A modern person uses frozen foods - with varying degrees of frequency, but quite regularly, this is a fact that you cannot argue with. Ready-made puff pastry, Pacific fish, blueberries in winter, convenient broccoli bags and even regular ice cream - we all eat processed foods and foods that have been frozen, and this is already quite difficult to fight, even if you are an ardent opponent of food prepared deep in advance. However, you must admit that it is convenient - almost at any time of the year you can afford something that you could not even dream of before: soup with green peas, strawberry pie, pasta with mussels are always available thanks to supermarkets. And what can be frozen for the winter, if there is still room in the freezer, at home?

Homemade frozen semi-farikats are convenient first of all: there is nothing simpler than vegetable puree soup that can be found in the freezer. Secondly, of course, it is useful: when frozen, most foods retain the vitamins they can boast of. In the third - economically: compare prices for, for example, sweet peppers now and at the end of winter, and you will not need other arguments. So what can you freeze for the winter? Here are 10 simple and affordable ideas for you.

1. Soup set

Yeah, strange as it sounds, but it is the soup set - what can serve as the basis of a rich vegetable broth, that is now much cheaper. Celery root and rough sprigs of parsley (now they are already rough, thick and tasteless, but still very fragrant and healthy), cauliflower base after you made stew from it, substandard bell pepper (here is the one with the ugly barrel trimmed and slightly withered, withered top), a couple of thin carrots that are inconvenient to rub (do you also have a poor harvest of carrots this year?), parsnip, pumpkin, tomato - peel everything, if necessary, cut into two or three parts (vegetables should be large), mix and pack in freezer bags. In winter, taking out a portion of such a preparation, you can easily cook an unrealistically fragrant and healthy vegetable broth - a cheap and excellent base for any soup.

2. Eggplant

It's blue season right now. If you have already tried to freeze eggplants and were disappointed, do not rush to the next paragraph - there is an option in which these vegetables will not be bitter, they will turn out delicious and very, very interesting. To freeze eggplants, they must first ... bake. In the oven or on the fire, bring them to softness, then cool, peel the skin, cut into pieces (or rather tear) and freeze. In winter, you have the basis for a wonderful vegetable snack (you just need to defrost it and puree it with a blender along with a couple of garlic cloves, a spoonful of olive oil and a handful of herbs), a component of vegetable stew, cream soup, tart.

3. Greens

Of course, greens! Lots of parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, tarragon and just about everything that can be added to soup, pasta, stewed potatoes, pie filling, stew. To properly freeze greens, wash and dry them well, then chop and put in plastic containers. Cover with a lid, put in the freezer, use as needed. Simple, cheap and flavorful.

4. Tomatoes

Few people know that tomatoes can be frozen. And yet - it is possible and necessary! Now, at the peak of the season, they are cheap, they are tasty and as fragrant as possible, which means we go to the market, buy tomatoes, returning home, wash them, cut the skin, scald with boiling water, peel, and then puree with a blender. Pour into bags (containers or disposable cups) and freeze. In winter, you will thank yourself when you can cook amazingly delicious borscht, season stewed cabbage with fresh tomato puree, prepare an unreal sauce for pasta and stew fish in a cheap tomato marinade.

5. Beans

Now it is not only cheap, but also young, soft, juicy. After you dry it, the cooking time will increase significantly. If you freeze, you will always have a portion of young legumes on hand for soup or stew. Cheap and convenient.

6. Watermelon

Now, when the markets are littered with this miracle berry, buy a couple of watermelons, peel and seeds, cut into large pieces and freeze. In winter, you can feel the taste of summer by simply placing the preparation in the bowl of a food processor and turning it into a wonderful watermelon ice cream or adding a couple of cubes to any cocktail.

7. Carrot

Do you also have nowhere to store carrot crops, do you have a cellar and a box of sand? Peel it, grate it and arrange it in containers. From now on, cooking soup will become an even faster process, because there will be no need to spend time manipulating carrots! Among other things, autumn carrots are much cheaper than winter ones, and even more so spring ones.

8. Bell pepper

Do you love stuffed sweet peppers? If you hurry a little now, you can enjoy this dish in the winter. To do this, you need to wash the pepper, carefully remove the stalk, fold the peeled pepper into each other and be sure to wrap it in a bag. If you freeze peppers just like that, without polyethylene, the thin walls of vegetables will dry out pretty quickly - in the end you will get frozen thin-walled peppers. Edible, but not as flavorful.

