Do I need to wash strawberries before eating. How to Freeze Strawberries Properly: Useful Tips and Recipes

How to wash berries? Most people undoubtedly just love to eat fruits and berries. After all, they are very tasty, healthy, have a pleasant aroma.

In summer or even autumn, we have a ripening season for the most delicious berries. Everyone enjoys them for their own pleasure. We grow them on our own plots. Who does not have such an opportunity, he buys in stores and markets.

When picking berries in your own garden, there is almost always an irresistible desire to try them right away, without succumbing to the effects of water procedures. It is clear that it is better not to do so. Since your neglect of hygiene standards in this case can lead to disastrous results.

But with homemade delicacies, everything is not so scary, because you definitely know their composition and growing conditions. In this case, one or two berries will not do much harm. A maximum of a little dust, dirt and a dozen microbes will enter the body.

Purchased berries are another matter. You cannot know where they were grown, in what conditions. Whether they were saturated with any chemicals, how they were collected, where they were stored, how they were transported. This is not the whole list of what is important to know when buying fresh berries. Indeed, in our time, for the purpose of financial enrichment, an entrepreneur is ready to do almost anything.

Very often, berries lend themselves to various undesirable treatments.. They are also picked when they are not ripe enough, and already on the long way to the buyer they acquire artificial ripeness. We all know that sanitary conditions in our stores and markets are not always respected.

Therefore, after buying berries, it is very important not to pounce on them and eat unwashed directly from the bag, but to bring them home and wash them well. And believe that one rinse under running water will not always be enough. Given the storage conditions in our markets, this should not be surprising at all.

How to wash berries properly? Any berries should be carefully examined before washing., choose spoiled and crumpled ones, they are already definitely unsuitable for further use. After an intensive examination, you can proceed to water procedures.

How to wash different types of berries, let's figure it out one by one.

1) To wash cranberries, you need to put them in a thin layer in a colander and thoroughly, sparing no water, rinse with cold, but previously boiled water.

2) blueberries washed in the same way as cranberries, but not boiled, but cold running water is used.

3) To wash sweet cherry, cherries or currants, you need to place them in a sieve or colander, and then lower them into a container of water. Already there, do the following procedure - shake the berries from side to side. It is better to repeat the procedure a couple of times, before each subsequent dive it is necessary to change the water.

4) For washing strawberries you will need a container of water in which you need to place a small amount of berries and stir them lightly. This is done in order for the dirt to settle, after which it is necessary to take them out into a sieve or put them on gauze. This will help you drain the water faster.

Otherwise, the berries will become sour and unsuitable for further consumption. If you already have sufficiently ripe berries, then you need to be careful with them, otherwise you will get strawberry porridge. Place overripe berries in a sieve and dip briefly in a container of water.

5) To wash, you need to hold them under running water for a long time, allowing water to get inside the branches. In grape bunches, dirt accumulates inside and it is much harder to wash it out.

If the branch of grapes is massive enough and rich in berries, then it is better to carefully divide it into small portions in order to wash out all the collected dirt.

6) Wash strawberries can be done in several ways at the same time.

The simplest method is as follows: without tearing off the stalk (which will protect against dehydration), you need to place the berries in a container of water for about seven minutes. During this time, all the dirt and earth should settle to the bottom of the container. Then carefully remove the berries and spread them on a well-absorbing towel to remove all excess moisture.

If you don't believe regular washing gets rid of germs, then add one tablespoon of regular vinegar to the water. After that, be sure to rinse the fruits under running water. Vinegar will definitely destroy all harmful microorganisms and allow strawberries to be stored longer.

The following method will absolutely allow you to wash all microbes and viruses: you need to take two containers with water - cold and warm enough. Having placed the strawberries in a colander, it is necessary to alternately dip them in containers, making contrast baths.

7) To properly wash raspberries, There are also several ways.

First of all, you need to get rid of the bugs and larvae that so love to inhabit raspberries. To do this, you need to dilute one tablespoon of salt per liter of water. Place the berries in this saline solution and hold for several minutes. When all the harmful substances emerge, then the water must be drained and the raspberries thoroughly rinsed under running water.

Raspberries should be placed in a sieve and dipped in a container of cold water. Repeat the procedure several times. Before each new dive, the water must be changed to a cleaner one.

You can also wash raspberries by holding them for several minutes under running water. But the pressure should be weak, since under strong pressure it will spread and as a result only unusable slurry will remain. After that, the berries should be laid out on a towel that absorbs moisture well..

8) Maybe not everyone knows, but also berries. Although we do not eat their peel, it is necessary to wash them. To do this, first place the watermelon (melon) in a container of water so that the berry is completely covered. Keep it there for half an hour.

Thanks to this, you will not only wash off the dirt, but also thoroughly cool the product before use. Everyone knows that chilled gourds are much tastier. After that, the berry should be removed from the water and rinsed thoroughly under a powerful stream of cold water.

