Lingonberries are a storehouse of vitamins and microelements. Widely used in medicine. In appearance, these are small red berries, up to 8 mm in diameter, growing on miniature, evergreen shrubs 15-20 cm high. Lingonberries can be found in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, sometimes in peat bogs.Usually, city residents go to the market or supermarket to buy lingonberries. When properly stored, the berries remain tasty, aromatic and fortified all winter.
How to prepare lingonberries for storage
The berries are generally stored for one year. There is no need to store longer; it is better to harvest a new crop next fall. This is healthier and healthier. To ensure that lingonberries remain useful for a long time, they are stored in different forms:
- Fresh. At a temperature of +18-25 degrees for 10 days, at a temperature of +3-5 degrees from 2 to four months.
- Frozen. Shelf life 2-4 months.
- Soaked. Store from 2 to 12 months.
- Canned. Shelf life 6 months.
- In its own juice. Store for up to a month.
- In the form of jelly. The period is short, only 3-4 days.
- In syrup. Store for up to 6 months.
- Dried. Store for 12 months.
In what form, where and how to store
In their processed form, lingonberries taste no worse than fresh berries. It is healthy and appetizing in any form. Its small juicy fruits contain quite a lot of useful and medicinal microelements. Fresh berries are not stored for a long time, but there are many ways to preserve lingonberries until the next new harvest.
Storage in fresh, frozen, soaked forms
To store fresh berries in your apartment, wash, sort and dry on a paper towel. Place in a container, preferably a wooden box. Check periodically for rotten berries. When storing in the refrigerator, place the harvest in a plastic container or cardboard box and place it on the vegetable shelf.
When freezing the product, sort the berries, throw away the rotten and spoiled ones, rinse and dry the good ones. Place in one layer on a spreader or thin board to prevent the berries from sticking together when frozen, and place in the freezer. As soon as they freeze a little, put them in a container, but preferably in a plastic bag, it takes up less space in the freezer. Repeat the freezing procedure with the remaining berries.
Soaked lingonberries. Rinse the fruits, place in a glass jar and fill with cold, boiled water. Keeping the proportions (1:2), one serving of berries to two servings of water. Close the jar and leave for 3 days. Then drain the water and fill it with new one, seal it and store it in the cold. You can prepare soaked berries using another method. Add 2 tbsp to 1 liter of cold boiled water. sugar and 2 pinches of salt, stir well and pour over the berries. Lingonberry water is a valuable product. It relieves hangovers and normalizes digestion.
Berries are also stored in their own juice. Wash them well, dry them and spread them into ⅓ of the jar. Use a masher or wooden spoon to press the berries to release their juice. Once the first layer is completely covered in juice, add a second layer and continue squeezing and adding berries until the jar is completely filled. Close it with a lid and place it in the refrigerator.
Lingonberries, when picked, do not ripen on their own. Therefore, buy or pick only ripe berries. It is better to throw away overripe and soft ones.
With sugar, syrup and dried
For those who have a sweet tooth, you can prepare a dessert from berries with sugar. It's very easy to prepare. To do this, mash the fruits with a masher or pass through a meat grinder. Add sugar (1:1) and store in the refrigerator.
- Jam. Pour the washed and dried berries into the container in which you will cook the sweetness. This can be an enamel or aluminum basin. Add sugar (1:1) and add 1 glass of water per 1 kg of lingonberries. Cook the jam over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add apples, pears, cinnamon and lemon zest to the jam.
- In syrup. Wash the lingonberries and put them in a jar. For 1 liter of water add 2 tbsp. sugar and 0.5 tsp. salt. If desired, add seasonings such as cinnamon and cloves. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes. over low heat, then pour it over the prepared lingonberries and place in the refrigerator. Proportions (1:2).
