Fragrant, tender, sweet strawberry. It has long gained popularity in our latitudes for its excellent taste and beneficial properties. A handful of fragrant berries in your mouth is an unforgettable experience. Its healing properties are known to many, so experienced experts try to use strawberries for many ailments.
And the ability to freeze food in freezers expands the possibilities of their use. Now summer joys are available in any season. You can pick strawberries in the summer and freeze them for future use - diversify and enrich your menu, and continue to replenish your body with vitamins and nutrients for a long period of time. After all, wild strawberries are a multivitamin that absorbs the sun's rays, warm summer rains and all the benefits from the earth, a remedy incomparable to pharmaceutical drugs.
When properly processed and frozen, strawberries retain all their beneficial properties. Its composition is enriched with many vitamins and biochemical elements, allowing the berries to be used for their intended purpose in order to obtain good prevention and healing from numerous ailments.
Frozen strawberries - composition, benefits
1. Easily digestible sugars - glucose and fructose;
2. Organic acids – citric, malic, salicylic, quinic;
3. Essential oils;
4. Micro- and macroelements: iron, calcium, copper, cobalt, manganese, potassium, phosphorus;
5. Vitamin C;
6. Vitamin B1, B2;
7. Vitamin PP;
8. Carotene;
9. Folic acid;
10. Pectin substances.
Environmentally friendly and mega-healthy strawberries have long been widely used in folk medicine. Its merits are difficult to overestimate. It can be used either fresh or frozen after defrosting.
Application.
1. Strawberries are good for the cardiovascular system, increase the performance of the heart and its endurance;
3. For the prevention of atherosclerosis;
4. Removes cholesterol from the body;
5. A good remedy for improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, increases appetite, improves digestion;
6. Has a beneficial effect on stomach and duodenal ulcers;
7. Normalizes stool;
8. Used for hemorrhoids;
9. For colitis and gastritis;
10. Strawberries are an effective remedy for inflammatory diseases of the biliary tract;
11. Beneficial effect on the thyroid gland;
12. Normalizes kidney function;
13. Excellent diuretic;
14. These berries are useful for salt metabolism disorders, cystitis, gout, uric acid diathesis;
15. Used for anemia;
16. For joint diseases;
17. To normalize the functioning of the spleen;
18. For diabetes;
19. To improve metabolism.
Many books have been written about the great benefits of strawberries. People who have received healing from many diseases by regularly eating the berry share their experiences and recipes. Such literature can be used by anyone who experiences any ailments. But you need to take into account the characteristics of your body and first consult a doctor.
Strawberries have also found their use in cosmetology; masks made from this berry have a very noticeable effect on the skin. Refreshes, whitens and nourishes. In winter, such procedures using defrosted berries are just right for tired skin.
Why are frozen strawberries bitter?
Even fresh strawberries have a sweet and bitter taste. Why, what is the reason, how to freeze it so it doesn’t taste bitter? It turns out that bitterness is contained in tiny grains inside the berries. Berries that grow in pine forests also have a much more bitter taste. It is best to freeze strawberries with berry puree and sugar if it tastes bitter.
Possible contraindications when eating berries
Strawberries are a plant allergen. Since there may be individual intolerance, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Strawberries are usually eaten fresh, since they are many times more aromatic and tastier in their original form than in preserves, jellies, or any other processing. However, if you have a lot of strawberries and want to stock up on a natural source of vitamins for the winter, then it is best to puree them with sugar and freeze them. In such a berry, both beneficial and taste qualities will be fully preserved.
Fresh strawberries bring a lot of benefits to the body - improves digestion, has a diuretic and diaphoretic effect, quenches thirst and normalizes salt metabolism in the body. And strawberries ground with sugar and frozen allow you to retain up to 99% of all their beneficial properties. In addition, when defrosted, such a berry does not become cottony and is not as unsweetened as a whole one.
Strawberries lose some of their sweetness when frozen. To ensure that the berries are sweet and tasty when defrosted, they can be frozen with sugar.
How to freeze whole strawberries with and without sugar
Freezing strawberries in a bag without sugar
In this case, it will be most convenient to freeze strawberries on flat trays and then transfer them to plastic bags or plastic containers. It is necessary that there is enough free space in the container in which the strawberries will be stored, otherwise you risk getting an ice lump.
