• stimulates metabolic processes in the body;
• helps to strengthen blood vessels and improve blood circulation;
• has a choleretic and diuretic effect;
• removes salts of heavy metals;
• strengthens the nervous system;
• increases immunity;
• prevents strokes and heart attacks;
• successfully fights anemia in pregnant women;
• eliminates constipation.

These properties are possessed by both ripe and unripe gooseberries that have been frozen – provided that the berries are properly stored.

How to freeze gooseberries for the winter in the refrigerator

To get a healthy product, you need to cook whole, ripe berries without signs of disease. Collection is carried out in dry, warm weather in the morning. Varieties with thick skin and sweet flesh are best suited. Thin-skinned – used for freezing in syrup or for mashed potatoes.

The berries are sorted out, removing leaves and twigs and cutting off the tails.

Gooseberries are washed under cold running water in a sieve or colander and spread on a towel to dry. If moisture remains, then after being placed in the refrigerator, the berry turns into a single ice lump.

When harvesting gooseberries for the winter, freezing is carried out at a temperature of -30 … -35 ⁰C. Further long-term storage is carried out at a temperature of -18 … -25 ° C in the freezer compartments of refrigerators or in chambers with a large volume and the ability to set lower temperatures.

whole frozen gooseberry recipe

Whole berries prepared for the winter are a good basis for preparing many dishes: yoghurts, compotes, fruit drinks, fillings for pies, buns, muffins. After defrosting, they do not lose their appearance, the taste remains high.

According to reviews, freezing gooseberries for the winter with whole berries is the easiest and fastest way. For this you need:

1. Prepare gooseberries, trays or baking sheets, parchment paper, and bags ahead of time.
2. Free up space in the freezer.
3. Line trays with paper.
4. Put the gooseberries in a single layer in the prepared container.
5. Place the trays in the freezer to freeze for at least 4 hours.
6. Take the trays out of the freezer, lift the parchment and pour the berries into the bags with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick to your hands.
7. Put notes in the packages about the contents, the timing of the freeze.
8. Place the bags in the freezer.

Product storage – at least three months.

Gooseberries frozen for the winter with sugar

This recipe for freezing gooseberries with sugar is often used by housewives. It is not labor intensive. For cooking you will need:

• bags or containers with lids;
• 2 kg of berries;
• Xnumx g of granulated sugar.

To make high-quality harvesting for the winter, you must:

1. Collect or buy firm whole berries, wash them and clean them of debris and ponytails.
2. Dry gooseberries completely.
3. Pour it into a large container and add the cooked sugar.
4. Mix the ingredients.
5. Fill containers or bags with berries, putting no more than 500 g in each (for one-time use).
6. Close tightly and place in the freezer.

Storage bags should be intact, containers should be clean, without foreign odors, lids should be tight. Glassware is not suitable for storage in the freezer, as it may break from the cold.

Freezing gooseberries for the winter in the form of mashed potatoes

An overripe gooseberry has a thin skin, so it can burst. Such berries are best used for mashed potatoes with subsequent freezing. For this purpose, the berries washed and peeled from the stalks are carefully crushed. Experts advise using ordinary wooden pushers, since gooseberries lose most of their vitamins from contact with the metal parts of a blender or meat grinder.

Sugar is added to the resulting puree for each kilogram of gooseberries – 400 g. If the berries are very sour, then its amount can be increased. The puree is thoroughly mixed, laid out in small portions in containers and cooled in the refrigerator. After cooling, the containers are tightly closed and put into the freezer.

In the recipe for freezing gooseberries for the winter in the form of mashed potatoes, you can not include sugar. In this case, the calorie content of the product will be significantly lower, and its useful properties will not be any less.

Recipe for freezing gooseberries in sugar syrup for the winter

The freezing option in sugar syrup, like the previous one, is suitable for overripe berries or soft-skinned varieties. Such freezing can be used not only for cooking, but also as a separate, ready-made dessert.

You need:

• gooseberries;
• sugar (0,5 kg);
• water (xnumx l).

To prepare the workpiece, you must perform a series of sequential steps:

1. Make a thick syrup of sugar and water.
2. Cool him down.
3. Arrange the prepared berries in containers.
4. Pour syrup over gooseberries.
5. Place containers in the freezer.
6. Do not cover with lids for two days.
7. To freeze.
8. Close lids tightly.

How to freeze gooseberries with other berries

For children, berry puree can become a real delicacy, in which the housewives include gooseberries, red and black currants, sea buckthorn, strawberries. Small and large, soft and hard fruits are suitable. After grinding them, add 5 tablespoons of sugar per 500 g of mass and mix. Whole gooseberries or chopped strawberries are placed in the finished puree. The mixture is infused for an hour, after which it is poured into silicone molds and placed in a freezer. As soon as the puree hardens, it is removed from the molds, placed in bags and stored in the freezer.

Freezing can be used after heating as a ready-made dessert for children or as a base for sauces for pancakes, cheesecakes.

What can be cooked from frozen gooseberries

Experienced housewives, leaving their reviews of frozen gooseberries, note that it is an excellent preparation for many dishes.

One of the easiest solutions is to make a smoothie, for which, in addition to gooseberries, you will need a banana – for density, nuts, seeds or bran – for a richer taste, as well as juice or milk.

A spicy seasoning for meat or fish is obtained from the preparation of gooseberries, dill, garlic.

Frozen berries serve as a filling with a bright taste for yeast, shortbread pies, muffins.

Most often, frozen berries are used to make jellies, compotes, jelly.

The easiest way is to defrost a healthy product and eat it in the form in which it was prepared for freezing.

Storage and defrosting rules

To maintain the proper quality of products, you should follow the rules for their storage and defrosting before use:

• freezing of berries should take place quickly, in small portions;
• the optimum temperature for storing food for 10 months is about -20 ⁰C;
• the function of the freezer “deep freeze” is turned on the day before use;
• frozen gooseberries should not be placed next to meat or fish products so that they do not have an unpleasant odor;
• it is not necessary to fill the boxes and chambers completely, since in the frozen state the volume of berries increases by at least 10% of the original;
• defrosting is carried out gradually, for which the container is transferred to the lower shelf of the refrigerator;
• after defrosting, the product must be consumed, re-freezing is unacceptable;
• compotes, jelly, can be cooked immediately after the container is taken out of the freezer.

Conclusion

Freezing gooseberries for the winter in the freezer is not difficult. As a result, a very useful product is obtained that will support immunity in winter, help to cope with many ailments, and become an excellent basis for dishes. At the same time, you should definitely remember about observing the rules for harvesting, storing and further using berries.