- Dried. Place the berries, pre-washed and dried on a towel, in a dryer special for fruits and berries. Following the instructions, set the temperature and time. You can dry the berries in the oven with the door slightly open (so that the berries do not dry) at a temperature of 60 degrees. Do not forget to stir the dryer while it is in the oven, keep it until completely dry. Store the finished drying in a glass jar with a hermetically sealed lid. You can put it in a bag made of thick fabric, most importantly, in a dark place and away from direct sunlight.
Useful and healing properties
In folk medicine, the forest queen helps to cope with fever, is a good tonic, an excellent antiseptic and antibacterial agent. The berries help with vitamin deficiency, they are used as a laxative, and they also contribute to the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Juice and fruit drinks help with high blood pressure, neuroses and anemia in pregnant women.
Useful leaves
Lingonberry is a valuable medicinal plant. The leaves are mainly valuable. They make decoctions that can cure some diseases - kidney disease, rheumatism, diabetes. Preparing them for the winter is not particularly difficult. Leaves are plucked from April until mid-May, until buds appear on the bushes. And in the fall, when the fruits are already ripe. They are dried in dryers at a temperature of + 35-40 degrees, as well as in attics and under a canopy. Store the leaves in a dry, dark and well-ventilated room, in canvas and paper bags for up to three years.
To add a piquant taste, soaked lingonberries can be prepared with Antonovka apples.
Harvest the lingonberry harvest before frost, as the berries become soft and watery.
When buying berries in a store, market or supermarket, carefully inspect the lingonberries. Dusty and littered berries indicate that they were collected in non-ecologically clean places. The fruits of the forest queen absorb radiation very strongly.
Be careful when eating lingonberries if you have: low blood pressure, stomach ulcers, gastritis with high acidity, after surgery.
Lingonberry is one of the plants that accumulate radiation. Which is very bad for your health. Collect berries away from highways, cemeteries and factories.
No matter how the lingonberry harvest is stored, fresh, soaked, canned, the berries do not lose their beneficial and medicinal properties. Brew tea from dried berries. Use preserves and jams for baking. Make compotes from frozen fruits. Fresh, just eat it. Enjoy the sweet and sour, valuable and beneficial berry - lingonberry.
Berries rich in vitamins are useful for any child, for women during pregnancy, for those who are on a diet, and indeed for everyone. It is advisable to eat them not only every day during the season, but all year round. An excellent way to preserve all the valuable nutrients of fruits for a long time is to use the deep freezing method.
It seems that freezing berries is very simple. However, delicate fruits require careful handling during harvesting. There are secrets to properly freezing berries and expert advice that you need to follow to achieve your goal.
Recipe for freezing berries
Ingredients
Servings: – +
- berries (raspberries, strawberries, strawberries, currants, cherries, gooseberries, etc.)1 kg
Per serving
Calories: 51 kcal
Proteins: 1.25 g
Fats: 0.42 g
Carbohydrates: 10.02 g
40 min. Video recipe Print
The berries must be properly prepared - sorted, cleared of debris, then washed under low pressure of water. With the exception of raspberries, since they then turn into mush when frozen.
After this, we lay the fruits in one layer on a napkin, paper or cotton towels so that there is a distance between them. Leave for 1.5-2 hours so that they dry completely and not a drop of moisture remains. This step should not be skipped under any circumstances, since the water, turning into ice, increases in volume and can crush the frozen fruits.
In order for the berries to retain their vitamins and nutrients for as long as possible, it is best to cool them a little before freezing. To do this, pour the fruits into a container and put them in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Thanks to pre-cooling, during the freezing process they will remain crumbly and will not turn into porridge.
After 2 hours, distribute the berries into plastic containers or plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Different types of berries can be stored either separately from each other or together. It depends entirely on your preferences.
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"Freezing" - benefit or harm?
The question of whether frozen berries are healthy is of increased interest. It has been established that there is no particular difference in their properties compared to fresh ones. This must be taken into account when consuming. The benefits of the prepared product depend on the type of freezing and the type of berries.
