6 Ways to Keep Cranberries Healthy in the Winter

Even for those who have been familiar with this berry for a long time, the question of how to store cranberries remains relevant. After all, this is one of the most useful berries of the "wide spectrum of action", and you want to keep its useful properties for a long time. Cranberries have long been included in the diet of people who care about their health. It grows on small bushes, entire plantations of which are located on peat bogs and moss swamps in the cold zones of Eurasia and America. In Russia, several hundred tons of this amazing berry are harvested every year. It contains a lot of healthy acids, sugars and vitamins. Cranberries are often used to boost immunity, restore strength, and easily remove harmful substances from the body. In addition, it helps in the fight against vitamin deficiency, bronchitis, diseases of the throat and genitourinary system. And cranberry juice quenches thirst well, treats colds and has an antipyretic effect. Thanks to the efforts of nutritionists, these marsh berries are actively used in the preparation of various dishes, complementing their taste with new notes.

Importantly, cranberries are one of the few berries that retain their beneficial properties even after freezing. But before you know how to achieve this, you need to choose the right raw materials for long-term storage.

How to choose cranberries for storage?

There are two harvests of cranberries: early, back in September, when the berries are not quite ripe, and late, after the first frosts - then they are as juicy as possible. If you are going to store cranberries all winter frozen, it is better to choose a little (!) Unripe berries. If they are too ripe, after thawing, the taste of the product will significantly decrease.

How to prepare berries?

Before making any manipulations with cranberries, you need to prepare it in a certain way. First of all, sort out the fruits. Throw away all the leaves, twigs, insects. Crumpled or too ripe set aside. Throwing them out is not worth it, because you can make excellent fruit drinks from such berries (see the recipe at the end of the article). But white, that is, completely unripe berries should not be used. Then wash the cranberries thoroughly and dry them on a sieve or tray.

So, having decided which berries are best for long-term storage, we will tell you the most popular and successful ways to store cranberries.

Cranberry storage methods

Soaked cranberries

You will need: water, clean dishes (cans, plastic bottles, bowls).

• Option 1.

This is perhaps the oldest and easiest way to store. First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the berries, and then put them in containers prepared in advance. Do not fill the dishes completely - leave a little space in the jar or bottle. Boil the required amount of water, cool it and fill the fruits. Keep containers in a cool place. A fridge or basement is perfect for this.

• Option 2

In order to remove a slightly sour taste, cranberries can be poured not just with water, but with sugar syrup. To store 1 kilogram of berries, take 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. To taste, you can add cloves, a little cinnamon or other spices.

Minus: during storage, the berries will absorb water, so then their taste will slightly change. Cranberries will stop crackling on the teeth, but will remain suitable for cooking or creating fruit drinks, jelly. In addition, all useful properties are preserved.

Freezing

If you have chosen a little unripe berries for freezing, preparing them for storage is very simple. Fold dry cranberries in plastic bags, tie them firmly and place in the freezer.

Tip

Put as many berries in one bag as you use at a time. You can’t freeze them twice.

If your cranberries are very ripe, the freezing process is a bit more complicated. It is necessary to decompose it on a tray in one layer and freeze until solid. Only then can the berries be placed in bags.

Cranberries with sugar

This method will definitely please the sweet tooth. Its advantage is that before use the product will not need to be cooked. Add sugar to the berries to taste and mince. Then fold the resulting mixture into jars, cover them with lids and store in the refrigerator.

Tip

Keep containers in a well-ventilated area, because if there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the air, the berries may deteriorate.

Fresh Cranberries

Cranberries can be stored for a long time without special manipulations. Just pour the picked berries into wooden or metal boxes and leave them in a cool place.

Dried cranberries

This method will not help you maintain the beneficial properties of berries, but dried cranberries are great for making stewed fruit or toppings. So, lay washed and dried berries on a tray and dry for several weeks on the street. After that, process them in the oven or oven, and then place them in bags. The main advantage of dried berries is that they can be kept anywhere, and used for more than three years.

Preservation

A fairly common method, since the cranberries obtained as a result of its application are incredibly tasty. And there are a lot of types of conservation, which makes it possible to choose.

You will need: liter of berries, a quarter liter of orange juice, 3 kg of sugar.

Add orange juice to the berries and beat in a blender until smooth. Then add sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer for about an hour, stirring regularly. Let it cool and pour into sterilized jars. Store them preferably in a cool place.

Now that you know how to save cranberries for the winter, let's move on to one of the most popular soft drinks from this marsh berry. It has a delicious taste and quenches thirst in the hot season. In addition, cranberry juice strengthens the immune system and effectively treats colds.

How to cook cranberry juice?

To create this masterpiece at home, you do not need to worry about berries - they can be fresh, frozen, whole, even a little crumpled, too, come off.

1. Wash the berries and chop them in a blender.
2. Add to the resulting mass of water and heat over low heat until the first bubbles appear.
   

   Tip

   Mors should NOT boil. Otherwise, it will lose all beneficial acids, sugars and vitamins.

3. Remove the brew from the heat and add pre-cooked sugar syrup into it - its proportions depend only on your preferences and love for sweets. Instead of sugar, you can add honey to the cooled drink.

Cranberries are one of the few berries that, after prolonged storage, do not lose their beneficial properties. It incorporates benzoic acid, due to which it can be stored for such a long time at home. And this substance also has the characteristics of a natural preservative - therefore, you do not need to use either salt or vinegar, or any other components. If you regularly use cranberries in frozen or fresh form, your body will be much more resistant to a variety of diseases and infections. After all, no wonder in ancient times she was called the queen of berries.