In the beautiful autumn time, it's time to make sure that there is something to please your family on winter evenings: fragrant tea with jam or fragrant pie with apple slices.
And more and more housewives in this matter prefer freezing berries and fruits, because they will contain much more vitamins and useful trace elements than in thermally processed fruits, that is, in the same jam or canned compote.
Freezing berries at home is no longer a curiosity, but not everyone freezes apples for the winter. But in vain, because this storage method has significant advantages:
- Frozen fruits preserve vitamins and minerals, and when cooking, many useful substances are lost;
- Having made a harvest, you will always be sure that the fruits have not been subjected to any chemical treatment, which cannot be said about the same apples from the store, which look suspiciously “fresh” even when a new crop is already ripe on the tree branches, and they are still lying on store shelves;
- You will greatly facilitate and speed up the subsequent process of preparing your favorite dishes, since the fruits will already be prepared (washed, peeled and cut).
Any sweet and sour apples are chosen for freezing, but you need to know that the taste and texture of these fruits will change slightly after defrosting. For the preparation of pies, it is better to take apples of the Jonathan, Golden Delicious varieties, as they will retain their shape best, but the Fuji or Gala varieties will retain the sweet aftertaste.
Freezing Rules
For successful freezing of fruits for the winter, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- With It is necessary to choose fresh, ripe, dense and not deformed fruits;
- before freezing, apples must certainly be washed and dried, since undried slices will stick together when frozen, and instead of neat and beautiful slices, you will get one incomprehensible lump;
- frozen fruits should be put in an airtight container or plastic bag how denser (the denser they are laid, the less moisture they will lose and, accordingly, they will better retain their properties).
Thawed fruits can no longer be re-frozen, so care must be taken in advance that portions of frozen fruits are not very large, sufficient for use at a time.
Before freezing at home, apples must be washed, the stalk and core removed, peeled (this is not necessary, frozen slices can also be cleaned later) and cut into pieces. The shape and size of the pieces (slices, circles or cubes) can be chosen at your discretion.
Preparing apples for freezing
So, small cubes will take up less space in the freezer and allow you to make more supplies. And apples cut into circles or slices will have a more aesthetic appearance and are perfect not only as a filling, but also for decorating pies and rolls.
So that the slices do not darken when frozen, they are kept in salted or acidified water for 15 minutes. This won't affect the flavor, but it will prevent oxidation and help keep it looking good.
An important role in the storage of such winter blanks is played by the temperature maintained by the freezer. The most suitable for freezing is -18ºС. In this case, frozen fruits will be stored for up to 1 year. At temperatures from 0 ºС to -8 ºС to store apples, it decreases only up to three months.
So that summer preparations can please you longer, follow some simple rules:
- Do not store frozen food for too long;
- sign the date of freezing and the variety that was used;
- store fruits separately from vegetables.
Freezing slices
- Dry the prepared apples thoroughly on a towel;
- after that, carefully arrange the slices on a baking sheet, cutting board or tray covered with plastic wrap, so that the slices do not touch each other. The use of cellophane is in principle not necessary., however, it greatly helps to collect frozen slices (if you decide to do without it, be sure to make sure that the surface on which you will spread the fruits is completely dry);
- place the unfolded slices in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours;
- collect frozen slices in bags or containers and send to the freezer for storage.
This method of freezing allows you to store fruits for 9 - 12 months.
Apples in syrup
- prepare sugar syrup by taking 2 parts of sugar to 3 parts of water;
- pour the prepared apples with syrup, while it should completely cover the slices (you can lightly press them down with a lid or plate);
- after 3 - 5 minutes, remove the slices and put them in a bag in a thin layer, send them to the freezer.
Such fruits are stored up to 12 months.
Freezing in sugar
- prepare apples and sugar by taking 2/3 cup of sugar for every 3 cups of fruit;
- put the sliced \u200b\u200bfruits soaked in acidified water in a saucepan, sprinkling with sugar;
- gently mix the fruit with sugar;
- Divide the resulting mixture into bags or food containers and send it to the freezer.
These fruits will keep for up to 12 months.