For example, raspberries, viburnum, rose hips and black currants in any form are an excellent medicine during the flu and cold season, blueberries are extremely beneficial for vision, and cranberries are recommended for various heart diseases. Lingonberries are used for liver and kidney diseases, neuroses, gastritis with low acidity, and hypertension. It is also used as a component of anti-aging face masks. The only difference between frozen berries in all cases will be the method of preparing medicinal products from them.
Many experts say that out of season it is much healthier to eat frozen berries than those brought from warm countries. The big advantage of the preparations is their low calorie content, in contrast to compotes, jams, and preserves that contain a lot of sugar. Therefore, you can safely decorate the menu with frozen berries for those who dream of losing weight.
As for the harm, if fresh raspberries or, for example, blueberries are contraindicated for someone, then they should not be consumed frozen. Caution is a good idea if you have diabetes. We also must not forget that berries, especially red ones, are quite a strong allergen, and frozen ones are no exception. Therefore, if you are predisposed to allergies, you need to consume them little by little, carefully monitoring the body’s reaction.
Are vitamins stored?
During heat treatment, as is known, any berries and fruits lose some of their beneficial substances. Therefore, many are interested in whether vitamins are preserved in frozen berries? Experts believe that definitely - yes. Of course, not in full force, but the losses are small. Freezing makes it possible to preserve the beneficial properties of the product by 90%. The taste also does not suffer.
This is a big plus, since the berries contain many vitamins B, C, A and minerals, which are simply necessary in the winter, when the human body is depleted and suffers from vitamin deficiency.
Recipe for blast freezing berries
Shock freezing allows the berries to retain their appearance, taste, and the entire range of vitamins and minerals closer to their original appearance. This type of preparation is available at home only if there is a quick freezing function on the freezer.
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Number of servings: 10
Energy value
- calorie content - 51.00 kcal;
- proteins - 1.25 g;
- fats - 0.42 g;
- carbohydrates - 10.02 g.
Ingredients
- berries (raspberries, strawberries, wild strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, black currants, etc.) - the type and quantity is determined individually.
Step-by-step preparation
- First, wash all the berries. We sort them out from debris, twigs, leaves, stalks, and remove spoiled fruits.
- It is very important to thoroughly dry all the berries after washing. Although during shock freezing the water does not have time to expand much and spoil the fruit, it is still better if it is not there at all.
- After this, place the berries on a tray or cutting board (if the fruits will be stored in plastic containers, you can use them immediately, but do not close the lids).
- Place the tray in the freezer and turn on the fast freezing mode for 20-30 minutes. Then we return to the current mode.
- If containers were used, you just need to close the lids. If there is a pallet, then we pack the berries into bags. Now we put them back in the freezer for storage. You can mix assorted berries or store each type separately from each other.
Recipe for dry freezing berries
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Number of servings: 10
Energy value
- calorie content - 51.00 kcal;
- proteins - 1.25 g;
- fats - 0.42 g;
- carbohydrates - 10.02 g.
Ingredients
- berries (raspberries, wild strawberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, cherries, blueberries, etc.) - quantity and type are taken individually, depending on availability.
Step-by-step preparation
- We wash the berries, sort them out, remove spoiled ones, remove debris, twigs, and leaves.
- Then we dry it. To do this, place the fruits in one layer on napkins or paper towels (cotton ones can be used) and leave until completely dry. When dry freezing, it is very important that after washing there is not a drop of moisture left on them.
- When the berries are dry, place them on a tray (cutting board or large, but flat container), after wrapping it in cling film. It should be laid out in one layer so that there is space between the fruits.
- Place the tray in the freezer for about 4 hours.
- After the required time has passed, we take out the berries and pack them in plastic containers or plastic bags. We close it so that a minimum amount of air remains inside, and put it back in the freezer, where they will be stored.
Recipe for freezing ground berries (in a blender)
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Number of servings: 10
Energy value
- calorie content - 108.00 kcal;
- proteins - 1.25 g;
- fats - 0.42 g;
- carbohydrates - 25.40 g.
