How to properly freeze plums for the winter in the freezer: all freezing methods
There are a huge number of ways to preserve plums for the winter - these include various types of preservation, drying the berries in a dehydrator, and, of course, freezing, which is increasingly gaining popularity. In this article you will learn about various options for freezing plums in the freezer for the winter.
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Preparing berries for freezing
Before freezing, you need to follow two mandatory procedures: wash the berries and dry them thoroughly.
The berries are washed under a tap or in a large basin, but usually they have virtually no contamination, so long soaking is not required.
Clean plums are wiped with towels until completely dry.
Methods for freezing plums for the winter
Frozen plum with pit
If you plan to use the berries to make compote, you can freeze them whole, right with the seeds.
Clean, dry plums are placed in plastic bags, sealed tightly and placed in the freezer. The main thing is not to forget to sign that this preparation is frozen with seeds.
How to freeze pitted plums
The core should be removed from a clean berry. This is done using a knife, cutting the berry in half.
You can freeze pitted plums in halves or quarters, or you can also freeze whole berries, if, when removing the pit, the cut is made only on one side.
To prevent the berries from sticking together into one lump when frozen, peeled and chopped fruits should be laid out on a cutting board or tray lined with cling film. In this form, the plum goes into the freezer for at least 4 hours.
After the specified time, the frozen berries can be poured into bags for freezing. This method allows you to get frozen food, which is convenient for baking.
If you plan to freeze berries in portions, and the friability of the finished product does not matter to you, then you will be interested in watching the video from Lubov Kriuk - My method of freezing berries and fruits.
Plum sprinkled with sugar
The berries are prepared for freezing in the same way as in the previous recipe: the seeds are removed and cut in your favorite way.
Then sugar is poured into the container with the fruits and everything is thoroughly mixed. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the original product, but experienced housewives advise using a ratio of 1:5.
The workpiece is laid out in containers and stored in a freezer.
You can sprinkle the plums with sugar immediately in a freezer bag. For more information about this method, watch the video from the “Blooming Garden!” channel. - Plums. Freezing for the winter.
How to freeze plums in syrup
This method is the most time-consuming, but the end result is a very tasty product.
You can pour syrup over plums cut into halves or quarters. You can peel it first, but this is not at all necessary.It is also possible to freeze whole plums in this form, but they must be pierced in several places with a wooden skewer.
To remove the skin, make a cross-shaped cut at the base of the stalk and lower the plum into boiling water for 30 seconds. After this manipulation, the skin can be easily removed. Then the pit should be removed.
To prepare the syrup you will need 500 grams of granulated sugar for every liter of water. Boil water with sugar until it is completely dissolved. Let cool.
Place the plums in containers and fill with syrup. It is recommended to cool the syrup in the refrigerator to a temperature of +6…+10ºС before doing this.
Vacuum drain
Another interesting way to freeze plums for the winter is in a vacuum. True, it is not so widespread, since it involves the use of a special unit - a vacuumizer and a certain type of bag.
How to defrost plums
The frozen compote is placed in boiling water without defrosting. Frozen berries are also used in the baking filling.
When defrosting the drain, under no circumstances should you resort to an assistant such as a microwave oven. It is better to do this gradually, first in the main compartment of the refrigerator, and then at room temperature.