Frozen applesauce
- Peel the washed apples from the peel, stalk and core, cut into small pieces;
- put them in an aluminum or enamel pan and put on a small fire (sugar is not needed in this case);
- simmer the fruit until the puree is thick enough;
- pour the resulting puree into containers, and, tightly closing the lid, place in the freezer.
You need to use the resulting puree up to 9 - 12 months.
Whole frozen apples
- Dry thoroughly washed fruits with a towel;
- don't cut the apples. If you want to use peeled fruits, then place them in acidified water and dry;
- carefully fold the fruit in a container, bag or wrap with cling film;
- place in the freezer to freeze and store.
Such a preparation should be stored for no more than 6 months.
So, you have decided on how to freeze apples. And if you are not going to freeze them whole or mash them, then you need to make sure that they retain their snow-white appearance and do not darken. To do this, it is important to follow a few rules:
- Prepare fruit in small batches: do not immediately peel a lot of fruits so that they do not have time to darken while you cut the slices;
- immediately immerse the sliced \u200b\u200bin slices in acidified water (5 g of citric acid is required for 1 liter of water);
- instead of acidified, salted water is also suitable (30 g of salt is used per 4 liters of water), which will also help avoid oxidation and perfectly preserve the fruits.
What then to cook from such apples?
From frozen apples, you can cook a fairly large number of different dishes:
- If you froze whole fruits, then they are well suited for baking, both whole and in halves (for piquancy, add nuts, honey, cottage cheese filling to them, or just sprinkle sugar on top);
- sugared apples are a great base for a sweet dessert, smoothie or cocktail;
- applesauce is used for filling pies, buns, as the first fruit food for a baby or in the preparation of various sauces. It will also be a substitute for butter or jam in sweet sandwiches, and if you love to cook marshmallows, marshmallows or sorbets, then puree will help make these sweets not only tasty, but also fast enough to prepare;
- if you add frozen berries (cherries, strawberries or raspberries) to apple slices, and take lemon juice for flavor, you get an excellent compote;
- apple slices can be used as a filling and decoration for pies, charlottes, cakes, cupcakes and strudel. Appetizing and hearty pancakes are obtained with such a filling.
- frozen apples will be not only a part of dessert or pastry, but also an addition to savory dishes: stuffing for baked duck or a component of a festive salad. They also make savory sauces for meat dishes.
Defrost fruit slowly. You can put the dishes with apples in the refrigerator and wait until they are completely defrosted.
Freezing apples is not at all difficult, as it seems at first glance. Having given a piece of time to this simple procedure, you will not only save a piece of summer, but will also use its gifts for the benefit of yourself and your family!
Not in every family it is customary to freeze apples for the winter. However, if you know how to properly freeze apples for the winter, you can provide yourself with vitamins all year round. From frozen fruits, you can make both a delicious pie and prepare mashed potatoes for a child.
Properly prepared fruits will be able to delight with their taste and benefits. As a rule, apples are frozen both in pieces and as a whole. A few practical tips will help you properly harvest the fruits:
- Choose always fresh apples. The fruits should not be wrinkled and without wormholes. Use ripe fruits of any variety.
- So that apple blanks do not darken during the freezing process, they should first be soaked in cool water with citric acid.
- Frozen pieces will take up less space in the freezer. Before the freezing procedure, the ingredients are thoroughly washed and must be dried. Otherwise, you will get a continuous lump of sticky slices. Be sure to cut out the core with seeds.
- Fruits are best stored in special freezer bags or containers. So that they lose less moisture, they should be packed tightly to each other.
- The ideal freezing temperature is minus 18 degrees. Shelf life is up to 12 months.
It is not allowed to re-freeze the fruits, as well as store them for more than a year. If the volume of the freezer allows, it is better to isolate them from vegetables and other products.
Recipes for freezing apples in the freezer for the winter
One of the most popular ways to freeze apples is in the form of slices. Chopped ingredients do not take up much space in the freezer, they are convenient to store. How to freeze apples for the winter in the freezer, a step-by-step recipe will help. The amount of fruit depends on the volume of the freezer.
Ingredients:
- apples of any variety - 3 kg;
- citric acid - 7 g;
- freezer bags.