9. Broccoli

And here everything is simple: cut into inflorescences, put in bags, send to the freezer. The base for puree soup and an additive for stew pies are ready. Delicious, simple and, importantly, much cheaper than buying frozen broccoli in stores.

10. Plums

You probably already managed to freeze all kinds of berries that summer pleased you with. Plum season is here, and I strongly recommend that you also freeze a couple of bags of this luxury: in winter, you can not only cook fresh compotes, but also spoil your family with delicious plum pies.

about storage in the refrigerator, we learned how to arrange jars correctly. And if the refrigerator is just a way to keep food for a few days or weeks, then the freezer involves storing supplies "for ages".

When it comes to the order in the freezer, I always remember our old Soviet refrigerator, which had to be defrosted manually, and at the same time, a revision of everything edible was introduced there. A whole bag was collected for disposal - stale greens, a winded piece of bacon, 5 dumplings ... Have you looked into your freezer for a long time? What is usually stored there?

Freezer is awesome! It is needed not only to preserve food, but also is a wonderful utilizer of everything that is stored for a short time, and it is impossible to eat right now.

You can freeze everything! Well, raw meat/fish/vegetables - that goes without saying. What else?

• Soup broth (vegetable, meat and fish)
• Frying for soup or cutting vegetables (mono or mix)
• Greens and herb oil
• Tomato juice and tomato paste
• Milk
• Dough

All kinds of preparations for soup and tomato paste are the most common products frozen in a special way. Each housewife invents her own way - to make it convenient to store and use. Bags, molds, containers, universal mixes - let's look into other people's freezers?

Yaroslav: “I have one of the compartments in the freezer full of ready-made soup mixes - a bunch of bags in the form of rolls. Each package is for one soup, and it doesn’t matter if it’s borscht, pickle or soup with meatballs, the dressing is universal!”

Helena: "I have different mixtures for soups in the freezer - I choose according to purpose or mood, but there are separate packages with herbs or some specific vegetables."

Sveta: "If you climb into my freezer, then you can immediately collect soup there - you can eat meat, and different dressings, and broth."

Olesya: “I use tomato paste in a lot of places, so I always buy big jars. But so that it does not deteriorate in the refrigerator, I lay it out in plastic cups and freeze it. There are regular ones for 200 ml, or for 100 ... "

Oksana: “And I sometimes need to add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the dish, here’s another - open the jar, wash the spoon ... I immediately lay out the “heaps” on the board and freeze them, then I pour them into a bag and I know for sure: one “ball” - one tablespoon!

You can freeze not only semi-finished products, but also ready meals:

• Stuffed zucchini and peppers
• ratatouille
• Cutlets and meatballs
• Chicken and fish in batter
• All kinds of pates
• cabbage rolls
• Pancakes with filling
• lasagna
• Vegetable soups and pureed soups
• Sauces for meat and spaghetti
• Cupcakes and oatmeal cookies

Imagine how convenient it is to always have a strategic supply for any occasion - guests are on the doorstep, and you have a “freshly baked” cupcake heated in the microwave. Husband and children did not eat dinner, or just too lazy to cook - you can find pancakes or a ready-made cutlet.

Svetlana: “In general, with almost every cooking, I put something aside in freezing for an emergency, all that remains is to warm it up.”

Katia: “I cook specifically for freezing. I choose a quiet day, do shopping, cook and really fill the freezer with ready-made and semi-prepared dishes, but then I’m free for two weeks from active cooking.”

And you can also freeze everything that your family has not eaten and are not going to eat up yet. It happens that a portion of pasta or a couple of cutlets remains in the pan - everything is in the freezer! It has been verified that “hungry times” will come when such stocks will help out a lot.

Here is my experience:“Tenderly beloved minestrone vegetable soup - it makes no sense to cook it in small portions, I cook 7 liters at once, only the family will eat it once or twice and they are tired of it. Therefore, I immediately pour the soup into half-liter plastic glasses, and it cools faster in them, and I pack them in the freezer.

But if everything was so simple - I threw it into the freezer and beauty. No, there are tricks here too.

Secure storage

The ideal (non-hazardous) temperature is storage at -18 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the vital activity of bacteria and microorganisms almost completely stops.

Important! Low temperatures do not kill bacteria, but only slow down their reproduction! Therefore, it is necessary to observe the storage periods for different products. In the instructions for each refrigerator, you can find the manufacturer's recommendations, and in many models, icons and temperature conditions are drawn on the boxes.

