How and how many dried cherries can be stored at home

Many people wonder how to store fresh and dried cherries. Today there are many known methods that allow you to achieve excellent results in this area. Cherries can be kept cool in the refrigerator. Also, berries can be frozen, dried, preserved. An excellent option would be to make candied fruits from these fruits. For successful storage, it is worth considering some nuances.

How to properly pick a berry

Freshly picked cherries are considered the most useful and of high quality. It is desirable that the picked fruits have stems. This helps to increase their shelf life.It is recommended to pick berries in dry, clear weather. For storage, dense elastic fruits that have a rich burgundy color are suitable. It is important that the cherry has a distinct flavor that indicates its ripeness.

Fruit that is too soft is considered overripe. They cannot be stored for long.

Therefore, it is recommended to harvest the fruits at a time when they are as elastic as possible and have a shiny surface.

How to choose quality fruit

When buying berries, you should focus on the following characteristics:

1. It is recommended to give preference to unripe, firm and shiny berries that do not have wrinkled stems.
2. Darker fruits are considered sweeter and healthier than lighter ones.
3. It is recommended to smell and taste the berries before buying them. Ripe cherries are characterized by a sweet-sour taste and a pleasant aroma without fermentation impurities.
4. Berries that are too sticky or too soft are not suitable for long-term storage.
5. When buying, you should give preference to cherries with green cuttings. If they are too dark or completely absent, it is recommended to refrain from such a purchase.
6. Before storing them, it is important to make sure that there are no worms in the berries. Usually these fruits are softer and darker than the others.

Optimal storage conditions for fresh cherries

It is recommended to store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for 10 days. If the berries are not yet ripe, the shelf life is increased to 2 weeks. Do not wash cherries before storing them. It is also not recommended to put it in plastic bags. It is better to use a plastic container or a glass jar.

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Temperature

The best option for storing the product is considered a temperature from 0 to + 10 degrees. Lower values ​​help increase the shelf life of the fruit.

Humidity

The best option for cherries is considered 85% humidity.

Lighting

It is recommended to store ripe fruits in a cool, dark place. They should not be exposed to the sun.

Methods and modalities of storage and preparation at home

There are several methods for storing a product. Choosing a specific method depends on how you plan to use the berries.

In the fridge

Under such conditions, ripe fruits can be stored for 10 days. If the berries are not yet ripe, the shelf life is increased to 2 weeks. At the same time, it is not recommended to wash the cherries or close the container with fruit. The optimum humidity is 85%, the temperature is 0 ... + 10 degrees.

Basement or cellar

If it is not possible to use the refrigerator, the fruit can be put in another cool place - for example, in the cellar. They need to be folded in a dry glass jar, which must first be covered with clean cherry leaves. Layers of berries are also covered with foliage. From above, the container is closed with a polyethylene lid.

Dried

The shelf life of dried or dried cherries is significantly increased. To dry berries, you need to choose the highest quality ones. It is recommended to remove the bones.

To perform the procedure, you must do the following:

1. Spread the berries on a baking sheet and place in an oven heated to + 40-55 degrees. It is best to activate the convection mode.
2. It is recommended to open the oven door slightly. Thanks to this, the vapors will escape to the outside.
3. It is important not to overheat the cherries above +55 degrees. This will help prevent vitamin C degradation.

After drying, the fruits should be removed for 3-4 days in a tightly closed container. It should be cardboard or wood. This procedure helps to even out the moisture level of the cherries. The shelf life of the fruit depends on the conditions and quality characteristics of the original product. On average, they keep their freshness throughout the year.It is recommended to store dried fruits in a sealed glass container. You should also use linen bags.

Keep the product out of direct sunlight. It is important that it is sufficiently cool inside. Do not store dried cherries in a damp place.