Rinse the indicated number of apples with running water, wipe with a towel. Next, cut to remove the seed part, the stalks. It is not necessary to cut the skin. Especially if the blanks are provided for compote. Cut into slices or nice circles.
Dissolve citric acid in a small amount of water, immerse the chopped apples. The procedure is needed to prevent the darkening of the pulp and the pieces are better preserved.
Next, dry the slices on a cloth napkin. Spread parchment on a large baking sheet, carefully lay out the chopped components. It is important to ensure that they do not touch each other. Place blanks in the freezer.
After 2.5 - 3 hours, remove the pieces and transfer to a freezer bag. The less air gets into the storage container, the better the taste and benefits in the fruits will be preserved. Store packaged frozen apples for the winter for 6-8 months.
Whole
Freezing fresh apples as a whole is not a novelty for a long time, but rarely does anyone use this method. In winter, you want to get the maximum benefit, and purchased fruits contain nitrates. Shock freezing country apples completely preserves vitamins, and allows them to be widely used for various dishes.
Ingredients:
- fresh apples - 1.5 kg;
- ascorbic acid - 10 g;
- drinking water - 50 ml.
Wash apples and dry thoroughly. Since the fruit is frozen whole, the skin does not need to be cut off. However, you can carefully cut the core with a thin knife, while maintaining the integrity of the apple.
Dissolve ascorbic acid in water, immerse fruits for 20 minutes. The solution will help keep the light color of the pulp.
Dry before freezing, it is advisable to place each fruit in a separate small freezer bag. Don't forget to let the air out of the bag. Place whole fruits in the freezer.
It is permissible to store apple blanks in their entirety for no more than six months at a temperature of -18 -20 ° С.
For filling pies and charlotte
Frozen apples significantly save time and simplify the cooking process. It is enough to defrost prepared and peeled fruits. The recipe is useful for making charlotte or sweet buns.
Ingredients:
- fresh apples - 7 pcs.;
- citric acid - 5 g;
- filtered water - 1 l;
- freezer bags sealed.
Rinse aromatic apples and cut into pieces. It is necessary to remove the stalks, core with seeds. Grind into circles or slices.
Prepare an acidic solution. To do this, mix citric acid with water. You can use natural lemon juice. Place apple slices in the resulting solution. Withstand 15 - 20 minutes.
After the specified time, put the ingredients on a flat surface, dry. Place dry slices in sealed bags or containers. Put in the freezer, after 30 minutes shake the bag so that the slices do not stick together. Frozen apples for the winter for charlotte and sweet pies can be used at any time.
For complementary foods
If the feeding period coincided with the cold season, you should take care of the quality of food in advance. Frozen apples from the garden are good for babies because they retain more than 90% of all vitamins. For baby food, use green apples for the first time, they do not cause allergies.
Ingredients:
- fresh apples - 10 pcs.;
- water - 70 ml;
- freezer containers.
Rinse the fruits, wipe dry. Cut out the core, do not allow seeds to get into the blanks. Cut the prepared fruits into squares.
Next, prepare applesauce. To do this, put the ingredients in an enamel pan, put on fire. To prevent the apples from burning, pour in a small amount of water. Do not add sugar. Simmer apple slices over low heat until they boil into a thick mass. Cook for 25-30 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.
Treat the containers with boiling water, put applesauce, close the lids tightly. Place food preparations in the freezer. The shelf life of frozen applesauce is not more than a year. Usually blanks are used no later than 9 months later.
In sugar syrup
For the preparation of sweet dishes, apples frozen in sugar syrup are well suited. Also blanks are used for filling in pies or in compote.
Ingredients:
- apples - 1.5 kg;
- water - 3 glasses;
- sugar - 2 cups.
Wash the fruit, cut into slices, remove the seed part. Put in a deep bowl.
Prepare sweet syrup. Dissolve sugar in water, pour over apple slices with the resulting syrup. It is important that the liquid completely covers them. Cover the contents of the bowl tightly with a plate or lid. The components should soak for 5 to 7 minutes.
