In the summer, be sure to prepare the most fragrant berry - cherries - for the winter if you have a spacious freezer. I will show you several ways to freeze it, from which on cool days you can make compote or jam, create aromatic pies or desserts, cakes, and make dumplings with cherries. During the ripening season, this berry is cheap, and for many it grows in the garden, so you definitely need to take some free time and freeze the cherries for the winter, so as not to buy them from resellers at exorbitant prices!
In our region, the most popular and juiciest cherry variety is Shpanka, many call it Cherry Noodle because of the mixing of cherry aroma and the juiciness of cherries.
So, pick, purchase fresh berries and let's start freezing cherries for the winter!
Peel the cherries from the cuttings, pour them into a deep basin or bowl, cover with cold water and leave for 1-2 hours. This is done so that their inhabitants, if any, come out of the berries.
Then drain the water and rinse the berries several times. Divide the entire mass into 3 parts. Leave one as it is, remove the seeds from the other two by hand or with a special machine or pin.
Place half of the purified mass into the bowl of a blender or food processor.
Puree for 2 minutes.
Place the cherries with pits in a separate bag - you will need them in winter for creating aromatic compotes. Pitted cherries - also in a separate bag. The blank can be used to create pies, dumplings, buns, added to desserts, cakes, etc. Pour the cherry puree into a container for freezing or into plastic containers - it can be added to porridges, casseroles, made into fruit drinks, teas, etc. Tie or seal bags or containers carefully. Place them in the freezer. Freezing cherries for the winter is complete.
I want to show you how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator. This is the easiest way, but at the same time your berries will remain beautiful, will not lose juice and will not stick together when frozen.
Below I tell you in detail how to properly freeze cherries for the winter, so that later you can add them to various compotes, pies, pies, dumplings and much more. After all, in winter we have access to a rather small assortment of different fruits, so pre-made preparations will definitely come in handy.
Freezing cherries at home is mandatory for me every year, as I really love these berries and use them in many ways. And the most delicious sponge cakes are made with them. So, I advise you to take my advice and freeze the cherries for the winter. I also advise you to look at it, which is called five minutes and cook quickly and easily. It is quite economical to prepare and any housewife can handle this process.
Necessary:
- Cherries - any quantity
- Freezer bags or plastic food containers
How to freeze cherries for the winter with pits
First of all, I’ll tell you how to choose berries and whether you need to wash cherries before freezing. I always choose berries that have tails. They are always denser and the juice remains inside. Then I transfer them to a colander and rinse them well under running water.
After that, I tear off the tails and place the berries on paper towels to dry. Tear off the tails carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the berries. There is no need to remove the bones. Also at this time I remove those that I don’t like in appearance, if they have any damage or are not dense enough.
When they are already dry on all sides, I transfer them to a food-grade plastic container or freezer bags. Then I put them in the freezer until completely frozen. As you can see, freezing cherries for the winter at home is a simple and short process.
Now you know how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator so that they retain all the juice and freeze as individual berries. I will use them in various baked goods in the future. I advise you to freeze more of it.
Cherry is one of the favorite treats, not only among children, but also among adults. It is eaten both fresh and as preparations. You can enjoy juicy fruits not only in summer, but also in cold winter. Housewives use them to prepare various dishes and drinks. The composition of vitamins and microelements is not inferior to fresh berries. We will look at all the methods in detail on how to freeze cherries for the winter in the refrigerator.
Rules for freezing cherries for the winter
The most popular berry, which is often frozen for the winter, is cherries. Frozen fruits are no different from fresh fruits. Based on individual preferences, cherries can be frozen either without pits or with them.
Important! If you freeze cherries with a pit, they will be juicier and tastier.
In order for freezing to be successful, you should follow a number of recommendations:
- The period between harvesting and freezing should be as short as possible. This way, more vitamins and microelements are preserved.
- It is better to use ripe berries, first rinse them in cool water.
- It is advisable to freeze cherries in small portions (about 500 grams), spread them over the surface in a thin layer. So that each berry retains its appearance.
To remove the pit or not
Many housewives, before putting cherries in the freezer, decide to remove or leave the pits. For cooking compotes, jelly or jelly, you can leave the bone. In case of preparing other dishes, it is still better to remove it. It can be immediately used in preparing frozen dumplings and pies.