Frozen

Cherries can be stored frozen. Such a product will become a source of vitamins in the winter, and will help support a weakened body in the spring. It is recommended to store cherries in the freezer for 12 months. Thanks to shock freezing, it is possible to preserve a large amount of vitamins and minerals. To perform the procedure, you must do the following:

1. Sort the berries, wash and dry. If you plan to use the fruit as a garnish, it is best to remove the seeds. For compote, cherries can also be frozen with seeds.
2. Put the berries in a flat dish, keeping some distance. It is important that the fruits do not touch each other. Then put the berries in the freezer.
3. After a few hours, the fruits freeze. They can be removed and placed in ziplock bags. It is recommended to divide the berries into small portions, since it is forbidden to refreeze them.

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Storage for the winter

To keep the crop for a long period of time, it can be stored.

Jam

To prepare this product, cherries should be washed, pierced with a needle or toothpick and filled with syrup. For its manufacture, for 1 kilogram of fruit, it is necessary to take 200 milliliters of water and 500 grams of sugar. Leave the mixture for 5-6 hours.

Then the released juice should be drained and add 450-500 grams of sugar per 200 milliliters of liquid. Boil separately for a quarter of an hour.Then pour in the cherries, leave for 4-5 hours and boil until soft. Transfer jam to jars and close.

Mash potatoes

To make cherry puree, you need to wash and peel them. Pass the berries through a sieve to remove excess juice. If this is not done, the mash will become too liquid. It does not affect the storage quality. However, such flan is not suitable as a filling for pies. It is recommended to mix cherries with sugar in a ratio of 1: 1. Grind the resulting mixture in a blender until pureed. If the sugar has not dissolved, it is recommended to leave the composition for 1-2 hours. Then whisk the puree again.

This product is not heat treated. Therefore, it should be stored in a cool place. You can also freeze cherry puree.For this, it is recommended to pour the composition into plastic containers with lids and put it in the freezer.

Compote

To prepare the compote, you need to mix the cherries with sugar. For 1 kilogram of fruit, it is worth taking 400 grams of sugar. It is recommended to put the resulting mixture on the stove and bring it to 85-90 degrees. Hold for 5-7 minutes, immediately pour into jars and roll up.

Jam

This product is very popular. To prepare such a blank, you need to take 700 grams of cherries, 300 grams of sugar and 10 grams of gelatin.

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To get a tasty and healthy product, you need to do the following:

1. Wash and pit the cherries.
2. Put the pulp in a saucepan and sprinkle with sugar. Using a blender, grind the fruit until pureed.
3. Add the gelatin and let stand for 10 minutes.Put on low heat and stir constantly.
4. Bake the fruit for 15-20 minutes.

Pour the hot jam into a suitable bowl. To save it for the winter, it is worth using sterilized jars.

In the form of candied fruits

Candied cherries can be used instead of sweets. Also, this product is added to baked goods or compotes. To cook candied fruits, cherries must be pitted. Take 1.5 kilograms of fruit and add chilled syrup prepared with 100 milliliters of water and 1 kilogram of sugar. Stir gently so as not to damage the berries and leave to infuse for 6 to 7 hours.

Drain the resulting juice and dry the fruit in the oven until soft. It is recommended to keep them in glass jars or heavy paper bags. It is best to store candied fruit in a cool, dry place. A pantry would be a great option. Alternatively, the product can be folded into plastic containers and refrigerated.

Common Mistakes

Many people make mistakes when storing cherries that negatively affect the shelf life of the product:

• choose unripe or overripe fruits;
• use berries damaged by worms;
• violate temperature and humidity parameters;
• cherries are poorly dried;
• violate the technology of preparing canned berries.

Additional tips and tricks

To preserve tasty and fragrant fruit throughout the winter, you should follow these recommendations:

1. Choose ripe fruit. They should not be greenish or overripe.
2. Berries must be of high quality. They should be free of dents or damage.
3. To retain as much juice as possible in fruit, they should not be pitted.
4. Cherries are best stored in a tightly closed container. This will help prevent unwanted odors from being absorbed.

Storing cherries is a rather responsible process that requires the implementation of certain recommendations. In order for the product to remain fresh for a long time, it is necessary to observe the parameters of temperature, humidity and lighting.