Pack in a thin layer in sealed bags, releasing excess air from the container. Put in the freezer, the freezing temperature should be minus 18 - 20 degrees. The shelf life of blanks for the winter does not exceed 12 months.
Freezing apples is the most ideal way to preserve them if there is a lot of harvest, and there is simply not enough time to determine it. In winter, you can cook a lot of different desserts from them, use them for confectionery purposes. To freeze apples in large quantities, you need to get a capacious freezer.
What varieties of apples are best for freezing
Before learning a step-by-step recipe on how to freeze apples for the winter, you first need to know which varieties are ideal for this.
Another very simple way that will help you find out if the fruits are suitable for further freezing at home. To do this, peel the apple and put it on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for literally 10 minutes. The conclusion should be as follows: if the fruit does not darken, this variety is ideal for further freezing.
Benefits of freezing apples at home
Many housewives freeze berries for the winter, but is it possible to freeze apples? It needs to be done! After all, this storage method is endowed with the following advantages:
- Frozen preserves all useful trace elements and vitamins.
- They have a long shelf life, up to 9 months when processed with special solutions.
- You can simplify and speed up the preparation of your favorite desserts and other dishes with apples. They will already be washed, cleaned and cut.
Before freezing, be sure to wash them under running water and a soft sponge and dry them. Fold in a bag or container as tightly as possible to each other. Then the apples will not stick together and lose less moisture. Accordingly, this will positively affect their preservation of useful qualities.
Preparing apples for freezing
First you need to select intact fruits, wash and dry. But it is not forbidden to use slightly spoiled fruits, after cutting off the rotten place.
It is not necessary to remove the peel, you can do this after the apples are frozen. If there is such a need, use a special knife for peeling vegetables and fruits.
After that, cut them into quarters or into small slices, remove the core and stalks. Whole apples are also frozen, but you still have to remove the core. Another disadvantage of this method is that they take up too much space in the freezer than slices.
The temperature regime for freezing apples in the freezer
This is a very important point to which special attention should be paid. So, at a temperature of -10-12 degrees, fruits can be stored for no more than 60 days. At extremely low temperatures, up to 10 months. A weak freezer for freezing apples is not suitable, despite the fact that it is ideal for berries. The best option is if she can keep the temperature at -23 degrees.
Methods for freezing apples
Before freezing these fruits, many people think about what form to choose: circles, pieces, slices, slices.
Frozen blast frozen apples
This is the fastest way to freeze at -23 degrees. To do this, turn on the "quick freeze" mode on the freezer.
Cut apples in the desired amount into slices and arrange them on a baking sheet or on cutting boards, but so that they do not touch each other. Put in the camera for a couple of hours, then put these slices into packages. Switch the freezer to normal operation.
Freezing apple slices
Arrange the pieces on dry trays or on cutting boards. Put in the freezer for 3 hours. After that, arrange in plastic bags in small portions. Pay attention to the air volume, it should be minimal. You can also use plastic jars, containers.
Freezing apples with syrup
To prepare the syrup, dissolve ascorbic acid (up to 1500 milligrams) and granulated sugar (450 g) in water (750 g). Soak sliced apples in this solution for 24 hours, then pour hot water over them, arrange on a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Place cooled apples in plastic bags. As a result, you get a very tasty apple dessert that can be stored for a very long time.
Freezing apple puree
There is nothing complicated in this recipe. Boil the peeled slices for an hour, chop with a blender. Arrange in plastic containers, use as a filling for pies or prepare baby food.
Proportions: for 1 kilogram of apples you will need 100 grams of granulated sugar. Feel free to add sweetener if you don't want to.
Freezing whole apples
Soak washed dried apples in a solution of water (50 gr.) And ascorbic acid (1500 milligrams). Then everything is according to the previous recipe: arrange in containers or plastic bags, remember about air. Their storage period should not exceed six months.
Whole frozen apples with ascorbic acid
If you regularly bake apples with cinnamon and sugar, you need to freeze whole apples. And ascorbic acid, which is available at any pharmacy, will be used as a preservative.
