How and how much you can save gooseberries at home, means for the winter
Gooseberry contains many useful trace elements, the need for which in humans increases with the onset of cold weather. This processed berry is used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and a number of other diseases. Therefore, the solution to the question of how to store gooseberries at home so that the product does not lose its beneficial properties plays an important role.
What berries should be kept
For long-term storage, currant berries are suitable with the following characteristics:
- ripe;
- firm and resilient;
- with green or light skin.
A characteristic sign of the preparation of gooseberry for long-term storage is the presence of spots on the skin. Before laying the berries in the prepared container, each must be squeezed between your fingers. Gooseberries should not be too hard or soft. The first indicates that the berry is not ripe, the second indicates that it is overripe. It is also recommended to store gooseberries with the stem.
Storage methods and conditions
Before poisoning the gooseberry for preservation, it is necessary to rinse the berry under running water and dry it thoroughly. Any debris contributes to the development of rot. For long-term storage, dense-skinned berries are suitable, and soft berries - for freezing or making mash.
When choosing a container, it should be remembered that after opening the gooseberry should be eaten immediately. Therefore, it is recommended to make blanks in portions. Small containers or plastic bags are suitable for this. If the latter option is chosen, gooseberries should be prepared for long-term storage. First, you need to put the berries on a tray and let them stand for several hours, then put them in the freezer. After that, the fruits can be packed in bags.
For long-term storage, gooseberries are frozen, dried, or left in their original form. In the latter case, the fruits retain their properties for two months, provided they are placed in the freezer at a temperature close to zero and a humidity of 90%.
At room temperature
Ripe gooseberries can be stored at room temperature. Under these conditions, the berries retain their original freshness for five days. To extend the shelf life, it is recommended to plant unripe fruits or place gooseberries in a cooler place. Either way, the berry will stay fresh for ten days. In this case, the fruits should be placed in a container with a volume of up to five liters.
Frozen
This option is considered the most common, as it allows to preserve the freshness of berries and useful trace elements during the winter.Before freezing, the berries must be sorted, after removing the overripe ones, rinse and put in a container. The container can then be sent to the freezer.
Mashed potatoes
It is more convenient to freeze the mash in the refrigerator. In addition, gooseberry in this form is immediately ready for use. To make mashed potatoes, you will need:
- Take ripe fruits with a thin skin, sort and rinse under water.
- Beat with a mixer until pasty.
- Mix the resulting mass with sugar in a ratio of 1 kilogram to 350 grams.
- Stir again and leave for an hour.
After the expiration of the specified period, mashed potatoes should be decomposed in containers and placed in the freezer.
In sugar
To preserve gooseberries in sugar, you will need:
- Rinse the berries and dry them on a towel.
- Transfer the fruit to a saucepan and cover with sugar in the ratio of 1 kilogram to 400 grams.
- Mix all the ingredients and place in containers.
It is recommended to take containers with a tight lid, which will prevent microorganisms from entering the container from the outside. After that, the container can be placed in the freezer.
In syrup
Overripe berries are recommended to be stored in the form of syrup. In this case, you need:
- Rinse and dry the gooseberries.
- Mix the water and sugar and prepare the syrup.
- Pour the syrup over the fruits previously distributed in containers.
Fill containers to the brim. After that, the containers are sent to the freezer.
Whole berries without sugar
To keep the berries whole, you will need to cover the tray with edible paper and put the gooseberries on it. After drying, the fruits should be placed in the freezer for several hours.Then the berries are transferred to bags.
Drying
To dry a ripe gooseberry, you will need:
- Rinse and peel the berries from the stems.
- Soak in a steam bath.
- Spread the fruit on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 30 degrees. After 10 minutes, the temperature should be increased to 70 degrees.
During the drying process, the oven should be opened periodically and the fruits should be stirred. The procedure lasts seven hours. At the end of the process, dried currants should be placed in a cloth or paper bag. In this form, the berries can be eaten for two years.
In the fridge
In the refrigerator, the fruits stay fresh for two weeks. In this case, it is recommended to put the gooseberry in a container, covering it with paper. The optimum storage temperature is +5 degrees.
Options for winter preparations
In order to obtain the nutrients contained in gooseberries in the winter, the berry cannot be stored as a whole, but made from freshly picked and harvested fruits.
Adjika
To make adjika, you need to gain a kilogram of ripe berries and take 300 grams of garlic. Also for this recipe you will need a spoonful of salt and coriander seeds, 10 pieces of hot pepper.
To create this blank, you need to mix the listed ingredients. In addition, these components must be passed through a meat grinder. The resulting mass should be spread in glass containers, filling the containers to the top.
Orange mousse
To prepare this product, you need to take 2 oranges (small size recommended) and 1.5 kilograms of sugar for one kilogram of green fruit. All components (except sand) must be rinsed under water.Oranges should also be poured over boiling water and cut into several pieces. Further, the main components are passed through a meat grinder and mixed with sugar. Then the resulting mass is whipped with a mixer and laid out in glass jars. It is recommended to store this mousse in the refrigerator.
Jam
To make jam, you need to mix gooseberries and sugar (one kilogram each), then add a liter of water. This composition must then be put on the fire and brought to a boil. As soon as the cooked mass cools to room temperature, the syrup should be put in the refrigerator for a day.
The next day, the composition is boiled again. Further, the mass is again removed from the refrigerator. These manipulations should be repeated within a week. During this time, pectin will be released from the composition, due to which the prepared syrup will take the form of jam, which can be laid out in containers.
Sauces
Gooseberry can be used to make 2 sauces. For the first, you need to mix 300 grams of garlic, a kilogram of berries and a bunch of dill and pass this mass through a meat grinder.
To cook tkemali, you need to take sour gooseberries and boil until soft. Then the fruit should be mixed with:
- two heads of garlic and red pepper;
- dill;
- basil;
- coriander;
- parsley.
This mixture should also be kept on the fire for 15 minutes, after which the tkemali can be laid out in jars.
Jam
To make jam, you need to mix a glass of water and 170 grams of sugar and put this composition on fire.Then add a kilogram of pure gooseberries to the mixture and boil for 15 minutes. After cooling, the cooked jam is mixed with 100 grams of gelatin and a stick of vanillin.
Additional tips and tricks
To preserve the juice from frozen berries, gooseberries should be stored in the refrigerator for at least eight hours each time. After that, the fruits should be left at room temperature for another hour. For storage, in addition to containers and plastic bags, you can use cardboard boxes.