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Save memories of the past summer and you can not only in photos and in the shower, but in your own refrigerator. And what could be better than a saved piece of summer in the form of a juicy melon from his own garden on the New Year's table.
But is it possible to freeze a melon for the winter? Will its unique taste and flavor be preserved?
Features of freezing melons for the winter
It is at subzero temperatures that fruits and vegetables best preserve the beneficial substances, aroma and taste qualities.
Negative temperatures do not have a destructive effect on vitamins, but can alter the structure of the tissues of frozen fruits. And the more moisture is contained in the pulp, the stronger the destructive effect that is noticeable after thawing. And, in addition, the quality of the product and the shelf life of it depend on the degree of frost.
- At a temperature of the order of -6 ° C, the freshness of frozen fruits and fruits remains only 1-2 weeks.
- Frost around -12 ° C provides storage for up to 4-6 weeks.
- Only a temperature of -18 ° C makes it possible to save a melon for up to 12 months.
The lower the temperature in the chamber, the faster it is possible to freeze a melon for the winter, and the result will be better.
And that during the time in the freezer compartment the slices of melon do not lose moisture and do not absorb foreign smells, the containers or bags with the product must be tightly closed. Storage tanks should be small. This will immediately use the portion in food, rather than thaw a large volume of juicy pulp, after all, after the fruits are warmed, their consistency will irrevocably change.
The ideal option for storing frozen melons are:
- Negative temperature-carrying bags with a plastic fastener;
- containers with snug-fitting lids.
How can I freeze a melon grown on a bed for winter at home? There are several ways to prepare gourds with low temperatures.
Ways to freeze melon pulp
However, before you can freeze the fruit, you need to select a sweet melon with the most dense consistency, so as not to be disappointed and as a result of the labor not to get almost tasteless liquid gruel.
Best for freezing are melons of a variety of cantaloupe with orange fragrant pulp and dense, mesh-covered cracks and, as it were, divided into wedges.
Can I freeze a whole melon or cut it in half for the winter? A common mistake is that inexperienced housewives try in the freezer to store the whole melon or its large chunks. Not only that the fruit takes up a lot of space in the refrigerator, and the freezing of melon is long and uneven. As a result, the most juicy flesh in the middle of the melon is permeated with ice crystals, which destroy cells and tissues, and sometimes the whole fruit.
Better, before you freeze a melon for the winter, carefully wash the fruit, cut it in half, and cleanse all the seeds. Then melon cut into portions that will freeze faster, and will be stored better.
The shape of such pieces can be arbitrary:
- Someone prefers to send the melon for storage in the form of traditional thin lobules.
- It is convenient for other owners to prepare dessert desserts using cubes.
- And lovers of noisy parties and unusual ways of serving will appreciate melon balls, which can not only be used for culinary purposes, but also decorate or desserts, fruit salads and cocktails.
The best result of freezing fruits and juicy fruits is achieved by using dry ice, which is poured over the prepared slices. As a result, on the surface of the pulp, a solid frozen layer immediately forms without large ice crystals. And even in this case, the consistency of thawed melon can not be compared with a fresh slice. Therefore, it is more correct to use such pulp for desserts, refreshing fruit ice cream and cocktails.
In the absence of dry ice, small slices will quickly freeze, if evenly, at a distance from each other spread out on a suitable pallet and put in a freezer, it's time to pieces not will harden. In this form, melon slices are packed in containers or bags and stored in a chamber where the temperature is not higher than -18 ° C.
Pre-freezing will not allow the slices to stick together, will significantly speed up the process and will allow preserving the quality of the melon.
Are there any other ways to freeze melons for the winter?
Save the melon pulp in its original form will help sugar syrup or sweet fruit juice. To make syrup, water and sugar are taken in equal parts, the mixture is heated, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the liquid boils.
Slices of melon, placed in a container for freezing, filled with chilled syrup, close and set in a freezer. Similarly come with juice, which is premixed with sugar. Melon, pineapple, orange and peach juice combine well with melon.
If you want to give sweet melon, frozen on a tray, in a "dry" way, slices dipped in powdered sugar and then spread out on pallets and put on frost.
If the melon grown on its own site turned out to be too soft and juicy, do not give up the idea of freezing it. Purified lobules are ground in a blender and the resulting mashed potatoes are laid on containers for freezing. With insufficient sweetness, you can add sugar or honey to the pulp. On the basis of such a product, it is easy to prepare a useful, thirst-quenching ice cream and all sorts of desserts.
Home Melon Sorbet
To prepare an original homemade delicacy, all members of the family will need a sweet ripe melon, which they wash, cut, scrub seeds and cut into small cubes.
For 6 servings of dessert, take:
- 1 cup of sugar;
- 1 glass of water;
- 4 cups of melon pulp, diced;
- a little juice of a lemon or an orange, to taste.
Cooking method
- From sugar and water make syrup, for which, stirring the liquid, bring it to a boil on a small fire. Then the syrup is removed from the heat and cooled.
- Melon cubes chilled syrup and lemon juice are mixed in a blender until a uniform air purée is obtained.
- The resulting mashed potatoes are spread over the containers, leaving a couple of centimeters to the edge, and freezing.
- In order not to form large ice inclusions in the sorbet, the thickened mass is mixed once more with freezing.
Ready sorbet, before laying on kremankam, it is better to hold at room temperature for several minutes.
If the treat is prepared for adults, sweet varieties of white or sparkling wine can be used instead of the syrup.
A small sweet tooth like a sorbet with creamy yogurt. In this case, you can sweeten the dessert with the help of powdered sugar, and in the mass for freezing it will not be superfluous to add pieces of melon or watermelon candied fruits.