Proportions: for 1 kg of apples you will need 1.5 liters of water, 50 grams of ascorbic acid. Crush the tablets and dilute them in water, or buy a ready-made powder for preparing solutions. Remove the core from the fruit, immerse it in the previously prepared composition for literally 5 minutes. Place each apple in a separate freezer bag. Send to the freezer.
Frozen apples with citric acid
This recipe will use citric acid as a homemade preservative. If desired, it can be replaced with lemon juice, this will not affect the quality of freezing apples.
For 2 kilograms of apples and 2 liters of water, take 10 gr. citric acid (or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice). Apples are also cut into arbitrary shapes, lowered into the prepared solution for 19 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Divide into bags, freeze.
Frozen apples in brine
Take 2-3 kg of fruit, 4 liters of water, 30 gr. table salt. First, dissolve the salt in the water, then start cutting the fruit. Dip them in the prepared saline solution for 5 minutes.
Take out with a slotted spoon, spread on paper napkins or a towel. Then you can proceed as follows: immediately decompose into bags and send to the freezer, or freeze on a baking sheet, then pack.
Dry freezing
Put the chopped apples on a tray, after wrapping it with polyethylene, leave it in the freezer for literally 3 hours at a temperature of -23 degrees.
After the previously specified time has elapsed, remove the fruits from the freezer, arrange them in bags. Set the mode in the chamber to -18 degrees, store them at this temperature until they are needed for sale.
Is it possible to freeze apples in the form of fresh fruit puree
The best way to prepare fillings for pies is chopped apples with a blender or meat grinder for subsequent freezing. You need to cut the fruit quickly before they start to darken.
Housewives recommend preparing mashed potatoes in small portions, immediately laying them out in containers and sending them to the freezer. Turn on the "quick freeze" mode. Store no more than 3 months. If you use applesauce to feed your baby, it must first be thawed at room temperature.
Shelf life of frozen apples
The period of their storage at a temperature regime equal to -18 degrees = 9 months. It can be more or less, depending on which method was used to freeze the apples.
Fruits that have been previously soaked in salt, sugar or lemon solution are stored the longest.
In cases where the freezer does not maintain low temperatures, fruits can also be frozen, but then they will be stored for 3 months. Plastic bags, plastic jars or containers are used as packaging. Be sure to release excess air, close the container tightly and sign the date of packaging. For convenience, you should also specify the variety of apples.
Protecting apples from browning when frozen in the freezer
Every housewife knows that apples begin to darken immediately after peeling. Therefore, to prevent this from happening when they are stored in the freezer, they should first be soaked in an acidic solution. To do this, dissolve 5 grams of citric acid in a liter of water (you can take freshly squeezed lemon juice). If you need more solution, for example, about 5 liters, increase the proportion of the components to the required volume.
Once the apples are cut, dip in this composition for twenty minutes. Thus, it will be possible to prevent them from darkening when stored in the freezer.
What are the health benefits of frozen apples?
It is worth saying that it is worth freezing apples for the winter, this blank will be an excellent filling for pies, pies, as well as for various desserts and compotes.
Now there are no problems with apples, they can be purchased on the market at any time of the year, but it is best to do this at the height of the season, they are more useful than, for example, in December with their artificial cultivation and subsequent processing.
It’s not worth talking about the benefits of frozen apples, because they are all preserved by 90 percent. This is justified by the fact that they do not previously undergo heat treatment, during which about 40-45 percent evaporate.
In the season of preparations, special emphasis should be placed on this preparation, especially since you can make mashed potatoes for a baby at any time, make compote or cook fragrant jam.
Frozen apples, as well as fresh ones, are used to diversify the diet menu after surgery, if there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract. They retain all the useful substances: phosphorus, iron, magnesium, copper, calcium, zinc and potassium. In addition, there are vitamins of the group "PP", "A", "B", "C" and others.
The apple is perhaps one of the most common fruits. At 80% it consists of water, which is very useful for the body, which in the hot summer period so often suffers from dehydration. The remaining 20% is fiber, carbohydrates and organic acids. Contains vitamins of groups B, A, C, E, PP, iron, potassium, iodine, magnesium, pectins, tannins and folic acid.