To summarize, then:

• Chicken and other poultry in pieces, beef, pork, lamb, lean fish - stored for 6 months.
• Semi-finished products (dumplings, dumplings, cutlets, cabbage rolls, pancakes and cheesecakes), minced meat, seafood, oily fish - 3-4 months.
• Ready meals, broths and soups, sauces, fried cutlets - 2-3 months.
• Almost all vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms are frozen at home - up to a year, tomatoes - 2 months, peppers - 3-4 months, zucchini and pumpkins - a month, apples and peaches - 4-6 months, greens and herbs - 2-3 months, berries - six months, nuts - up to two years.
• Bread, muffins, puff pastry - 2-4 months

The faster the better

When storing food, average temperatures from +65 to +5 degrees Celsius are very dangerous - it is in this range that bacteria multiply most intensively.

Certain studies have shown that if the temperature drops to +3 degrees Celsius in 90 minutes or less, then such cooling processes will not compromise the quality of the product, and the bacteria will not have time to do their “dirty work”.

Therefore, the faster the product is chilled and frozen, the less likely you will have digestive problems.

Enterprises use shock freezing - when a very low temperature (up to -40) is constantly pumped into the chamber, which is maintained until the desired -18 comes inside the frozen product.

Some household freezers have an analogue of QuickFreeze or SuperFreeze shock freezing, of course, not as powerful as in special factories, but you can quickly freeze a few kilograms of minced meat.

Thinner and smaller

The smaller the volume you freeze, the faster the product/portion will freeze to the full depth, and the temperature inside will reach a safe -18 degrees. For example, chopped vegetables in a 2 cm thick briquette will freeze twice as fast as the same 4 cm thick briquette. But there is a catch - if you put two two-centimeter briquettes on top of each other, then in the end we have all the same 4 centimeters!

For example, a two-centimeter briquette with meat or fish will freeze in 2-3 hours, we increase the thickness to 4 centimeters - the time also increases 4-6 hours.

With berries, fruits and vegetables it is even sadder: 2 centimeters - 3.5-4 hours; 4 centimeters - already 8-10 hours.

And mushrooms are generally “out of competition”: 4 and 12 hours, respectively!

Rosalia: “Before freezing, I form everything into a rectangular shape, be it berries, cottage cheese, butter or meat - this saves a lot of space than just randomly putting it in a bag and throwing it into the freezer. And then defrost such a product faster.

Luda: “We recently visited my grandfather in the village, and I spied on him. He stores all the frozen things that can be shaped (chopped vegetables, herbs, minced meat) like this: he inserts a bag into the juice box, fills it with what you need, and freezes it. And then he takes out the "brick" and stores it without a box, just in a bag.

Alyona: “By the way, I freeze many berries this way: I beat several times with a blender, but not until smooth, but so that the pieces are, I transfer them to rectangular portioned containers and freeze. As everything freezes well, I shake it out into bags and put it in piles and rows. Due to the fact that the berries are frozen in the form of bricks and stored without containers, a lot of space is saved in the freezer!”

Portion packaging

Because the thinner the layer with the product for freezing, the faster it freezes, then the freezing in small portions is formed by itself.

Elena L.: “I freeze the minced meat like this: I put it in a bag, give it a flat shape 2 centimeters high (it’s convenient to do it with a rolling pin), and then with the blunt side of a knife or a stick, I divide the minced meat into squares right through the bag. After freezing, it is convenient to break off the required amount, and such a thin layer is thawed very quickly!

Helena: "My personal multi-mam life hack "Full baby" - prepare children's lunches and dinners once or twice a week, pack 10 * 15 (portion!) And freeze in layers (space saving, convenient to open and defrost).

Do not freeze again!

We often see such inscriptions on store-bought frozen semi-finished products. From such temperature fluctuations in plus or minus, the taste of the product suffers greatly, its texture and color can change, but the worst thing is that at -10 degrees Celsius the product is still solid, and the bacteria inside are already multiplying in full.

Order and marking

It is advisable to sign all products with the name, volume and date, because it is impossible to distinguish between frozen chicken and fish broth, boiled carrots and pumpkin, and cherry jam and liver. You can write notes directly on the package, stick pieces of masking tape or use special ones.

First, these are the minimum sanitary norms; secondly, protection against product confusion, as sometimes it is difficult to determine in a frosty package what is there (if not signed).

