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Everyone knows that in the summer you need to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. In winter, they are not always available, so the best option is to use freezing. Melon attracts housewives with low calorie content and pleasant taste. It is added to cereals and used as an ingredient in desserts. If you freeze the melon for the winter in pieces, you can use it in cooking all year round.
Is it possible to freeze melon
Melon is a large fruit belonging to the gourd family. It is oval in shape and yellowish in color. On top there is a dense skin, inside – pulp with seeds. The product is a source of many useful substances for the human body. It is used in food to strengthen the immune system and restore the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Melon does not lose its beneficial properties under the influence of sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, freezing is a great way to extend its shelf life. If you violate the rules of freezing, the structure of the fetus will change. Therefore, it is important to follow a certain algorithm of actions.
Frozen fruit is often used in the preparation of pastries, desserts, fruit salads and cold drinks. It goes well with pear, banana and mint. But most often the product is consumed in its pure form, without additives. Frozen food may taste different from fresh food. But, if the freezing was carried out in accordance with the rules, the difference in taste will be minimal.
What melon can be frozen
Before freezing for the winter, special attention should be paid to the choice of melons. If you give preference to watery fruits, after defrosting they will get a porridge-like consistency. It is advisable to take for freezing a dense fruit that has not undergone deformation. The most suitable varieties of product for freezing are:
- Collective farmer;
- Persian;
- Krymka;
- Cantaloupe.
It is advisable not to choose overripe or unripe fruits for freezing. The melon should be quite soft, but not too watery. There should be no dents or significant damage on the skin. Ripe are considered specimens with a dried tail. If you knock on them, the sound should be deaf. At the same time, even as a whole, a ripe fruit will exude a characteristic aroma.
Preparing melons for freezing
Before freezing a melon in slices for the winter, it should be prepared:
- Initially, the peel of the berry is thoroughly cleaned under running water, after which it is dried with a clean towel.
- The next step is to cut the fruit into two parts.
- Seeds and coarse fibers are removed with a spoon.
- The pulp is separated from the peel with a sharp knife.
- The product is cut into small pieces and placed in a deep container.
They can be frozen in plastic containers or grippers – special bags with a zip-lock.
How to freeze melon for the winter
There are several ways to freeze melons for the winter. Each of them allows you to get a tasty and healthy treat. The difference lies only in the appearance of the finished product. The most common methods of freezing for the winter include:
- fresh pieces;
- in sugar syrup;
- in powdered sugar;
- in the form of puree;
- as a sorbet.
Most often, housewives use the classic method. It is the simplest to implement. No less popular is freezing melons under a fur coat. As an improvised fur coat, sugar syrup, powdered or plain sugar is used. In this case, it is important that the fruit does not give juice before it is put into the freezer.
How to freeze a melon for the winter with fresh slices
For freezing for the winter, according to the classic recipe, melon pieces are laid out on a pre-washed wooden plank. A plastic film is preliminarily spread on it. It is important to ensure that the pieces do not touch each other. Otherwise, they will turn into a single mass. In this form, the board is removed in the freezer. It is advisable to cover it with a newspaper on top so that the product does not absorb foreign odors.
After 24 hours, the frozen pieces are taken out of the freezer and put into storage containers or bags.
How to freeze a melon in a freezer in sugar syrup
To choose a recipe for melon frozen for the winter, you need to understand what it will be used for. If you plan to eat it in its pure form or use it for making desserts, then you can freeze the product in sugar syrup. The procurement process is as follows:
- To prepare the syrup, water and sugar are mixed in equal proportions.
- The next step is to put the ingredients on fire and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- The fruit cut into pieces is poured with the resulting cooled syrup.
- In this form, the product is placed in portioned containers.
If you freeze melon slices in an ice cube container, you can later use it to add to refreshing cocktails. Another suitable option is to add melon when preparing homemade compote.
Melon frozen in powdered sugar
An equally interesting recipe is considered a frozen fruit in powdered sugar. The pieces are laid out on a flat surface of the board, and then each piece is generously sprinkled with powder. Immediately after this, the product is removed in the freezer. If this action is not done in time, the powdered sugar will be absorbed, which will make the fruit less aesthetically pleasing.
Freezing melon for the winter in the form of sorbet
Sorbet is a ready-made frozen dessert based on fruits and berries. Often it is prepared on the basis of melon with the addition of various fillers. Alcoholic varieties of dessert are very popular. For 6 servings of dessert, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 Art. water;
- juice of any citrus to taste;
- 4 tbsp. cubes of melon pulp;
- 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cooking process:
- Sugar is mixed with water and put on the stove. Bring the syrup to a boil over low heat.
- After cooling completely, the syrup is mixed with melon cubes and citrus juice. The components are ground in a blender to a state of porridge.
- The resulting mass is distributed over the molds, leaving 2 cm to the brim.
- In order to get the sorbet faster after freezing, ice cream sticks are inserted into the molds.
The mint sorbet recipe is very popular. It can be done not only for the winter, but also for the summer. For cooking, you need the following components:
- 1 tbsp. l. lime juice;
- 1 melon;
- 60 ml of water;
- 4 mint leaves;
- 85 g of honey.
Recipe:
- The melon is cleaned of seeds and cut into portioned pieces.
- Spread out on parchment or plastic wrap, pieces of melon are removed in the freezer for 5 hours.
- All components, together with the melon, are placed in a blender. Since the volume of ingredients is large, the blender will need to be loaded in 3 passes.
- After grinding, the mass is laid out in a deep plastic container with a lid and put in the refrigerator.
- In a day, the product will be completely ready for use.
Melon puree
For young children, eating frozen melon is not always convenient. Fruit puree in this regard is the most suitable option. Before harvesting mashed potatoes for the winter, the melon is thoroughly washed and peeled. The desired consistency is achieved with a blender. It is important that there are no lumps. For ease of use in food, mashed potatoes are recommended to be distributed in portioned containers. It should be frozen in bowls or disposable cups. After a day of freezing, you can get the hardened puree and put it in a bag. This will avoid joining in one mass and save space in the freezer.
Terms of storage
The shelf life of the product directly depends on the temperature used. If it is -5 ° C, then you can store the finished product for no longer than 3 weeks. Freezing at -15°C extends shelf life up to 2 months. At a temperature of -20 ° C, melon can be stored for a whole year. But it is advisable to eat blanks in the first winter.
Is it possible to freeze a melon for the winter: reviews
Conclusion
You can freeze melon slices for the winter in any way. Useful properties from freezing will not decrease. But it will be possible to add zest to the usual desserts. To avoid changing the structure of the fibers, it is necessary to observe all the nuances of freezing.