Interesting: green apples are the best source of iron, while red apples are rich in fructose. Yellow is very useful for immunity and vision. If the fruit has a pronounced sour taste, it contains a huge amount of vitamin C.
Fresh apples bring the most benefits. Of course, you can bake pies and make jams from it, but do not forget that almost all vitamins are lost during heat treatment. But what to do in winter? After all, it is almost impossible to find fresh fruit out of season. Those that are sold in stores, although they look like a picture, are more harmful to the body than useful, due to the huge content of nitrates and other chemicals in them. There is a great way to prepare apples for the winter, and at the same time preserve all their useful properties as much as possible - this is freezing.
Easy Apple Freezing Recipe
Ingredients
Servings: - + 10
- apples 1 kg
per serving
Calories: 44 kcal
Proteins: 0.4 g
Fats: 0.4 g
Carbohydrates: 9.8 g
10 min. Video recipe Print
- calorie content - 63.04 kcal;
- proteins - 0.52 g;
- fats - 0.12 g;
- carbohydrates - 14.26 g.
- apples - 500 g.
First of all, thoroughly rinse the apples under running cold water. You can do this in a basin or saucepan, but it is better to change the water 2-3 times so that the fruit is perfectly clean in the end. Then dry. It is convenient to just leave them or wipe them with paper towels.
Chop the apples into even slices, remove the cores and legs.
Put the cut pieces on a pallet (chopping board), after wrapping it with cling film. It is necessary to lay out so that the slices do not touch each other.
We remove the pallet in the freezer for 2-3 hours. This must be done as soon as possible so that the apples do not have time to turn yellow. If you have a large amount of fruit, it is better to cut and freeze them in pieces.
After the apples are frozen, use a wooden spatula to transfer them to a plastic container or bag. Seal tightly so that no air remains inside.
That's the whole secret of how to freeze apples for the winter. We send them back to the freezer, where they will be stored.
Freeze apple puree recipe for kids
Applesauce is quite common in baby food. For the first feeding and acquaintance of the baby with the fruit, it is best to use green apples. They practically do not cause allergies.
Time for preparing: 15 minutes
Servings: 5
The energy value
Ingredients
Step by step description of the process
- My apples, peel, we must try to cut as thin as possible. We remove the legs and cores.
- Using a blender, grind the fruit to a puree state.
- Arrange in small plastic containers and seal tightly.
- We send containers to the freezer.
Advice: homemade puree can be made sweet. Just boil the peeled apples in sugar syrup for a few minutes, and then beat them in a blender bowl.
Freezing Secrets
The downside of freezing apples for future use is that they tend to darken when light hits them. To prevent this from happening during storage, it is necessary to soak the apples in salted or acidified water.
The optimal solution is water with citric acid or juice. This will not affect the taste of the fruit in any way, but it will perfectly prevent oxidation.
Important: for such a solution, you just need to add 5 grams of citric acid to a liter of water and mix. Soak the apples for 10-15 minutes, and then start freezing.
When making puree, it's best to soak the apples before you put them in the blender. It is better to freeze apples in small portions, spreading them into bags or containers. This greatly simplifies the defrosting process in the future. For greater convenience, you can sign each package, indicating the date of freezing and the variety of apples on them.
How much can be stored
Frozen apples, provided that they are properly harvested, packaged and stored at a temperature of -18 and lower, will retain their taste and vitamins for a whole year. However, if your freezer is above the right temperature, it is best to consume within three months.
In what container to store
We figured out whether it is possible to freeze apples. There was a question with capacities for storage. The most convenient container will be ordinary plastic bags. They are very cheap and take up minimal space.
On a note: It is best to take special freezer bags with a zip fastener. They provide good sealing. Their use reduces the risk of damage during storage.
If you have a large freezer, plastic containers are perfect for storage, you can even use disposable ones. They are very convenient to sign and rearrange from place to place in the process of searching for the right product or scheduled washing and defrosting.
Frozen fruits are a great way to provide your body with vitamins and nutrients for the winter. But from such blanks you can cook a lot of delicious dishes - from ordinary compote to intricate pies and desserts. Frozen apples can be mashed, mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt. Experiment and look for other recipes for delicious preparations with photos and videos on our website.
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