Delicious frozen strawberries with whole berries for the winter with sugar
Yes, strawberries will give a little juice during the freezing process, but when you defrost them in winter, the taste and shape of the berries will remain the same as before freezing - fresh and bright.
To freeze strawberries with sugar, you need to take approximately 300 g of fine granulated sugar per 1 kilogram of berries. If you find coarse sugar, it is better to grind it into powder. Place the prepared strawberries (without sepals) quite tightly in a plastic container, sprinkling each layer with sugar. Place in a cool, dark place for 2-3 hours until the strawberries release juice. Then transfer the container with the berries to the freezer.
How to Freeze Bottled Strawberries with Sugar
Another way is to freeze strawberry puree. To do this, crush the prepared dry and peeled strawberries; you can quickly puree them with a blender. Pour into a plastic container or bottle (this way it will take up much less space) and put it in the freezer. If there is not enough space in the freezer, then 2-3 days after freezing the strawberries can be removed from the container and wrapped in cling film. This method works well for “weak” strawberries.
You can immediately cover the strawberries with sugar at the rate of 300 g per 1 kg of berries, or you can add it in the winter after defrosting the strawberry puree.
Strawberries prepared in this way can be used for a variety of dishes: ice cream, berry smoothies, sauce, homemade curd mixtures, jelly and much more. You can even use it simply as an independent dessert made from fresh strawberries.
Natural strawberry puree can be used to flavor pancakes, porridges, make homemade fruit yogurt, and you can also make compote from it.
This is useful to know:
Strawberries are one of the most delicious berries and, due to their healing properties, help fight many diseases, including colds and flu. However, it can be very difficult to preserve the chemical composition and beneficial substances of fruits until winter. Freezing berries solves this problem and helps preserve their nutritional and taste qualities.
Benefits of berries
Wild strawberries are very beneficial for the body. Regular consumption of berries stimulates rejuvenating processes, removes harmful cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure. In folk medicine, strawberry fruits are used for hypertension, various forms of vitamin deficiency and atherosclerotic diseases. An infusion of fruits is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system and kidneys. Decoctions are used as restoratives and tonics.
Strawberries are also used for external use. Compresses made from fruit tincture have a wound-healing effect and treat acne. The leaves of the plant are widely used as a base for vitamin teas, and a decoction of dried leaves is used to gargle for sore throats. In addition, strawberry tea improves intestinal motility and improves the general condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
However, when boiled and dried, strawberries lose a significant part of their beneficial substances and are used more for culinary purposes. Freezing partially solves the problem of preserving nutritional components and significantly saves preparation time.
Preparatory stage
The optimal time to pick berries for freezing is in the morning. It is recommended to collect fruits in dry, clear weather. Picking strawberries after rain can negatively affect the quality of the berries, which will most likely turn out to be loose and tasteless. You should select fully ripe, but not overripe berries of the correct shape, free of visible flaws. Then the collected fruits must be cleaned of grass, stalks and sepals and carefully washed in cool water.
For washing, it is better to use a deep bowl; washing berries under running water is not recommended. This requirement is due to the fact that delicate berries can be damaged under the pressure of water and become soggy. After washing, the fruits should be placed on a dry and clean cloth to dry. The better the berries dry, the higher the taste they will have.
Freezing methods
Before choosing a method for freezing strawberries, you should determine for what purpose the freezing is being done and in what capacity the berries will be used after defrosting. For example, if strawberries will be used to decorate cakes and desserts, then the most important thing in this case will be to preserve their original appearance. Such a berry requires particularly careful preliminary selection and freezing of the fruits at some distance from each other.
To do this, the fruits are laid out on a tray or plate and sent to the freezer for a couple of hours. Then the fruits are removed, carefully poured into a clean and dry plastic bag and put into the freezer for storage. Instead of bags, you can use plastic containers with lids or glass jars.
However, if preserving the marketable appearance of strawberries is not important, then freezing the berries can be done using any of the proposed methods.