Ingredients
- berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, currants, etc.). The type and quantity is an individual choice. The only thing is that for puree it is better to select fruits that are most compatible with each other;
- sugar - approximately 3 tbsp. spoons per 500 g of berries (less or more, depending on taste preferences).
Step-by-step preparation
- Rinse the berries under a gentle stream of cold water. To do this, it is better to use a colander or sieve. We remove debris, twigs, leaves, stalks and spoiled fruits.
- Leave the berries in a colander to drain all the water.
- If necessary, remove the seeds. It is not necessary to peel the skin unless it is too hard.
- Using a blender, grind the berries into a puree. Add sugar and mix.
- Let the mixture sit for 1-2 hours.
- Pour the puree into a pre-prepared container. You can use small plastic containers or, for example, silicone molds.
- We put the resulting product in the freezer. When using molds, transfer the frozen puree into a plastic bag and close tightly.
In winter, all that remains is to defrost the puree and use it for different dishes. You can, for example, make a smoothie or sauce for pancakes or pancakes, or add the mixture to milkshakes.
Freezing secrets
Housewives often think about the question: Do they need to blanch berries before freezing? Vegetables usually go through this stage, but it is not required for tender fruits. The exception is sometimes apricot. But we must remember that during blanching some vitamins are lost.
Only fresh berries are used for freezing; it is advisable to prepare them a few hours after harvesting. This way, maximum vitamins will be preserved. Overripe fruits are not suitable; after defrosting they will turn into “porridge”.
The duration of frozen storage affects the amount of nutrients contained in the product.
It is best to freeze berries (whole or pureed) in small portions for one preparation. If different types of berries will be stored separately from each other, then before putting the preparation in the freezer, it is best to label each container. It is easier to make labels indicating the name of the product, the date and month of freezing. Then in the future it will be easy to find exactly what you need in the freezer.
It is best to defrost any berries gradually, without using a microwave oven or hot water. To begin with, simply transfer the desired container to the refrigerator, overnight. When it thaws, continue defrosting at room temperature. The exception is puree, which can even be heated in the microwave if it is used as a sauce (instead of jam or condensed milk). But when preparing a smoothie, you can put even not completely defrosted berries or puree into a blender; in this way, you can preserve the maximum vitamins during defrosting.
How long can you store
The shelf life of frozen berries is about 8 months. However, after this period they will not deteriorate and will not lose their taste. The only downside is that the fruits begin to lose their beneficial properties over time.
When storing, it is better to avoid direct contact of the berries with the cold air of the freezer. Because of this, they can dry out and also absorb foreign odors.
In what container should I store it?
The most common packaging for freezing berries is plastic containers and plastic bags. But you can also use, for example, disposable cups. The absence of lids is not a problem; they are simply wrapped in cling film. This method is convenient in small portions. You can defrost one or more cups, depending on the amount of product required. Repeated freezing of berries is extremely undesirable, so it is better to use the entire thawed portion immediately.
If you don't have anything on hand, you can freeze fruits in glass jars and even bottles. Many people fear that such containers will burst in the freezer or when thawed. If you do not fill this dish to the top and do not close the lid tightly, then everything will be fine.
On our website there are many videos, photos, pictures with step-by-step descriptions of recipes - thanks to them you can make healthy preparations and delicious dishes.
Frozen berries are considered one of the best sources of all kinds of vitamins in winter. The freezing process is very fast and not labor-intensive. But what a result! After all, there are a lot of recipes for preparing various dishes and drinks from such berry semi-finished products. Compotes, smoothies, pies and puff pastries, all kinds of desserts - all this perfectly diversifies the winter diet. And the taste of your favorite berries will remind you of a hot sunny summer over and over again.
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Lingonberries germinate in May, and must be harvested in August or September. Ripe lingonberries have a bright red or juicy pink color, have a sweet and sour taste and have beneficial properties. That is why the question often arises of how to properly store lingonberries so that they retain all their beneficial properties for a long time and do not spoil.