Wash the cherries well and sort them; only whole, undamaged berries can be used for freezing. Place on a clean surface and dry. Place them in a bag or plastic container. Close the containers tightly and place in the freezer. Storing in the refrigerator is great because you can take out the berries at any time and make a delicious drink.
Interesting! You can freeze any berries this way. Wash, put in a container or bag, and put in the freezer. All useful substances are completely preserved.
Freeze pitted
This method of harvesting cherries for the winter is more practical. To prepare dishes, you do not need to defrost them; you can immediately add baked goods or dumplings. Wash the fruits thoroughly and dry. Use a pin to remove the seeds. Frozen pitted cherries are stored in the freezer. The berries are first placed in bags or plastic containers.
It is better to freeze fruits with sugar (3 tablespoons per liter), but you can do it without it, but they will not be so sweet.
Advice! It is advisable to wear disposable gloves on your hands. Since the juice comes into contact with the skin of the hands, it can cause allergic reactions.
In addition to the classic one, there are the following freezing recipes:
- in sugar syrup;
- in its own juice;
- in raspberry puree;
- for cocktails.
Freezing in sugar syrup
In order to enjoy delicious berries, you need to prepare sugar syrup.
You will need:
- 0.5 kilograms of sugar;
- 1 liter of water.
Cooking process:
- Pour water into an enamel bowl and place on the stove.
- After the water boils, add sugar.
- Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove the syrup from the stove and wait until it cools.
- Wash the cherries thoroughly, remove the stem and leaves, and remove the pits.
- Place the fruits in a container, pour chilled syrup on top, and leave for 120 minutes. During this period, the cherries will release juice and become saturated with sweet syrup.
- Pour syrup over the berries in the container, leave two and three centimeters on top, close tightly with a lid, and put in the refrigerator.
In its own juice
In order to freeze cherries in their own juice, you will need one kilogram of berries. Wash and sort the fruits well. You need to remove the seeds from the cherries; you can use a pin or a sharp needle. From a third of all the berries, you need to make a puree. The easiest way to do this is in a blender. Add sugar to cherries and stir until completely dissolved. Place the remaining berries in containers, fill with cherry puree, close the lid tightly and place in the freezer.
Interesting! The calorie content of frozen cherries is 45 calories per 100 grams.
In raspberry puree
This method is an excellent solution; in the future, use them for making jelly and jellies. Wash cherries and raspberries in running water. Dry and remove all seeds. Raspberries must be pureed. To do this, place it in a blender and add sugar (0.5 kg of raspberries equals 1 kg of sugar). Place the cherries in a container and pour over the raspberry puree. Place the tightly closed container in the refrigerator.
Freezing cherries for cocktails
Lately, most people like to decorate drinks with exotic fruits and berries. Cherry is an excellent solution; you can not only serve the drink beautifully, but also surprise your guests.
In order to cook cherries in ice you need:
- cherry;
- water;
- mint;
- ice tray.
Cooking steps:
- Wash the cherries and mint well.
- Place a mint leaf on the bottom of the mold.
- Place the cherry on top, do not remove the tail, this way the berry will look aesthetically beautiful.
- Pour in cooled, boiled water.
- Place in the freezer for ten hours.
- Remove the ice cubes from the mold, place them in bags, and store them in the freezer.
Defrosting berries correctly
Frozen cherries are an excellent option for providing the body with a healthy treat, regardless of the time of year. How to defrost correctly so as not to damage the structure of the berries.
Unfrozen fruits are added to porridge and compotes and jellies are made. When making pies, unthawed berries may leak. If you defrost them, they will lose their juice. The way out of the situation is to add two large spoons of starch to the frozen fruits.
Defrosting rules:
- place the container with berries (lid tightly closed) in a bowl of cold water and leave for ten minutes;
- Place the cherries in a single layer on a paper towel and pat dry.
- If the berries were stored in bags, they need to be defrosted under running cold water.
- Place the cherries in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator and leave for seven hours.
You can speed up the defrosting process by using a microwave. Pour the berries into a glass container and turn on the “Quick defrost” mode. It is necessary to check the fruits every minute whether they have thawed or not.
