All summer berries are useful and tasty, but the first place among them is wild strawberry. Small fragrant berries are full of vitamins, mineral salts, iron and pectin. The period of their collection is small, so you need to know how to prepare strawberries for the winter and keep not only its taste and aroma, but also the benefit. Properly harvested berries in the winter will replenish the body with useful substances, and the summer wonderful aroma of strawberries will enhance the mood.
Contents of
Contents of
Collecting strawberries Wild strawberry is a wild berry,which grows in mixed and coniferous forests, on the fringes, on forest glades and on meadows near the forest. To enjoy fresh berries and prepare strawberries for the winter, you will have to work hard. Since the berry is small and only 1-2 pieces hang on a bush of ripe ones, the harvesting of strawberries is not easy and takes a lot of time.
Strawberry collection features
And not only fragrant berries, but also additional physical exertion, and fresh forest air, which will help you relax and get a charge of energy, will bring benefits. So, all for the strawberry!
Preparation of strawberries before harvesting
Collected or purchased strawberries require pre-preparation before harvesting. Berries are very juicy and tender, so they are not washed or do it very carefully. In addition, the strawberries hang on branches and do not touch the ground, so, as a rule, they are not soiled.
Before consumption or harvesting strawberries need to be sorted out to remove twigs, leaves and insects that can get caught during harvesting. If the berries are washed, then they must be gently immersed in water, then in one layer spread on a towel and allow to dry completely.
For drying and jam, only whole berries are used, therefore, during the cleaning, it is necessary to remove the damaged and overripe ones. For all other methods of harvesting, all berries are suitable.
Methods of harvesting strawberries
There are many ways of harvesting strawberries. Consider the most popular ways, their pros and cons to preserve the benefits, taste and aroma of strawberries.
Jam, jam and confiture
The main task in the preparation of jam is to preserve the integrity of the berries that float in syrup. The process of preparation of jam takes place in several stages and takes a long time.
Jam from strawberries is easier to prepare, berries can use damaged and overripe( but not rotten).Jam can be called a thick jam, and boiling it takes place in one step.
Confiture is more dense than jam, and for it, first a thick syrup is prepared, and then berries are added.
Jam, jam and confiture of strawberries are very fragrant and delicious. The advantage of cooking is that the vitamins retain useful vitamins and elements. By the minus of cooking with sugar can be attributed to the weakening of the aroma, the taste of strawberries and sugar itself, which contains simple harmful carbohydrates, and they can lead to the accumulation of excess kilograms.
A few simple recipes:
Wild strawberry jam
For 1 kg.strawberries take 1.5 kg.sugar and 2 g.citric acid.
Strawberries are poured into the cooking basin, covered with sugar and sent to the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. After this time, put the basin on a slow fire, gently stir and cook until the sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat and, stirring, cook the fragrant jam for 15-20 minutes.5 minutes before the jam is ready to add citric acid.
Gem from strawberries
For 1 kg.strawberries take 1 kg.sugar and 1 glass of water.
Strawberries fill with water and cook for 5 minutes. Knead whole berries with a spoon, cover with sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Confectionery made of strawberries
For 1 kg.strawberries take 1 kg.sugar and 1 glass of water.
Sugar pour water and boil the syrup over medium heat, until the last drop from the spoon will not stretch the thread. Then add the strawberries in portions and cook over low heat. Confiture is ready, when berries float in syrup, and not from above, and a drop of delicacy does not spread on a plate.
Strawberries grated with sugar
A simple way to preserve all the useful properties, taste and aroma of strawberries is the grinding of berries with sugar. The downside of the way is the use of sugar.
For grinding 1 part of the berries use 1.5 parts of sugar. Strawberries are kneaded with a blender, then sugar is added and mixed again until the sugar completely dissolves.
There are 2 methods for storing such a billet:
- the fritter strawberries are covered in sterilized jars and stored in a cool place;
- if there is no cool place in the house, the mashed berries are poured into small plastic bottles from lemonade, water and sent to the freezer. The method of defrosting is very simple, the bottle is put under warm water for 5-10 minutes.
Mashed strawberries with sugar are great for making desserts.
Freezing strawberries
The easiest and most useful way to harvest strawberries. When freezing, the beneficial properties, aroma and taste of fresh berries remain.
For frost, plastic bags and a freezer are needed. Prepared strawberries in one layer gently put in bags, close and placed on each other in the freezer trays. Such strawberries can be stored for 10-12 months.
Defrost the berries in a closed bag for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 4-6 degrees or quickly at room temperature. Defrosted strawberries are eaten fresh, grinded with sugar or quickly prepared jam and compote. Such berries are suitable for preparing cakes and desserts.
Drying strawberries
Berries are dried over a stove, in an oven, in a Russian oven, in aerogrill, in an electric dryer and in the sun. For this method, only whole berries are used without damage and they are not washed. With this method of harvesting berries retain all useful substances and are stored in bags of natural tissues up to two years. When drying strawberries it becomes dark red with shiny grains.
- To dry the strawberries in one oven, spread on a baking sheet with baking paper and send it to a preheated oven for 35 hours for 1 hour, then increase the temperature to 60 degrees and continue drying for another 2 hours.
- Air drying takes up to 2 weeks. The berries are spread on the spread natural fabric and left in the fresh air in a place where there is no direct sunlight. Every day at night, the tissue with berries is removed, and so about 2 weeks.
- In aerogril dry berries at a temperature of 40-45 degrees: spread on a sieve and placed on the lower stand in the bowl. At the end, the temperature is increased to 60 degrees. For the outflow of moisture, the cap of the aerogrill is slightly opened.
- In the electric dryer the drying process takes from 6-12 hours at a temperature of no higher than 50-55 degrees.
Dried strawberries are used for making beverages, desserts, cakes and added for flavor in tea. Compote from strawberries
Compote from strawberries
A strawberry compote is a very fragrant and healthy drink. To preserve valuable berries, the compote is boiled for no more than 5 minutes. For preparation use only fresh berries without signs of rotting. The minus of compote is high caloric content due to the sugar content.
A simple compote recipe:
- It will be required for 1 liter of water 250 gr. Sahara.
- Prepared strawberries put in cans on shoulders, boil water with sugar and pour berries. Then pasteurize.
You can still make jelly, jam, syrup and mashed potatoes from strawberries. Choose any way and enjoy the summer berry in winter!