Shelf life: 10 days
When fresh and at home at temperatures from 18C to 25C degrees, lingonberries can retain their beneficial properties for 10 days, without any heat treatment. Just rinse the lingonberries thoroughly and place them in a wicker basket or other container convenient for you, preferably wooden.
Storing frozen lingonberries
Shelf life: 2-4 months
The most common way to store lingonberries for a long period is to freeze them.
To do this you need:
- Carefully sort out the lingonberries, discarding unripe, overripe and rotten fruits, since only ripe and whole lingonberries can be properly frozen. Good lingonberries are always strong and have a thick skin - they should not shrink when pressed lightly;
- Rinse the lingonberries in cold water;
- Place on a towel or dry in a colander;
- Place the dried berries in plastic containers or a tightly closed bag;
- Place in the freezer for storage.
Sometimes there are problems with complete drying of lingonberries, so we recommend freezing them in two stages. To begin, pour the berries in one small layer onto a tray or container and place them in the freezer to freeze. Once frozen, pour them into a plastic bag, tie them tightly and place them back in the freezer.
Storage in a basement or cellar
Shelf life: 3 months
A temperature of 3-5 degrees Celsius is the ideal condition for storing fresh lingonberries. These conditions can be achieved by storing berries in a dark basement or cellar with moderate humidity. To do this, pour cold boiled water over the lingonberries, and in case of severe frosts, drain the water and place the berries in a wooden container or basket. Under such storage conditions, lingonberries retain their beneficial properties and taste as much as possible.
Storing pickled lingonberries
Shelf life: 2-12 months
Soaking lingonberries is one of the most popular ways to store them fresh, as they can retain their beneficial properties for a long time.
First you need to sort out the ripe and whole berries and rinse them in cold boiled water, pour them onto a sieve and wait until the water drains. For a liter of water where the lingonberries will be stored, you need a couple of tablespoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, add cloves and cinnamon and boil for about 10 minutes, then cool.
Then place the berries in a glass jar and fill them with the resulting syrup in a ratio of 1:2, respectively, close with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator or basement. After 2 months, the berries will become soft, you will have reddish lingonberry water, which perfectly quenches thirst, improves metabolism and relieves hangovers.
Storing canned lingonberries with sugar
Shelf life: 1 week
Wash the berries, remove debris and pour into a glass jar without drying. Then add half a glass of sugar, cover with a lid and store in a dark place for about a week. The volume of the resulting mixture will decrease, but you can increase it by adding more berries and sugar at your discretion.
Storing steamed lingonberries
Shelf life: 12 months
Sort out the berries from debris, rinse in cold water, put in a saucepan, cover with a lid and put in the oven for about 2 hours. During these 2 hours, the lingonberries will acquire a disgusting gray color and significantly decrease in volume. After steaming, transfer the berries to glass jars, close the lids and place in the basement or refrigerator.
Storing in its own juice
Shelf life: 4-6 days
Wash the lingonberries thoroughly, dry them in a towel or colander and place them in jars so that each of them is no more than 1/3 full. After this, use a wooden spoon to press the top of the berries with such force that the juice begins to stand out.
Once you have squeezed all the juice out of the first layer, add another layer of lingonberries on top and continue squeezing juice, adding more berries on top, until the jars are full. Cover the jars with a lid and let them sit for a few days. Later, the level of the mixture in the containers will become lower, after which, if desired, you can fill the containers with berries and place them in the refrigerator.
Storing as jelly
Shelf life: 3-4 days
To begin with, the sorted and washed lingonberries are boiled in their own juice (you already know how to get the juice from the previous paragraph) in a frying pan until the berries burst. After this, the resulting mixture must be filtered through a clean cloth, for example, gauze, and add sugar to the resulting lingonberry juice at the rate of 5 cups of sugar per 4 cups of lingonberries. Then boil the mixture again, cool and pour into jars for further storage in the refrigerator.