- Freezing whole berries with sugar. The method is quite simple and not labor-intensive. The berries are placed on a plate or tray and frozen in the freezer for 2-3 hours. When distributing fruits on a plate, the main condition is to prevent the berries from touching and sticking together. After the strawberries are frozen, they should be placed in a plastic bag and sprinkled with granulated sugar on top. Then the contents of the bag must be mixed well, distributing the sugar evenly between the berries, and stored. For 500 g of berries, one and a half glasses of sugar are required, but its amount can vary based on the personal preferences of the housewife.
- Freezing pureed berries with sugar. This method is well suited for strawberries that have lost their shape and presentation. The fruits are covered with granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio and ground in a mortar. If you don't have a mortar, you can use a blender. The resulting mass is placed in ice trays and placed in the freezer. After 7-8 hours, the molds are removed from the freezer, and their contents are put into bags and stored.
- Freezing berries in ice. This method is suitable for freezing small berries, which can later be used to decorate a cocktail or lemonade. To do this, you need to distribute small dry fruits among the cells of a container for freezing ice, fill each cell with cool boiled water and put it in the freezer for 8 hours. 1-2 berries should be placed in each cell. After the water freezes, the cubes are poured into a plastic bag and stored.
- Strawberries in syrup. To freeze berries in this way, you need to pour two liters of water into a saucepan, pour half a kilogram of granulated sugar into it and boil. Then you need to wash 500-600 g of berries, distribute them into baking or ice molds and fill with cooled syrup. Freeze in the freezer for at least 24 hours, then transfer the molds to a bag and place in the freezer.
Application
Frozen strawberries are used not only in folk medicine. The berry is an independent food product and is included in many confectionery dishes. Whole fruits are used to decorate cakes, ice cream and desserts. The pureed berry is an indispensable ingredient in creams for cakes, and is also used to prepare topping for pancakes, cottage cheese, milk porridges and casseroles.
Frozen cubes of syrup or water with whole fruits are an integral component of cocktails and cold drinks. And the fruits, sprinkled with sugar, can be eaten as an independent dish or dessert.
- The optimal temperature for freezing strawberries is from -18 to -23 degrees. Berry prepared in this way can be stored for 8 months to a year.
- If there is no freezer and the fruit is frozen in a freezer with a temperature from 0 to -8, the shelf life will be three months.
- Particular attention should be paid to the mode of defrosting strawberries. This procedure must be performed slowly. The optimal temperature for defrosting is 0 degrees. Typically, this temperature occurs on the top shelves of the refrigerator, so the berries should be placed on them for defrosting.
- As containers for long-term storage of strawberries, you should use plastic bags or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Do not leave frozen fruits in the freezer unopened. This will lead to freezing of the product and loss of its taste properties. In addition, syrup or ice cubes can become saturated with unpleasant aromas, such as the smell of fish or “refrigerator smell.”
To learn how to freeze strawberries, see the following video.
Freezing for the winter - recipes with photos
To enjoy a delicious strawberry dessert in winter, you should freeze it properly. Let's find out how to do this with our recipe...
5/5 (2)
Freezing berries is a very correct and profitable solution. Frozen berries almost do not lose their properties. In this process Almost all vitamins are preserved and beneficial properties of the product. To enjoy a delicious strawberry dessert in winter, you should freeze it properly. Let's find out how to do this.
You can freeze not only cauliflower and zucchini for the winter. Not long ago I started freezing wild strawberries instead of cooking them. Freeze strawberries best fresh. That is, as soon as you pick it or purchase it at the market, immediately begin the freezing process. In order for the berries to retain their shape, they must not be too ripe. I don’t freeze whole strawberries, but grind them or blend them in a blender, so ripe ones are also suitable for me.
Preparing for freezing
To freeze strawberries you will need:
- berries;
- colander;
- freezer containers or plastic bags;
- blender (if you want to freeze non-whole berries);
- sugar.
Before freezing strawberries, you need to carefully sort them, get rid of the leaves, wash them and be sure to dry them. All moisture must leave so that the berry is tastier and juicier. Well, then we move directly to freezing.
Recipe 1
- If you plan to use strawberries as a decoration for desserts, it would be better freeze it whole.
- To do this, simply wash and dry the berries, put them in containers or bags and put them in the freezer.