Shelf life
How long can frozen cherries be stored? The optimal storage temperature, berries in the freezer, is from 18 to 24 degrees below zero. It is advisable to consume frozen cherries with pits within eight months. Seedless berries - throughout the year. If the storage temperature is from 0 to -8 degrees, it should be consumed within three months.
It is important to know! Re-freezing fruits is strictly prohibited. The berries turn into an unattractive puree, all vitamins and chemical elements are lost.
Cherries frozen at home, if all recommendations are followed, will retain all the important substances. It is suitable for preparing any dishes; cherry ice cubes will decorate glasses of a heady cocktail. There are quite a lot of freezing methods, it’s worth trying them all to choose the best one.
To use them in winter as an additional source of vitamins. It is rightfully considered to be the most suitable for long-term storage; it contains a large amount of vitamins, it perfectly retains its taste and beneficial properties even after long-term storage in the freezer. Let's try to figure out how to freeze it correctly, how much to store and how best to use it.
Are the beneficial properties retained?
In recent years, freezing berries has confidently replaced traditional canning in the form of compotes or compotes from the winter front. This method is popular because it not only takes less time, but also allows you to preserve maximum nutrients in frozen foods. Many people are interested in how much specific nutrients are preserved when frozen.
For comparison, if stored at room temperature, then per day it will lose up to 10% of the ascorbic acid it contains, and if frozen, this will happen only six months after storage. Thus, freezing berries will preserve about 100% of vitamins in the first six months of storage and up to 90% in subsequent months.
Rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains fructose, glucose, vitamins C, E, B, various organic acids, in particular folic acid, which is useful for expectant mothers.
Eating it brings undeniable benefits to the body. It is useful for the hematopoietic system due to the pectin it contains, ascorbic acid strengthens the walls of blood vessels, cleanses them of cholesterol plaques. It has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and is very useful for hypertensive patients due to its ability to lower blood pressure.
Did you know? In terms of properties and action, 20 cherries are equivalent to 1 aspirin tablet.
Frozen cherries are considered a dietary, low-calorie product. Only 46 calories per 100 grams of frozen product, and how many benefits! Thanks to its high carbohydrate content, it is an excellent snack option and will provide an energy boost. 
Of course, like any product, cherries are not good for everyone. It can harm people suffering from gastritis or stomach ulcers due to its acidic juice. It is also not recommended for allergy sufferers, since the substances it contains that give the fruit its red color can cause food allergies.
Important! Cherry pits should not be eaten, as the substances they contain are poisonous and can cause severe poisoning!
Nevertheless, the benefits of frozen cherries clearly outweigh the harm, and their qualities make them ideal for homemade preparations. Freezing is the best option for storing it, while the beneficial substances, appearance and taste are preserved.
Preparing cherries
In order for cherries to please you with an excellent taste in winter and look beautiful when preparing dishes, it is necessary to carefully prepare them for freezing. Let's look at how to do this correctly.
First of all, you need to decide what the berries will be stored in. You can choose different options - regular plastic bags, special freezer bags, plastic containers. Special bags are used more often; they take up less space than containers and are more convenient than simple bags, since the berries are stored in one layer.
The berries must be carefully sorted, discarded if they are damaged or too soft, and remove the stems and leaves. After this, the cherries are washed several times, first by hand, soaking them in a container of water, then under running water, placing them in a colander. The washed berries are laid out on paper towels to dry.
Freezing methods
Today, there are many freezing recipes that will preserve the maximum benefits of berries, let's take a look at them. 
With bones
In order for cherries to retain the maximum amount of vitamins, it is best to freeze them with pits; let’s look at how to do this correctly. This is perhaps the easiest and fastest way. In addition, it has an undeniable advantage. Berries frozen for the winter in this way retain a large amount of juice, and along with it, useful substances.
Important! Cherries with pits can be stored for no more than a year, because with longer storage, hydrocyanic acid, which is harmful to health, begins to be released from the pits.
Proper freezing of cherries with pits:
- We prepare the berries, sort them, wash them thoroughly under running water, and place them on a towel to dry.
- As soon as the berries are completely dry, place them in one layer in any container or simply on the bottom of the freezer and freeze for about 5 hours. This is the pre-freezing stage, it will allow you to preserve the juice and usefulness of the berries as much as possible and prevent them from being damaged during storage.