Storing dried lingonberries
Shelf life: 12 months
To obtain dried lingonberries, it is necessary to separate ripe from unripe berries, leaves and other debris. Then preheat the oven to 60 degrees Celsius and spread the lingonberries in a thin layer on a baking sheet, then place them in the oven. To prevent the berries from burning, you need to stir them from time to time. After complete drying, pour the lingonberries into a jar, cover with a lid and place for further storage in a dark place.
Dried lingonberries practically do not lose their beneficial properties, and they can be used to prepare various dishes and drinks.
Lingonberries are included in the list of the most useful berries that grow in Russia. It is not only tasty, but also effective for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. It can be added to a variety of dishes and drinks. You can read about the benefits and harms of this berry on our website.
Many people know lingonberries only in the form of frozen berries purchased in the supermarket, because this low-growing berry shrub has become a favorite mainly in the northern part of Eurasia.
And there, among pines, spruces and deciduous trees, lingonberries sometimes grow in a continuous carpet. There are a lot of this berries in swamps and alpine meadows. But the most delicious lingonberries are those that grow in dry places among pine trees.
Useful and medicinal properties of lingonberries
- The leaves contain quinic, ursolic, gallic, tartaric, ellagic, and ascorbic acid.
- The berries contain sugars, pectins, carotene, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, acids (citric, oxalic, hydroxypyruvic, malic, benzoic, glyoxylic, pyruvic, acetic), tannins.
- The leaves have anti-inflammatory, astringent, and diuretic effects.
- The berries have a choleretic effect.
- Lingonberry leaves are used in the treatment of pyelonephritis, diabetes, and prostatitis.
- Decoctions of lingonberry leaves are prescribed for pneumonia and bronchitis.
- In the form of gargling, a decoction is used to treat sore throats, tonsillitis, stomatitis, and gingivitis.
- The berries have a strong diuretic effect.
- Lingonberry juice lowers the temperature.
- Leaves and berries are a strong antimicrobial agent.
- Lingonberries are used to make jam, compotes, juices and fillings for pies and sweets. It is also served as a side dish for meat dishes.
Many people, knowing the medicinal properties of lingonberries, prepare this tasty berry, as well as its leaves, for future use.
How to harvest lingonberry leaves
Inexperienced harvesters make one big mistake by starting to collect leaves when the plant is flowering, believing that this is when they contain the most nutrients. And then they are surprised that the leaves have darkened.
But, unlike other plants, the collection of lingonberry leaves is carried out when the snow just begins to melt, and continues until the flowering of this shrub begins, which occurs in May-June.
Collect adult leaves that have survived the winter. The fact is that lingonberry is an evergreen shrub and it does not shed its leaves.
The second stage of harvesting occurs in autumn, when the young leaves have already grown and become stronger, and the berries have ripened.
The leaves of lingonberry are small, no more than 3 cm long, alternate, oblong and sit on short pubescent petioles. They are torn off by hand, tearing off the leaves from bottom to top.
Some people cut off whole branches and dry them that way. And after that they are threshed. But this method causes significant damage to plants and reduces their number.
When collecting leaves, pay attention to their appearance, since plants are often affected by fungus, causing the leaves to curl and turn pale. Such leaves are not suitable for harvesting.
The leaves are dried in a dry place that is well ventilated: in a room, in the attic. They are laid out on fabric in a thin layer and stirred often because they are thick, leathery and take a long time to dry. During drying, the raw material should not be exposed to sunlight. As a result, the leaves will turn brown and will no longer be suitable for further use.
They can be dried in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40°.
Then the dried leaves are sorted, removing the blackened ones, as well as those impurities that got in during the collection process.
Store raw materials in canvas bags or paper bags in a dry, dark place for up to 3 years.
How to prepare lingonberries
Lingonberries ripen late August – early September. Then they turn from greenish-white to bright red.
Lingonberries are harvested in dry weather, away from highways and industrial enterprises.