Also, such sorting into boxes will prevent the mixing of odors.

My experience:“In the top drawer of the freezer, I keep a small supply of prepared meals (usually those that are not eaten right away) and vegetable side dishes. The middle drawer is for fish and meat, and the bottom one is for small containers with sauces and salad dressings, berries, frozen pastries. Everything that cannot be clearly identified at first glance - I glue pieces of masking tape with marks on everything.

Tightness and what to freeze?

Probably, some already have a sad experience, how one poorly closed bag with fresh dill "infected" everything in the freezer with its smell - from dumplings to ice cream.

Use for storage:

• all kinds of containers (disposable and reusable),
• regular bags and with zip lock,
• plastic bottles,
• food film,
• foil,
• jars of baby puree.

Containers from the list below need additional packaging in bags:

• various forms of foil and paper,
• plastic cups of different sizes (+ the volume is immediately known)
• any other disposable plastic tableware
• silicone molds for cupcakes
• ice containers

Saving

• Time:

You can cook a lot at once - eat some for dinner, freeze the rest.

It takes about the same time to fry 1 or 2 onions, cut a couple of carrots or a dozen, wind a kilogram of minced meat or all five. But cooking the same dish several times from scratch is a lot of time and action. How many dishes to wash!

For example, almost any borsch, pickle or cabbage soup is cooked for 2-3 hours - because. you need to cook the broth. And if it is already frozen, then the soup will cook for half an hour! And if a universal dressing / frying for soup is stored in the freezer in advance, then the time is reduced to 20 minutes (peel and cut potatoes, bring to a boil).

And if there is a ready-made frozen soup in the refrigerator, then you only need 10 minutes to warm it up, hehe ...

My experience:“When I cook chicken, I always have broth left - I pour it into half-liter glasses, freeze it - the base for the soup is ready, you can throw in a handful of dried vegetables and pasta - that's it! And you can complicate - and add dressing. Or even immediately freeze the already prepared soup.

• Money:

In summer, greenery costs a penny or grows for free in the garden, and in winter, any decent twig is worth its weight in gold. Most types of frozen greens are no different from fresh when used in sliced ​​form.

It has long been known that it is more profitable to buy whole chicken or fish, divide into portions and use something for the main dish, and something for the broth.

It is also convenient to store meat trimmings and bones in the freezer, so that later they can be used as a base for soup (you can get a special bag for this), all root trimmings (carrots, celery, green leek leaves and hard stems of dill and parsley, "butt" tomatoes ) - everything is frozen, and then into the broth!

My experience: “In addition to the main refrigerator, our family also has a chest freezer in the basement (we live in a country house). When the garden season comes, I fill the freezer with all kinds of containers with berries, soup dressings, make salad dressings (herbs + butter + garlic), vegetables and semi-finished products from them (stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, ratatouille). A supply of bread is also stored right there - no, not in case of war such volumes, but so that you don’t run to the store for the sake of a roll if sudden guests happen. And of course, everything is marked so that without me, the family would not die of hunger. ”

Well, I’ll share my freezing life hacks:

1. Greens with olive oil.

Perhaps this is the most famous “freezing” advice from social media mailing lists. I took it and did it!

1. Egg whites.

For some reason, it always happens to me that either yolks or whites are needed in baking. In order not to think about how to dispose of the unnecessary, I came up with a container for proteins - I pour the “unnecessary” there and put notes on how many proteins were added there. But! Yolks can not be frozen!

1. Lemonade blanks

In the bath we have a small refrigerator, which usually works in the summer. In one of the boxes, we made ourselves a "lemonade corner" - here you can find different containers with ice, frozen whole oranges, limes and lemons. It is enough just to chop the right amount with a knife (they are cut with little effort) and pour mineral water.

And there are also lemons twisted with sugar and mint - a 200ml glass for a three-liter jar.

And frozen chokeberries can be used instead of ice cubes in drinks!

1. Mimimi Ice

By the way, in the lower glass there are just chopped citruses from the previous picture, and on top there is frozen wine - light sangria.

1. ice stack

And this is a real men's life hack that my husband shared. The freezer drawer contains a small container that holds two sets of stacks. It doesn't matter what temperature your hot drink is, ice packs make the difference!

