How to choose
berry Cranberries for storage can be harvested twice a year: for the first time - in September, the second - in a later period after the first frost. When harvested early, the berries are not quite ripe, but they can be eaten and stored for storage. During the late harvest the fruits are as ripe and juicy as possible.
For storage, it is better to use slightly unripe berries due to the fact that they will not be damaged in the process of placing in the container. Very ripe or overripe berries can choke on each other and the walls of dishes. As a result, part of the product will be lost.
If you are going to store the fruits in a frozen form, then they must also be strong, with a strong shell. Otherwise, when defrosting, the berry mass will turn into porridge.Before sending the cranberries for storage, it must be sorted. Remove all foreign objects: leaves, sticks, etc. Wrinkled and over-ripe fruits should be put aside. Later you can make them jam or juice.
Wash the berries and dry well. To do this, lay them on a large tray or a flat surface covered with a towel. Prepare a container for storage: glass jars, plastic containers or wooden boxes. Wash tara well and dry.
Storage methods
Cranberry can be kept fresh longer than other berries due to the presence of benzoic acid in its composition. This is a natural preservative that stops the multiplication of microorganisms. Thanks to this component, cranberries are used to treat colds. Acid allows long-term storage of the berry in its pure form, without applying freezing.
The easiest way to store cranberries is to put the washed and dry berries in a suitable container and then clean them in a cool place. For this purpose, suitable cellar, basement or refrigerator compartment. If you decide to put the fruit in the refrigerator, put them in a plastic container with a lid. In a cool place they will be stored for about three months.
When stored in its pure form, cranberries may darken noticeably. Nevertheless, the taste of the berry, as well as its valuable properties, will remain unchanged.By freezing
If you want to keep the product for more than three months, you can use the freezer. Place the prepared fruits( washed, dried) on a tray or large dish and place in the freezer. After some time( about two hours) pull out the tray. Berries should freeze.
Put them in bags and fold them back into the camera. Distribute the berry mass into packages in such a way that later the whole volume is used. If you use a small amount( for example, for smoothies or fruit drinks), then put in the bag exactly the number of berries you need to make them. After one defrosting the second time the fruit can not be frozen.
By soaking
By soaking cranberries in water, you retain all the beneficial properties of the product. For this method of storage you will need glass or plastic containers. Rinse the jars or other container well and let them dry.
Put fresh, clean cranberries in jars so that there is a little space on top. Pre-boil the water and wait for it to cool. Then pour the berries with cool water. No need to add anything else. Close the jars and move them to a cool dark place.
As the cranberry absorbs water well, after this storage method it will be slightly watery. But you keep all the valuable qualities of the product.With sugar
A great way to store cranberries is to combine it with sugar. This berry, ground with sugar, is a very tasty and useful composition. It can be successfully used to treat colds and to strengthen the immune system. An additional advantage is that the stored product is ready for use. This dish can be served immediately.
The washed ripe berries are mixed with sugar, which is taken in an amount equal to the weight of the fruit. Then the mixture must be minced. The resulting composition is decomposed into a dry clean container and closed with a tight lid. It is better to use sterilized glass jars. This product is stored in a dark cool place.
By drying
You can store cranberries in dried form. Of course, in order to eat it, you will need additional processing. But its storage time is extended to three years. Dried berries can be used to make fruit drinks, pastries, smoothies, jam, etc. In addition, dried berries occupy a minimum of space in the apartment.
You can dry the fruit in the oven. To do this, put them on a baking sheet in a single layer and turn on a small fire. Dry to the desired consistency. In modern plates there is a special mode for drying berries, which makes this process more convenient. Put the dried berries in glass or plastic containers and store them in a cool place.
Canning
The most common method for storing berries is canning. The result is a tasty and healthy product, immediately ready for use. Recipes for homemade preservation, there are many.
A kilogram of berries add 1.5 kg of sugar and wait until the juice starts to stand out. Then pour the berry juice into another pan, put it on the stove and bring to a boil. Transfer the cranberries from the first container to the boiling syrup and cook for five minutes. Put prepared jam into sterilized dishes and close with a lid.
You learned how to store cranberries for a long time at home. Choose the type of storage that suits you and use the gifts of nature all winter.