The berries are sorted, removing spoiled, overripe, and greenish ones. The stalks and leaves are torn off.
How to dry lingonberries
- Lingonberries are dried in a dryer or oven. It is laid out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and placed in the oven.
- Drying is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 60° for several hours. If the berries are placed in the oven, then keep the door ajar so that they do not lock.
- The berries are stirred periodically to ensure uniform drying.
- When they stop releasing liquid, take out the baking sheet and leave it at room temperature so that the berries are completely dry.
Store dried lingonberries in an airtight glass container in a dry, dark place.
How to freeze lingonberries
- Lingonberries are sorted, since only whole and ripe berries are suitable for freezing.
- Wash thoroughly in cold running water.
- Dry in a colander or place on a towel.
- Place in portioned plastic containers.
- If the berries are not dry enough, they can be frozen in two stages. First, the berries are laid out in a single layer on a tray and placed in the freezer to freeze. And then they are poured into a plastic bag and tied well.
- Place in the freezer for further storage.
How to store lingonberries fresh
Due to the presence of benzoic acid in these berries, they do not spoil for a very long time. Therefore, they can easily be stored fresh until the next harvest, without heat treatment.
Method 1. Soaked lingonberries
- The berries are sorted and washed in cold boiled water.
- Pour into glass jars or other container.
- Pour in a 5% sugar solution.
- Store in a cool place.
Method 2
The berries are poured with cold water and stored in a cool place for a long time.
Method 3 (old-fashioned)
- Small and crushed berries are poured into a container.
- Coat the neck with dough and place in the oven after baking the bread.
- The next day, the berries are drained in a colander.
- The juice is used for compotes, and the berries are pureed.
- Combine with sugar in a 1:1 ratio and stir thoroughly.
- Large lingonberries are washed and then carefully mixed with lingonberry puree. Such berries are stored in a cool place until the next harvest.
Method 4
- Wash the lingonberries and pour them into a large container, filling only halfway.
- They place the load.
- After the berries give juice, add sugar (400 g of sugar per 1 kg of berries) and pour cold water to the top.
- Cover with a lid and store in a cool place.
Method 5. Lingonberries in their own juice
- Clean berries are placed in jars, filling one third full.
- Lightly crush them with a spoon.
- When the juice is released and the berries have settled a little, add more lingonberries. This way the entire jar is filled.
- They put pressure on it and leave the jar for several days.
- Then add a few more berries, cover with lids and put them in the refrigerator or cellar.
- In Ukraine, lingonberry water mixed with honey is prescribed for tuberculosis.
- In Siberia, licorice root, as well as sour milk, chicory or bread crusts, were previously added to the water for soaking lingonberries.
- In Ukraine, soaked lingonberries are harvested together with Antonov apples.
If you freeze lingonberries correctly, they will retain their almost original appearance and all their beneficial properties. The process of such freezing is very simple:
- The first thing to do before freezing is to sort the berries. It is necessary to select all green or overripe fruits that have burst and released juice. You also need to remove leaves and twigs;
- The berries should be washed well in a colander or saucepan;
- Then the lingonberries need to be dried. To do this, lay it out in one layer on a flat surface. When the berries are completely dry, they are examined again to ensure they are not bruised;
- Dried lingonberries should be poured into a freezer bag or container and placed in the freezer.
Berries frozen in this way can be stored until the next season.
Frozen lingonberries completely retain their original taste, and therefore can be used, including in cooking.
How to wash lingonberries before freezing
Lingonberries must be sorted and washed before freezing. If this is not done, green or rotten fruits may remain in the berries, which can cause the entire preparation to deteriorate. If you wash and sort lingonberries after defrosting, the berries will become very bruised and release juice. They will not look fresh and are only suitable for making compote.
The sorted fruits can be washed in a colander or saucepan. It is advisable to wash them in small portions so that they do not wrinkle. Some of the berries need to be poured into a colander and rinsed under running water. The pressure should not be strong so that it does not damage the peel.
