5 ways to freeze apples at home

In the beautiful autumn season it's time to take care of what to please your family on winter evenings: fragrant tea with jam or fragrant cake with slices of apples.

And more and more housewives in this matter prefer to freeze berries and fruits, because they will contain much more vitamins and beneficial microelements than in thermally processed fruits, that is, in the same jam or canned compote.

Advantages of freezing apples at home

The freezing of berries in the home is already not a curiosity, but apples are not completely frozen for the winter. And in vain, because this method of storage has significant advantages:

• Frozen fruits will preserve vitamins and trace elements, and when cooking many useful substances are lost;
• Having made the workpiece, you will always be sure that the fruit has not been subjected to any chemical treatment, which can not be said about the same apples from shop, which are suspiciously "fresh" look even when on branches of trees the new crop already sips, and they still lie on the shelves shops;
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• You will greatly facilitate and speed up the subsequent process of cooking your favorite dishes, as the fruits will be prepared (washed, cleaned and cut).

Freezing rules

To successfully freeze fruits for the winter, you need to observe a few simple rules:

• fromIt is necessary to choose fresh, ripe, dense and not deformed fruits;
• before freezing, apples must be washed and dried, as the unbaked slices will cling together during freezing, and instead of neat and beautiful slices you will get one incomprehensible lump;
• frozenFruit should be folded into a sealed container or cellophane bagas denser (the denser they are laid, the less moisture will be lost and, accordingly, better retain their properties).

Before freezing at home, apples must be rinsed, the stem and stem removed, clean (this is not necessary, you can clean later and frozen slices) and cut into slices.The shape and size of pieces (slices, circles or cubes) can be chosen at your discretion.

So, small cubes will take less space in the freezer and will allow to make more stocks. And cut apples or slices of apples will have a more aesthetic appearance and will perfectly suit not only as a filling, but also for decorating pies and rolls.

An important role in the storage of such winter blanks is played by the temperature that the freezer supports. The most suitable for freezing is -18ºС. In this case, frozen fruit will be stored for up to 1 year. At a temperature from 0 ºС to -8 ºС, it only decreases the storage of apples for up to three months.

So that summer preparations can last longer to please you, stick to simple rules:

• Do not store frozen food for too long;
• sign the date of freezing and the variety that was used;
• Store the fruit separately from vegetables.

Freezing wedges

• Prepared apples thoroughly dry on a towel;
• then carefully place the lobules on a baking tray, a cutting board or a tray covered with cellophane tape, so that the slices do not come in contact with each other.The use of cellophane in principle is not necessary, but it helps significantly to collect frozen lobules (if you decide to do without it, make sure that the surface on which you will spread the fruit completely dry);
• Place the decomposed slices in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours;
• Collect the frozen slices in bags or containers and send them to the freezer for storage.

This way of freezing allows you to store fruit 9 - 12 months.

Apple in syrup

• Prepare sugar syrup, taking 2 parts of sugar 3 parts of water;
• pour the prepared apples with syrup, while it must completely cover the slices (you can lightly press them down with a lid or a plate);
• after 3 - 5 minutes, take out the slices and, with a thin layer in a bag, send it to the freezer.

Such fruits are stored up to 12 months.

Frozen in sugar

• Prepare apples and sugar by taking 2/3 cups of sugar for every 3 cups of fruit;
• fold the sliced ​​and moistened in acidified water in a saucepan, pouring sugar;
• gently mix the fruit with sugar;
• spread the resulting mixture over packages or food containers and send it to the freezer.

These fruits are stored up to 12 months.

Frozen apple puree

• wash the washed apples from the peel, the stem and the core, cut into small pieces;
• fold them into an aluminum or enameled pan and put on a small fire (sugar in this case is not needed);
• Fry the fruit until the mashed potatoes are thick enough;
• pour the resulting mashed potatoes into containers, and, tightly closing the lid, put in the freezer.

Use the resulting puree need up to 9 - 12 months.

Apples frozen whole

• Rinse the well washed fruits thoroughly with a towel;
• Do not cut apples. If you want to use purified fruits, then put them in acidified water and dry;
• gently fold the fruit into a container, bag or wrap with a food film;
• place in the freezer for storage and freezing.

Keep such a blank should be no more than 6 months.

So, you decided on how to freeze apples. And if you are not going to freeze them whole or prepare mashed potatoes, you need to take care that they keep their snow-white appearance and do not darken. For this it is important to follow several rules:

• Prepare the fruit in small batches: do not immediately clean many fruits, so they do not have time to darken, until you cut into slices;
• Sliced ​​slices immediately immerse in acidified water (for 1 liter of water requires 5 grams of citric acid);
• instead of acidified, salted water (30 g of salt is used for 4 liters of water), which also helps to avoid oxidation and will perfectly preserve the fruit.

What then to cook from such apples?

Of frozen apples, you can prepare a fairly large number of different dishes:

• If you freeze whole fruit, then they are good for baking as a whole, and halves (for piquancy add to them and stuffing from nuts, honey, cottage cheese or just sprinkle on top sugar);
• apples in sugar - an excellent basis for sweet dessert, smoothie or cocktail;
• apple puree is used for filling pies, buns, as a first fruit complementary to a baby or in the preparation of various sauces. It will also be a substitute for butter or jam in sweet sandwiches, and if you adore cooking marshmallows, pastilles or sorbet, the puree will help make these sweets not only delicious, but also fast enough in cooking;
• if you add frozen berries (cherries, strawberries or raspberries) to apple slices, and to take lemon juice for flavor, you will get an excellent compote;
• Apple slices can be used as a filling and decorating pies, charlottes, cakes, cakes and strudels. Appetizing and hearty pancakes are obtained with such a filling.
• frozen apples will not only be part of dessert or baking, but also an addition to unsweetened dishes: a stuffing for a baked duck or a component of a festive salad. From them also piquant sauces to meat dishes will turn out.

Freezing apples is not at all difficult, as it seems at first glance. Having given a piece of time to this simple procedure, you will not only save a part of the summer, but also will use its gifts for the benefit of yourself and your family!