Every autumn, all gardeners are faced with a task of increased complexity: how to preserve the harvest, so that during the long winter to enjoy the well-deserved fruits of summer. Jams are cooked, pickles are prepared, part of the crop is dried and, of course, frozen for long-term storage.
Frozen home-made vegetables and fruits are in many respects preferable to store counterparts brought from warm countries: on the one hand, they are not inferior to fresh ones in the content of useful substances, on the other hand, the harvest from your own garden does not contain any preservatives, which are often flavored with imported apples and pears.
Is it possible to freeze pears for the winter?
Not all vegetables and fruits are suitable for long-term storage in the freezer. Some of them, after being in a chamber with minus temperature, turn into an unappetizing tasteless porridge. For example, cucumbers, ripe strawberries and other fruits with a delicate structure and high water content are unsuitable for freezing at home.
In this regard, many are interested in whether it is possible to freeze a pear in a freezer?
Can. If you choose the right fruits, properly prepare and cool them.
What fruits are suitable for freezing?
Pears contain a lot of water, but they have a fairly dense structure. So they will be well stored, and most importantly, during defrosting they will not lose their integrity and will not turn into mashed potatoes.
Is it possible to freeze pears if they are already ripe? No, these fruits are best left for making jam, jam or compote. For a long stay at minus temperature, you need to select strong ripe, but not overripe fruits with a healthy skin and without visible damage.
If we talk about varieties, then preference should be given to the least watery, preferably with a strong odor.
How to freeze pears?
There are several ways to prepare fruits for freezing. Let us dwell on them in more detail.
Many are interested in whether it is possible to freeze pears in the freezer as a whole. Yes, when it comes to semi-cultivated pears, such as Cinderella, Robin, Golden Ball and other varieties, which have small, but sweet and aromatic fruits. They are frozen completely, but they use such a product subsequently only for the preparation of compotes.
Large pears require preparation. They need to be cut into halves or slices, after removing the core. Can pears be frozen in slices without further preparation? Yes, but the result will be worse. It is better to make a little more effort and get a wonderful product that will delight all households.
The first method: sprinkle slices or halves of the fruit with lemon juice (so they do not darken), spread on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and sprinkle with sugar. The slices should not touch each other. We put the pan in the freezer, after freezing, pour the slices into a bag or container.
The second method: put fruit slices on paper towels, sprinkle with lemon juice (you can use a weak solution of apple cider vinegar), and dry well. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer and freeze. We lay out on packages or other containers for storage.
The third method: blanch the pear slices for at least three minutes, then put them in containers. Pour fruit into syrup (two glasses of sugar in a glass of water, cook in advance). Slices must be completely covered with syrup. To freeze.
The resulting product can hardly be called “freshly frozen,” but it is definitely not a traditional jam.
Storage
Today, everyone knows the term “shock freeze” when products are instantly chilled. This is how all the vegetable mixes, berries and fruits are prepared from the refrigerator. Therefore, some people have a question whether it is possible to freeze pears at home, because an ordinary freezer does not have such a function.
In principle, any freezer will cope with this task, of course, not like an installation for instant cooling, but it is quite normal. True, it is better to put the thermostat at the lowest possible temperature, somewhere at -20-22 ° C. After deep freezing, pears can be stored at a higher temperature, but not higher than -8 ° C.
Defrost
So, we figured out the question of whether it is possible to freeze pears. Now you need to understand how to properly prepare them for use.
Firstly, nothing can be re-frozen: neither meat, nor fish, nor even more tender fruits and berries. So we get exactly as much as is needed from the refrigerator. This should be foreseen at the preparation stage and put the pears in portioned packets or containers, or provide a way to easily separate the right amount of fruit.
Secondly, during subsequent heat treatment, slices can not be defrosted. That is, for the preparation of compote or, say, pie, you can use the fruit immediately from the freezer.
Thirdly, you need to thaw the pears on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for a long time. When heated in the microwave, they will give a lot of water and become unappetizing. Thawing at room temperature contributes to the development of unfavorable microflora in the product.