Sometimes it happens that store-bought watermelons are treated with special preparations or rubbed with wax for shine and presentability. Then one wash will not be enough, you need to wipe the product with a hard cloth.

Naturally, this is not the whole list of berries and how to wash them. No mention is made here of the exotic products that continue to fill our stores in abundance. But the most important and common are listed here.

The main thing to remember is that wash purchased berries well and thoroughly enough. And then you and all your family members will be healthy!

Ingredients:

• Fresh strawberries

How to peel strawberries from ponytails

Fragrant, juicy strawberries are a great summer treat. Lemonade, ice cream, smoothies are made from it. They bake pies, tarts, pies and rolls with it. Harvest jams, jams and compotes. It is served with desserts, where it serves as both a decoration and a tasty part of the dessert. And to prepare all these delicacies, you need to know how to peel the berry correctly and quickly.

Basically, the process of peeling strawberries involves removing the stalk. This is done easily and quickly.

It turns out that removing this stalk can be as easy as shelling pears. It is enough to use an ordinary cocktail tube for this. With a tube, work will move very quickly. And remember: strawberries should be washed well before removing the stalk, and not after. In this case, the strawberries will remain juicy, will not lose a lot of juice, will not become watery. So, here is a simple instruction on how to peel strawberries quickly and without any hassle.

How to peel strawberries step by step instructions with photos:

Step 4

Using a straw, squeeze out the stalk, pushing the straw through the strawberry. The process itself is quite easy. As a result, you will get a peeled strawberry with a neat hole.

The season of ripening berries "from the garden" is coming, among which strawberries are especially loved and in demand among the population. In this regard, the Office of Rospotrebnadzor for Buryatia recalls how to choose delicious strawberries.

What is the benefit of strawberries?

This berry is rightly recognized as one of the most delicious and fragrant, but its beneficial properties are usually unfairly deprived of attention. Strawberries contain a balanced combination of vitamins and minerals. Eating only five berries compensates for the daily need of the human body for vitamin C. There is more folic acid in strawberries than in grapes and raspberries.

Also, the berries contain a significant amount of iodine. In addition, strawberries can be considered as a complete source of fiber, sucrose and fructose. Moreover, it contains much more fructose than sucrose, therefore, strawberries are especially recommended for people suffering from diabetes, although in limited quantities. The calorie content of strawberries is also very low, and does not exceed 36 kcal. This is not enough to deposit the buildup of body fat, but it will be quite enough to replenish the body's energy.

An allergy to strawberries is an absolute contraindication for its use. Strawberries are also not recommended for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer, gastritis) during an exacerbation of the disease. A complex of organic acids (oxalic, salicylic), upon contact with the gastric mucosa, increases its irritation, which can exacerbate gastritis, gastroduodenitis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. If there is no exacerbation, then in small quantities (150-200 grams per day) you can eat strawberries.

Strawberries can negatively affect tooth enamel, aggravating the course of caries.

Eating berries on an empty stomach can have an irritating effect on the stomach, it is better to eat them as a dessert, after the main meal. However, if you mix strawberries with yogurt, cream or sour cream, the severity of the negative effect will decrease.

Ripe and tasty fruits can be defined as follows:

• Berries dry, without signs of decay
• The color is uniform, saturated.
• The leaves of the "calyx" framing the berry are green, with no signs of wilting.
• The surface of the berries is elastic, shiny, smooth, without dents and damage.
• The smell is rich, berry.

Signs of low-quality berries:

• The berries are moist, there are spots on the surface.
• There is no aroma.
• Soft berries (they will spoil quickly, perhaps the rotting process has already begun).
• The leaves of the "calyx" are dry, yellowed, or absent (such berries were collected a long time ago, or incorrectly).
• The color is not uniform, there are greenish spots, the tip of the berries is white (signs of incomplete maturity).

ADVICE!
Strawberries have a short shelf life and are delicate and perishable. Buy only as much as you are willing to eat over the next few days. If you want to keep strawberries longer, freeze them in an airtight bag or freezer container.

How to properly wash strawberries

1. Berries should be washed immediately before use; if you do not plan to eat them on the day of purchase, put them in the refrigerator without first washing them. The shelf life of washed strawberries is significantly reduced.
2. Before washing the berries, do not remove the green leaves, calyx and stem.
3. Empty the strawberries into a large, clean colander. No need to soak it in water - as a result, the berry will lose its taste and aroma, and will deteriorate faster.
4. Rinse the berries under clean running water.
5. Wait a minute for the water to drain.
6. Gently pat washed berries dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
7. You can wash the berries using a weak vinegar solution (add a little grape or apple cider vinegar to the water (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water). Place the berries in a container with a solution for 3-5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under running water. This method of processing berries prevents spoilage and increases their shelf life in the refrigerator.

