Honeysuckle: 6 recipes for freezing in the freezer for the winter

Preparing berries for freezing

Since honeysuckle is a very delicate berry that can hardly withstand transportation, you need to sort the berries immediately after picking or purchasing.

The age-old question that arises before placing berries in the freezer is to wash them or not to wash them? If you plan to preserve the harvest from your garden, then it is better not to injure the berries with water treatments. If the origin of the berries is unknown, then it is better to carefully rinse them in a large saucepan of water, and then transfer them to a colander with your hands.

Once the excess water has drained, place the honeysuckle on paper towels and let it dry thoroughly.

How to freeze honeysuckle

Whole berries (dry method)

For such freezing, varieties with thick skin are best suited. Such berries are less deformed and freezing is of better quality.

Place clean, dry berries on a tray lined with cling film and place in the freezer for 6 hours.

The main rules for freezing honeysuckle in bulk:

• Only whole, undamaged fruits are suitable for freezing;
• the berry must be absolutely dry;
• The layer of honeysuckle on the tray should not exceed 2 centimeters.

After pre-freezing, the berries are transferred to portioned bags and tightly packed.

Larisa Shkurpela in her video will talk about her preparations for the winter - Freezing berries for the winter. Berry mix

Honeysuckle with sugar

Overripe and slightly bruised berries are suitable for this preparation. They are laid out in containers in layers, sprinkling each with a small amount of sugar. After this, the containers are closed and shaken slightly, allowing the sugar to be distributed more evenly.

Berry pureed with sugar

Thin-skinned honeysuckle varieties are best frozen as a puree. To do this, beat the berries with sugar in a blender until smooth. The ratio of sugar and berries is 1:4.

You can freeze the puree in disposable plastic cups, small containers, or ice cube trays.

How to freeze honeysuckle juice

You can squeeze the juice from honeysuckle using a regular or electric juicer. To make the task easier, the berries can be pre-blanched in a small amount of water for 2-3 minutes. Before placing in the freezer, granulated sugar can be added to the juice to taste.

The workpiece is usually frozen in disposable plastic cups.The main condition is to leave at least 2 centimeters from the top edge of the container, since when liquids freeze, they expand and the juice can spill out. After the workpiece is completely frozen, the container is tightly packed on top with cling film and sent back to the freezer.

Freezing raw jam

An interesting way to freeze honeysuckle is with orange, in the form of raw jam.

To do this, mash the berries with a fork or grind them with a blender. Then add orange slices and grated orange zest. Sugar is added at a rate of 1:1 based on the volume of honeysuckle.

The workpiece is laid out in small containers for one use and sent to the freezer.

Honeysuckle with condensed milk

Clean berries are placed in containers and filled with condensed milk. For 1 kilogram of berries you will need 1 jar of condensed milk. This preparation is a great dessert!

Shelf life and defrosting rules

Frozen berries can be stored in the freezer for up to a year, provided there are no temperature changes.

In order not to confuse frozen honeysuckle with, for example, blueberries, the packaging must be labeled.

The berries should be defrosted for the first 10-12 hours in the main compartment of the refrigerator, and then at room temperature. Slow defrosting will help preserve all vitamins and nutrients as much as possible.

Watch the video from the channel “Elena Mak. It’s delicious at home” - Honeysuckle recipes. Part one. Honeysuckle cupcake

Watch the video from the channel “Elena Mak. It’s delicious at home” - Honeysuckle recipes. Part two, Smoothies