June gives us the most fragrant and juicy strawberries. Against this background, many are wondering: how to extend this pleasure until winter without turning the berry into a tasteless mass?
Long cooking kills both texture and benefits. Master modern preparation methods that will preserve maximum taste and vitamins without unnecessary hassle, advises “URA.RU” (18+).
Blast freezing
This is the rapid freezing of food at a very low temperature, which prevents the formation of large ice crystals and preserves the cellular structure of the berry.
With this method, up to 90% of vitamin C remains in strawberries. Proceed as follows:
- sort the berries and remove the stems;
- wash strawberries only before freezing and be sure to dry them on a paper towel;
- Arrange the dry berries in a single layer on a tray so that they do not touch each other, and put them in the freezer for 3 hours.
Place the hard berries in a tight ziplock bag, removing any air. In winter, you can sleep exactly as much as you need.
Raw jam
There is no heat treatment, so the berry remains as beneficial as possible for the immune system.
Take strawberries and sugar in a ratio of 1:1 (for storage in the refrigerator) or 1:1.5 (for storage in the freezer). Grind the berries with a blender or masher, mix with sugar.
Leave for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place into sterile jars. The taste of this jam is as close as possible to fresh berries.
Drying
The best way to get a healthy snack is if you have a dehydrator or convection oven.
Cut the strawberries into thin slices (3-5 mm). Dry at 50-60°C for about 6-8 hours. The berries will shrink and become chip-like, but will retain their flavor and fiber.
Where to use dried strawberries:
- teas;
- bakery;
- morning oatmeal;
- salads;
- dish decor;
- replacement of sweets for children.
Conclusion
Choose a method that suits your goals: freezing for freshness, raw jam for immunity, drying for aromatic tea without sugar. Properly prepared strawberries will extend your summer throughout the winter.
Personal experience
Last June I froze three kilograms of washed strawberries – it turned out to be an icy monolith. She beat it off with a hatchet and scolded herself. Now I dry only on trays one layer at a time and always dry the berries before freezing. And I keep raw jam with honey instead of sugar in small jars – I open it when I want summer.