What are your proven freezing secrets? Share your experience in our groups

It is unlikely that there will be a hostess who will challenge the assertion that using a freezer is not only convenient, but also profitable. But with general agreement with its benefits, few people know how to effectively use the resource of their freezer. The explanation is simple: our grandmothers and mothers could not afford refrigerators with large freezers consisting of several compartments (not to mention separate freezers). Accordingly, we had no one to pass on the invaluable experience of their use, to teach how to freeze, store and defrost products correctly, to show what and how to freeze. Therefore, you have to master this useful skill empirically, learning from your own and others' mistakes.

Why be friends with a freezer?

First, use the freezer saves time. For example, you can cook a large batch of homemade semi-finished products (dumplings, dumplings, meatballs, cheesecakes, etc.) at a time, and then spend several days not wasting time on cooking, but only on heat treatment of existing stocks.

If a dish is not eaten completely, then its leftovers can also be frozen and used next time. For example, the remains of soups, second courses, desserts and sauces.

Secondly, the use of a freezer saves money. The price of the same products can vary significantly depending on the time of year. For example, greenery costs a penny in summer, and in winter its cost can cause dumb surprise. The family budget will experience significant savings if you freeze vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs in their season (peppers, zucchini, eggplant, parsley, dill, spinach, cherries, currants, etc.).

Choose where to send you the table:

What the family does not have time to eat fresh can be stored frozen. This is much more effective than just throwing food in the trash.

Third, the use of a freezer helps to become a good housewife, which always has a “strategic reserve” of food in reserve for any unforeseen event. For example, if the hostess does not have time to cook dinner herself (or laziness), then her family can simply open the freezer, take out the finished dish from it and heat it up. And unexpected guests will never become a problem, because in the "bins" something for tea (cake, pie, cookies, sweets, etc.) will be specially reserved for such an occasion.

Finally, the use of a freezer allows diversify our diet. For example, the strawberry season is very short, but friendship with the freezer allows you to enjoy this berry at any time of the year.

What can be frozen and how?

- It is better to freeze any products in portions, in small batches. This is not only convenient, but also avoids re-freezing, which significantly impairs the taste and nutritional properties of the products.

– The faster the freezing, the smaller ice crystals form in the cell walls of the product and thus the latter remain intact. The standard temperature of home freezers is minus 18 degrees. Meat pre-cut into small pieces will freeze faster (and taste better) than meat frozen in the same freezer and under the same conditions, but in a larger piece. Ideally, if the freezer has the function of "shock freezing".

– The best way to freeze most foods is on flat cutting boards. So the products will freeze evenly and quickly, preserving their qualities as much as possible. But leaving them on the boards for storage is not worth it.

– Store frozen food in special containers or bags, folding food tightly and removing excess air. The denser the products are “packed”, the less moisture they will lose during storage. A little trick: the products will be better preserved if the containers are wrapped with 1-2 layers of cling film or food foil.

– Any storage containers should not be filled up to the lid. Water, turning into ice, will take up more space and will “lift” the lids, breaking their tightness, or “explode” glass jars.

– Containers and bags must be hermetically sealed. This will preserve the food as much as possible and prevent the mixing of odors in the freezer.

- If possible, it is better to allocate a separate shelf for each type of product. Then the muffins will not be saturated with a fishy smell, and the meat will not smell like strawberries.

- It is highly desirable to sign the freeze: what exactly is frozen, the date and period of storage. This will avoid guessing situations, for example, what kind of broth is stored in this jar: chicken, meat or vegetable? Or what kind of piece of meat is it: ham or tenderloin? As a rule, freezer bags are sold with special stickers. For containers, such stickers can be purchased at the stationery department.

These rules and principles apply to all types of products. Tables indicating the rules for freezing, defrosting and using ready-made meals can be downloaded here. – . At menu design training, participants receive the same tables for vegetables, fruits, greens, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and dough products for free.

I hope this topic will help you make friends with the freezer and make the cooking process even easier and more efficient.
Being a good hostess is easy!

Helpful Hints

If you use the freezer only for storing convenience foods and ice cream, you are missing out on a lot.

It turns out that some products , which do not occur to us to store in the freezer, perfectly tolerate low temperatures, without losing their beneficial and taste properties.

We will share our knowledge of these products with you.

What foods can be frozen

1. Nuts

If you have bought too many nuts and want to keep the oil contained in them from spoiling, you can freeze them. When kept warm, the oil in them becomes rancid. Set aside as many nuts as you are going to eat and freeze the rest. If necessary, remove the nuts from the freezer, they will quickly thaw at room temperature.