Recipe 2
- I'm freezing pureed strawberries with sugar, so it turns out very tasty and can be eaten as a dessert in its pure form, without adding anything.
- To do this, you need to wash it and dry it, then grind it in a blender and add sugar, and put the resulting mass into containers.
- You can also place whole strawberries in containers, cover with sugar, close and shake, and place in the freezer.
Recipe 3
- There is also a very good one recipe for strawberries with syrup. To do this, you need to put 2 liters of water on the fire and wait for it to boil, while adding half a kilo of sugar.
- Cool the syrup, add the berries and pour into containers, put the open boxes in the freezer for 24 hours, and after the time has elapsed, close the lids.
Choose your favorite freezing method and start cooking!
- Only fresh berries should be used for freezing.
- The strawberries must be well dried so that there is no excess ice on them and they retain their taste and shape.
- It is best to freeze in food containers.
In order for strawberries to retain their beneficial properties and good appearance, they need to be frozen at temperature from -18 to -23 degrees, then it will be stored in the freezer for a whole year. If the temperature during freezing is between 0 and -8, then it should be stored for no more than 3 months.
What can you eat frozen strawberries with?
I want to say that this dessert is sure to please absolutely everyone. I grind the berries with sugar, so in my family they eat this delicacy straight with a spoon, and it’s also very tasty with ice cream. You can also add it to tea, or make it directly from strawberries, pouring warm water. And what desserts are made from these berries! Especially if mixed with cottage cheese, or added to baked goods. With what and how to eat frozen berries, it’s up to you to decide, but I promise it will be delicious!
Strawberries are rightfully one of the most favorite berries. It has many advantages: juicy, tasty, aromatic, rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Strawberries support the immune system (especially useful for children and the elderly). A small amount of calories makes this berry attractive for dietary nutrition. Unfortunately, the strawberry season is fleeting, and vitamins are needed all year round. Proper preparation of strawberries for the winter (freezing) will allow you to extend this season and enjoy tasty and healthy berries until the new harvest.
Did you know? The berry, which we have all been accustomed to calling strawberries since childhood, is actually a garden strawberry (pineapple). Pineapple strawberry (Fragária ananássa), with its familiar taste and smell, is a hybrid that was obtained in Holland in the mid-18th century as a result of crossing Virginia and Chilean strawberries. The word “strawberry” (from Old Church Slavonic “club” - “ball”, “round”) has been traced in Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian lands since the XYII–XYIII centuries. This was the name of the wild plant Fragária moscháta. When pineapple strawberries appeared in these parts (in the middle of the 19th century), they supplanted their smaller and sour predecessor, and people began to call them “strawberries.”
The benefits of frozen strawberries
If we consider the question of how frozen strawberries are useful, we should recall that when freezing fruits and vegetables, more vitamins and nutrients are preserved than when boiled, sterilized, dried, etc. Properly frozen berries contain the same vitamin composition and the same calorie content as and fresh. After defrosting, strawberries are used in the same way as unfrozen ones: you can simply eat the berries, you can add them to other dishes and drinks, use them as a filling for pies, make cosmetic face masks, etc. The vitamins in frozen strawberries retain all their properties. 
100 g of strawberries contain a daily dose of vitamin C. In terms of vitamin B9 content, strawberries are superior to grapes, raspberries and other fruits. Fresh strawberries have a beneficial effect because they have:
- anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties (good for colds and inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx, cholelithiasis, joint disease, etc.);
- the ability to regulate blood sugar;
- high iodine content (useful for treating the thyroid gland);
- high iron content (used to treat anemia);
Important! When frozen (especially fast), the vitamins in fresh strawberries are practically not destroyed. Frozen products should be stored for no more than 10-12 months (after a year of storage, some vitamins are lost when defrosted).
Choosing strawberries for freezing
For freezing, it is important to select the right berries. It doesn’t matter how you are going to freeze strawberries for the winter (whole, in the form of strawberry puree, with sugar, etc.), no matter whether you buy strawberries at the market or pick them in your garden, there are general rules that should not be neglected costs. They guarantee you that frozen strawberries will be delicious and the benefits from them will be maximum. 