- After 5 hours, place the frozen cherries in pre-prepared bags or containers, close tightly and put them in the freezer. The less air there is in the container, the better the product will be preserved.
Important! It’s better not to freeze many bags at once; if the freezer can’t handle it, the berries won’t keep well.
Seedless
Freezing pitted cherries is ideal if you plan to use them for making compotes, pies, and dumplings.
The process differs little from the usual freezing of whole berries.
- Dry the washed berries, then squeeze out the seeds using a special device or a regular safety pin.
- Let the excess juice drain, for which we leave the berries in a colander for a while.
- Carefully arrange the berries in one layer and leave them in the freezer to pre-freeze.
- We put the pre-frozen cherries into prepared containers or bags and put them in the freezer for storage.
In sugar syrup
One of the original freezing recipes that will definitely appeal to those with a sweet tooth is cherries frozen in sugar syrup.
- First you need to boil the sugar syrup. To do this, pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan and gradually add 1.5 kg of sugar, stirring, bring the syrup over low heat until it thickens and leave to cool.
- Place the prepared berries in containers for freezing, filling them halfway, then fill them with cooled sugar syrup and leave for a couple of hours at room temperature.
- We close the containers with reliable lids and put them in the freezer.
Grinded with sugar
Another unusual way to prepare is to freeze berries ground with sugar. This delicacy is also called raw jam, but, unlike classic jam, it does not require the addition of preservatives and retains maximum nutrients.
- Peel the prepared berries, pass through a meat grinder, mix with sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
- Pour the resulting mixture into containers, cover and store in the freezer.
Did you know? Experienced housewives advise pouring the cherry-sugar mixture into small plastic bottles; it is very convenient to squeeze out the required amount of jam from them without using a spoon.
How long does it last?
Frozen fruits are usually stored from season to season, that is, 1 year. This rule also applies to storing frozen cherries. If you freeze it correctly, then even after a year the berries will still remain edible, but the level of vitamins in them will significantly decrease, and they will simply cease to be beneficial.
It would seem that it could be simpler than freezing berries. I put it in the storage chamber and that’s it.
But no, in order for the frozen cherries to turn out whole and neat, you must follow the following recommendations:
- Freshly picked fruits must be frozen; the longer they are stored, the less useful they are;
- Do not use damaged or overripe berries;
- Do not freeze wet berries, they will stick together and lose their “marketable” appearance;
- freezing should be carried out in portions;
- For storage, you need to use separate containers so that when selecting the required amount you do not damage the cherries located nearby.
How to freeze pitted cherries for the winter at home
fresh cherries
Having collected fresh fruits, they must be sorted to remove damaged or rotten ones, as well as to clean them from leaves and stalks. Rinse under running water and leave in a colander to drain excess water.
Place the berries on a paper towel or kitchen cloth to finally get rid of unnecessary moisture.
Special plastic containers are best suited for freezing cherries in the refrigerator. If you don't have enough space in the freezer, you can use regular bags to store ice cubes. You need to divide the berries into portions (depending on how much you need to make compote, jelly, dumplings, etc.) and put them in the freezer.
Now you can please your family in winter and surprise your guests with aromatic and truly summer cherry dishes.
We hope you find the tips useful.
Benefits of cherries
Why freeze cherries when you can buy them at the supermarket? Of course, for those who do not have storage conditions, this is the only option, not counting, of course, conservation. But if you are lucky and have a freezer at home, or the refrigerator has enough space for freezing, it is better to prepare the berries yourself. It is not known under what conditions the sold cherries were grown, how they were processed, how they were stored, transported, etc. We won’t say anything about the price at all. In winter, frozen cherries are worth their weight in gold, and you will have such a treasure in your refrigerator.
What a delicious compote it makes, and if you add berries to the filling for dumplings or pies, the smell of summer will immediately settle in the house.
You can freeze cherries either with or without the pit, which is what we did. In most cases, modern housewives prefer the second option. It’s good to take out the seeds if you have a special harvester, but there’s always not enough time to do it manually.
The most valuable substance in cherries is coumarin, which affects blood clotting, but magnesium, zinc, iron, etc. are no less valuable. Cherries have the ability to reduce temperature and effectively fight viruses, so by brewing tea in winter using frozen berries, you can give a worthy rebuff to the flu and colds.