The short strawberry season can be extended by harvesting the berries for future use. The best way to preserve the nutritional and taste qualities is to freeze the berries in small portions (150-200 grams each), because. Strawberries cannot be re-frozen. But during heat treatment, in the manufacture of jam, jam, the taste of berries changes significantly, most of the vitamins are lost.

Strawberries are a very healthy berry, which contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. But due to the fact that the structure of the berry is very porous and soft, harmful bacteria multiply on the surface of the strawberry. The situation is also aggravated by the proximity of ripe berries to the ground. Given all these factors, eating unwashed strawberries is extremely dangerous. Therefore, the question of how to properly wash strawberries must be approached very seriously in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Strawberries, bought or picked with your own hands, must be put in a deep plate and poured with cold water. If water is poured from the tap, then you need to make sure that the jet is not very strong, since with strong pressure the berries can be wrinkled. It is recommended to leave strawberries for 10 minutes in water. This will allow the dirt that is present on the surface of the berry to move away and settle to the bottom of the dish. By the way, it is better to wash the berries with the stalks, but if you tear them off, then the berries during their stay in the water can “turn sour” and become not tasty. After the strawberries have floated in the water, they must be pulled out and laid out on a cotton towel to allow the berries to dry. This is only one, the easiest way to wash strawberries, but there are other options that, in the opinion of many housewives, are more effective.

Now there should be no problems with how to wash strawberries, since the article reflects the most popular and effective ways to clean berries, which are used by millions of housewives. The main thing is not to be lazy and follow all the recommendations. Only then will the summer strawberry season bring only joy, without poisoning and abdominal pain.

To freeze strawberries correctly, and when defrosting you get whole bright beautiful tasty berries, and not cloudy jelly with an unattractive color and taste, follow the following recommendations.

It is worth noting that if you have a freezer, keeping a fragrant and healthy piece of summer until the very cold is not a problem.

We will tell you how to freeze strawberries in several ways so that you can enjoy this wonderful spring berry on cold winter days. Having thawed strawberries, you can use it in its pure form or use it in cooking when baking, in compotes and cocktails.

How to freeze strawberries - the choice of berries

For freezing strawberries and their long-term storage, it is important to choose the right berry. Strawberries should be moderately ripe, not overripe, firm and dense, not watery and dry.

To harvest berries for the winter, it is advised to pick strawberries in dry and hot weather so that there is no rain for a couple of days before picking, then it will be tastier.

It is best to choose small strawberries - they freeze better.

How to freeze strawberries - preparing berries and dishes

For freezing berries, it is best to use plastic dishes and even plastic bags, but be careful - they can tear in the cold. Dishes must be clean, free of foreign odors and dry.

There is a controversial opinion about whether strawberries should be washed before freezing. It is believed that washed berries lose their taste. If you are sure of the purity of the selected berries, you can use unwashed strawberries.

We believe that the berries need to be washed, because this is an elementary matter of hygiene. The main thing is to do it quickly so that the strawberries do not have time to absorb water. Rinse strawberries in small portions in plenty of water. And try to do it carefully so as not to damage the delicate and capricious berries.

How to freeze strawberries for the winter

So, it is desirable to place thoroughly and quickly washed strawberries in a plastic sieve, because. in contact with metal, the berries may darken. Let the water drain and remove the stalks.

Spread the strawberries in a single layer on a paper towel so that the berries do not touch each other, for about 1 hour, so that it dries well. Now you can work with strawberries further.

How to freeze strawberries - method number 1

Wrap a wide plate or cutting board with a plastic bag, spread the strawberries in a single layer on a plane and place in the freezer for a couple of hours so that the strawberries “grab”.

Then take the strawberries out of the freezer, remove the package along with the berries from the plate, and the strawberries will be already packed in the bag. Place these bags in the freezer for long-term storage. It is convenient that the packages are portioned, and the berries in them do not stick together.

How to freeze strawberries - method number 2

For 1 kg of strawberries you will need 200 g of powdered sugar (or fine sugar).

Strawberries lose some of their sweetness when frozen. To make the berries sweet and tasty when defrosted, it can be frozen with sugar.

Spread clean and dried strawberries on a plane wrapped in cling film and send for 1-2 hours in the freezer.

Then remove the berries from the film and place in containers, pouring layers of powdered sugar. Place the containers in the freezer, where frozen strawberries will be stored for a whole year.

How to freeze strawberries - method number 3

Another way to freeze strawberries is to keep them grated in the freezer.

To do this, bring the prepared clean and dry strawberries with a blender to a puree state. Pour into a plastic container and place in the freezer.

You can immediately cover strawberries with sugar at the rate of 300 g per 1 kg of berries, or you can add it in winter after defrosting strawberry puree.

Bon appetit!