How to defrost strawberries correctly?
Everyone loves strawberries - both adults and children. Despite the fact that this berry is seasonal, with the help of the freezer, you can provide your family with vitamins until next summer. If you approach the preparation process correctly strawberry to freeze, as well as to defrost it correctly, it is quite possible to preserve all the useful vitamins. Thawed berries taste no different from freshly picked ones, they can be used for filling or decorating in pies, making cocktails or just eating.
Ways to freeze strawberries for the winter
Depending on which berries are available, and what they will be used for, there are such methods for freezing strawberries:
- Dry freezing of halves or whole berries. Rinse ripe hard strawberries and drain off excess water. The stalks can be torn off or left as desired. Arrange dry berries in one layer on a tray and place in the freezer for at least two hours. When freezing strawberry halves, lay them with the cut side up. When the berries are completely hardened, transfer to plastic bags or containers with a lid.
- Freezing strawberries with sugar... Put clean dried berries in a tray, without reporting to the brim. Top with sugar - about 200 g per 1 kg of strawberries, and close with a tight lid.
- Freezing strawberries in ice... The method works well for small berries. Place whole strawberries (or cut into halves) in an ice-making tray. Pour cooled boiled water into each compartment so that it covers the berry. Leave for 5 hours, and then transfer to a common bag or wrap each cube with strawberries in food foil.
- Freezing strawberry puree... For mashed potatoes, too large or crumpled berries are used, which are chopped in a blender, adding sugar (0.5 kg - 200 g). Cover the molds with foil and lay out the puree. After four hours, when it hardens well, remove from the mold, remove the film and put it in a bag or tray with a lid.
Keep in mind that strawberries can only be frozen once. After the berries have melted, no re-freezing is required.
The surest way to defrost strawberries
In order for frozen berries to retain all the nutrients and appearance, it is important to know how to properly defrost strawberries. To do this, a bag or tray of berries should be transferred from the freezer to the refrigerator on the top shelf and left overnight. Alternatively, simply pour the strawberries into a bowl and leave them on the table for a couple of hours.
Some people put the berries in the microwave or hot water to speed up the process. It is not recommended to do this, because all vitamins will disappear under the influence of high temperatures.
Frozen strawberry cubes are used in their original form, adding them to cocktails.