The strawberries you should select for freezing are:
- ripe, but not overripe and without spoilage (overripe strawberries will spread when defrosted and can give a “drunken” taste. Alternatively, overripe strawberries (but without foulbrood) are suitable for making and freezing strawberry puree);
- dense and dry (less water means less ice, which will dilute the strawberry juice during defrosting and affect the taste);
- medium size (freezes faster and better);
- aromatic and sweet (after defrosting you will get both aroma and sweetness). It’s not difficult to determine - you just need to smell and taste;
- fresh. Freshness is indicated by the elasticity of the berries, shine, green tails on the berries and strawberry aroma. Owners of summer cottages and gardens are advised to pick strawberries early in the morning (before the dew sets) or in the evening, at sunset.
- without foreign odors;
- clean;
- dry.
- freezing whole berries with sugar. For a kilogram of berries you will need 300 g of sugar (a little crushed in a blender or coffee grinder) or powder. Prepared berries (without stalks) must be laid out in layers on the bottom of the container, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and transfer the strawberries to another container, pouring the released syrup into it. After this, close the container and put it in the freezer for freezing;
- the same option, but without syrup. Sprinkle the berries with powder and immediately freeze them;
- freezing pureed strawberries with sugar. The ratio of strawberries to sugar is 1 x 1. Prepared strawberries (overripe berries are also suitable for this recipe) are sprinkled with sugar and crushed in a blender.
Important! Frozen strawberries are quite vulnerable (improper defrosting can cause great harm to the vitamins and beneficial properties of strawberries), so you should know how to defrost them correctly. It is strictly forbidden to defrost strawberries in the microwave (destroys molecules and kills vitamins) or in hot water (vitamin C will suffer). Proper defrosting is gradual, first in the refrigerator (on the top shelf), then at room temperature.
Preparing strawberries before freezing
Before freezing strawberries should be prepared:
Select overripe, rotten and damaged berries. The rest should be washed. Some gardeners advise not to wash strawberries grown on their own plots, but to blow them with a hairdryer, so as not to damage the protective film on the berries that protects the strawberries from bacteria. However, the fact is that the greatest danger is not bacteria, but helminth eggs, which can be in the ground and fall on the berries during watering or rain. Strawberries should be washed in still water, in a large bowl (washing in a colander under a tap is not advisable - the berries will be damaged and the juice will leak out) in small portions (so as not to crush each other). During washing, the stalks should be removed. If you plan to freeze whole berries, it is better to leave them - the strawberries will keep their shape well and will not lose juice.
It is best to carefully place the washed berries on a flannel/paper towel or plywood sheet to dry (it is better to put cling film on paper or wood).
Selecting and preparing dishes for freezing strawberries
Plastic dishes are most suitable for freezing strawberries (there is a huge assortment of such dishes of all shapes and sizes on sale). Cellophane or polyethylene are also suitable, but they tear easily due to frost. The main requirement for dishes:
Methods for freezing strawberries
Freezing strawberries– it’s not as simple as it seems: put the strawberries in a bag and put them in the freezer. Of course, you can freeze it this way, but the result will not be as desired. There are different ways to freeze strawberries, with the help of which the berries retain their shape, their unique properties, aroma and taste.
Did you know? There are thousands of strawberry varieties in the world (200 years of tireless work by breeders have not been in vain). All these varieties are bred from one hybrid plant - pineapple strawberry.
Freezing whole strawberries
The most correct way would be to use pre-freezing: prepared dried berries are laid out in one layer on a tray or plate (they should not touch each other). Then the tray is placed in the freezer for 2-3 hours in the “Super Freeze” mode.
After this, the berries can be transferred to bags or containers and placed in the freezer for further freezing and storage. Such berries will no longer lose their shape.
If you want to decorate a glass of champagne or sparkling wine, you can freeze the whole berry in ice. Prepared berries must be placed in ice trays, filled with clean water and frozen. 
Strawberries with sugar
Before freezing strawberries with sugar, you need to choose the option that will be acceptable to you (in terms of time, labor intensity, amount of sugar):
The mixture is placed in containers (plastic cups, ice trays) and frozen. It should be taken into account that the nutritional value of strawberries frozen in this way increases to 96-100 kcal. 