If you don't have a colander, you can use a saucepan or other container. To do this, you need to pour water into it, and then lower the lingonberries. It needs to be rinsed, changing the water a couple of times. Then the berries need to be taken out of the water and spread out to dry. When washed in a container, lingonberries wrinkle less than when using a colander.
In this case, the berries were washed before sorting them - wrinkled and spoiled fruits are visible
To dry, the fruits are laid out on large dishes, plates or any flat surface. It is important that the lingonberries are not exposed to the sun, and that the room is not too hot. The drying process is no less important, because if moisture remains, the berries will stick together when frozen.
Wet berries also have more volume and weight after freezing than dry ones.
How to freeze berries so they don't stick together
So that the berries do not stick together, but remain whole and crumbly, so-called shock or dry freezing is used. The first involves the use of very low temperatures, and this is the method used to freeze fruits and vegetables in industrial conditions.
A few hours before placing the fruit in the freezer, the temperature in it is lowered to minimum values. Ideally, this is -20-24°C. Pre-prepared lingonberries, folded into containers or portioned bags, are placed in the freezer for 2-4 hours, after which the temperature in it can be returned to standard values. At very low temperatures, the berries freeze quickly, and large ice crystals do not have time to form in the liquid inside them. Thanks to this, the lingonberry peel remains intact, and after defrosting it has a fresh appearance.
The second method involves freezing lingonberries in parts. To do this, first free up as much space as possible in the freezer. Then they take part of the washed and dried lingonberries and place them on a dish or tray in one layer. The berries are placed in the freezer, and when they freeze and become hard, they are poured into containers prepared for long-term storage. So gradually all the lingonberries are frozen in batches. The photo below shows a portion of berries before freezing:
...and after it:
It is very important that the berries are completely dry before freezing. If there is even a little moisture left, they will stick together. It is also important to ensure that the fruits do not defrost. After re-freezing, their appearance will definitely deteriorate.
How to defrost lingonberries before eating
How lingonberries will look depends not only on the correct freezing and storage, but also on the defrosting method. This can be done in at least three ways, but only one of them will keep it intact and not wrinkled.
It is best to remove the lingonberries from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator. There it will defrost gradually over 5-8 hours. At the same time, it will not let in the juice and its appearance and beneficial properties will be preserved as much as possible.
If you need to defrost the berries faster, this can be done at room temperature. Under such conditions, they will be ready for consumption in 1-3 hours or faster, depending on the quantity. The disadvantage of this method is that lingonberries release a lot of juice.
Due to the release of juice during rapid defrosting, the taste of the fruit may change slightly.
For the fastest defrosting, berries can be placed in the microwave. It is worth considering that they will not only release juice and lose their appearance, but will also lose some of their beneficial properties.
Little tricks for freezing berries
There are many little tricks that can make the freezing process at home even easier and better. Here are some of them:
- You can use paper towels to dry lingonberries. If you spread them on a table or other surface and put berries on top, the paper will absorb excess moisture. You can also place towels on top of the berries, this will speed up the process even more;
- You can freeze fruits in special slider bags for freezing or regular polypropylene bags with a glue valve. In them, the berries can be laid out in one layer, and stacked one on one in the freezer;
- Most modern freezers have a “quick freeze” function designed specifically for freezing fruits and vegetables. It involves lowering the temperature to the lowest possible level for several hours. Thanks to this, the berries are preserved in their original form;
- The mashed lingonberries that remain after sorting can also be frozen. To do this, they are ground into puree with or without added sugar and briquettes are formed from them;
- Frozen lingonberries can easily be confused with cranberries or other red berries, so when storing different fruits, you can stick pieces of paper on bags or containers with the name and date of harvest.
The shelf life of lingonberries depends on the temperature in the freezer. If it is -18 °C or less, the berries can be stored for a year, and if the temperature is about -10-12 °C or higher, the preparations should be used within 4 months.
Interesting video: the process of freezing berries using cranberries as an example