2. Boiled rice

Did you boil too much rice? Well, don't throw away the excess. Put it in a container with a lid and freeze. If necessary, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a few tablespoons of water. This method is also useful for saving time. You can boil rice in advance, freeze, and then just reheat.

3. grated cheese

Many recipes call for very little grated cheese. If you often sprinkle cheese on your dishes, then rubbing it every time is tiring. Be smarter. Grate all the cheese, divide into portions and freeze. Freezing will keep the cheese fresh for a long time. This method is only suitable for hard varieties.

4. Ripe bananas

Frozen ripe bananas are good for milkshakes. They are easy to grind in a blender and make a great addition to smoothies and give them a creamy taste. You don't even have to add ice.

Is it possible to freeze wine

5. Wine and champagne

If there is some wine left in the bottle after the party, don't throw it away. Freeze wine in ice cube trays. Frozen wine cubes can be used to prepare various dishes, when stewing meat and fish. When preparing sangria, frozen wine cubes can be added to a jug of fruit and regular wine. Frozen champagne cubes can be added to cocktails.

6. Fresh bacon

Bacon thaws easily at room temperature, so store in the freezer with parchment paper over each piece. You can't store fried bacon this way.

7. Butter

Frozen butter is a chef's secret weapon. It is easy to grate it when preparing dough and not only. Freeze it right in the package by placing it in a bag or wrapping it in foil.

8. Fresh greens

Wash and dry the greens. Finely chop, put on a tray and freeze. After the greens are frozen, put them in a bag. There is another option. Mix chopped greens with water and pour into ice molds. Frozen ice cubes with greens are convenient to add to pots when preparing soups or other dishes.

9. Baking dough

Not only store-bought frozen dough can be stored in the freezer. The principle is the same with the home test. Divide the dough into parts, roll into cakes, place on a tray and freeze. Then place in portions in bags and store in the freezer.

10. Bread

Keeping leftover stale bread in the freezer is not a good idea. But fresh can be frozen. If you have leftover fresh bread, cut into slices and wrap in foil. Such slices are easy to defrost in the microwave or in the oven at a temperature of 150 degrees.

11. Egg yolks and whites

Just like wine and herbs, egg yolks and whites can be frozen in ice cube trays. If you are going to add them to the dough, thaw at room temperature. For an omelette, you can add it directly to the pan.

12. Whipped cream

Of course, cream is better to eat immediately. But you can also freeze them. Spoon the cream onto a parchment-lined tray and place in the freezer. Transfer frozen tortillas to a container and send back to the freezer. This is a great decoration for hot chocolate, coffee or cocoa. Whipped cream will melt right in the cup.

This is not a complete list of products that can be frozen. Every modern housewife, in order to save money, should be familiar with this list. Subject to all the principles of freezing and storage, the taste of the products will not suffer at all.

Freezing for the winter, how to properly freeze vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, herbs

Summer is a generous time for fruits, vegetables, herbs, berries. It is in seasonal products that contains the greatest amount of vitamins and minerals. But no one canceled winter, winter is coming ... Of course, today and in winter you can find vegetables, fruits, and berries on the shelves of supermarkets. But who will undertake to claim that they have both vitamins and useful properties?! After all, they were grown in greenhouses, because it is not the season. Yes, and the prices bite.

Freezing for the winter vegetables, berries, fruits and other gifts from your garden or the nearest market is a great solution . And you can freeze almost everything that grows in the garden. All you need is a freezer, food plastic containers, bags, ice cube trays and a little time.

But Are the beneficial properties preserved when frozen?? Yes, up to 90% are preserved, provided that the freezing rules are followed.

Here they are, the rules:

1. You can freeze only fresh berries, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms. Berries are best frozen immediately after being removed from a bush or twig. Freezing mushrooms - as soon as they were brought from the forest. Overripe fruits or berries cannot be frozen - when defrosted, they will turn into porridge.
2. Frozen products keep from 8 months to 1 year, so it is better to use them until the next season.
3. Before freezingproducts must be washed and dried on a towel. After defrosting, they cannot be washed.
4. Small products(berries, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes), as well as cutting, shredding,Distribute small slices on the board and put in the freezer.And only after they are frozen, lay them out in bags or containers. Large slices of dense foods can be initially frozen in bags and containers.
5. Pack the freezer tightly in a container/bag, let out excess air. The less air remains, the less evaporation and the better the “presentation” when defrosting. And also pack tightly so that the smell does not spread and is not absorbed from other products.
6. It is best to pack in small portions - for 1-2 servings. For example, freeze currants not in a kilogram bag, but in small bags of 200 gr. The same applies to greens and vegetable mixtures. Pay attention to the small square containers. They fit very well into the shape of the drawers in the freezer.
7. The correct temperature is from 18 C to 22 COtherwise, freezing is stored for no more than 3 months.
8. Defrost foods at room temperature.Microwave or hot water pressure will lead to loss of presentation. If you want to get a frozen product out of the container, then just hold it for 1-3 minutes in cold water.
9. Food cannot be re-frozen.Once defrosted, a product is either used or thrown away.
10. Well, the last rule is thatcannot be frozen:

And now the details:

Freezing berries for the winter

What berries can be frozen? Everything. Any berry is first frozen on a sheet or board, and only then you lay it out in bags or containers. Frozen soft berries (, irga, and others) are best stored in containers to keep their shape. And hard berries (for example, currants or gooseberries) can be stored in bags.

Freezing mushrooms for the winter

There is a belief that mushrooms must be fried or cooked before freezing. This is not necessary at all, as you can freeze fresh mushrooms as well. Honey mushrooms are best frozen whole first on the board, and then poured into a bag or container. Large mushrooms are best cut.

Freezing fruit for the winter

Before freezing, a bone is taken from the fruit. Next, freeze them in slices in containers to avoid crushing. Fruit can be frozen as a puree. If you want to add sugar, then let it be brown sugar.

Sprinkle peaches and pears with lemon before freezing, but they can still darken slightly. That's it, they are best frozen in the form of mashed potatoes.

Freezing vegetables for the winter

Blanch beforehand or freeze fresh - opinions are divided here. During heat treatment, some of the vitamins are lost, but some vegetables need to be blanched, otherwise, after defrosting, they are very bitter.

eggplant- this vegetable must be processed, otherwise strong bitterness after defrosting is provided. There are 3 options here. First, cut the eggplant into circles, and then: 1. Sprinkle with salt, let stand for 30 minutes 2. Dip in boiling water for 2 minutes, then dry well 3. Bake lightly in the oven, let cool. And then freeze it after.

Peas and cornonly the grains themselves are frozen. Can be frozen raw. And you can lower it into boiling water for 3 minutes, then dry it on a towel and only then freeze it.

Broccoli and cauliflowerit is necessary to hold for 30 minutes in salt water (to remove insects). Next, sort by inflorescences, and freeze. Some cauliflowers are first blanched with citric acid. If you have a small child at home, you can immediately make mashed potatoes.

Pepper.Freezing pepper can be in different ways. Remove the stem and seeds first. Wash well, dry and put the pepper in the pepper (like a nesting doll) to keep its shape. Peppers can also be cut into slices or cubes. Or immediately make a preparation of stuffed peppers - freeze peppers with filling: minced meat mixed with rice, onions and carrots.

Tomatoescan be cut before freezing into circles (convenient for pizza) or cubes. Arrange them on a sheet and in the freezer, and after freezing pour them into a bag. You can immediately puree in a meat grinder or blender, and pour into ice molds. Next, put the frozen cubes in a bag or container. Such a cube can be added to soup or stew - the taste will be amazing. Make punctures in cherry tomatoes so that they do not crack when frozen.

If cucumberssmall, they are frozen on the board and poured into a bag. Medium and large cucumbers are best cut as you like.

Freezing for the winterzucchini and pumpkin similar . Before freezing, remove the seeds and boil lightly. Many people freeze zucchini and pumpkin raw, but when defrosted, they may have a slight bitterness. Freezezucchinimade according to the principle of freezing zucchini.

Carrotbefore freezing, rub on a coarse grater or chop into cubes.

Freeze for winter greens

Dill, cilantro, tarragon, basilmust be washed and dried very well from moisture on a towel. Then finely chop and distribute into bags of 50 grams or a pinch - it all depends on the size of your family and how much you spend in one sitting. Remember that the bags must be tightly tied and let air out of them.

Also, greens can be frozen in ice cube molds. 1 cube = 1 soup.

Mint, lemon balm, arugulafrozen in individual leaves. If you want to freeze sorrel, then first dip it in boiling water for 60 seconds and then dry it on a towel.

Frozen greens can be used for cooking or tea without thawing.

Let your tables be full of healthy and wholesome food!

With love and concern for your mood, the team of the blog "Food and Figure"