Compotes, preserves, fruit puree in jars and other preservation, unfortunately, does not preserve all the beneficial trace elements and vitamins in fruits. This is why freezing food is so popular. But some fruits are problematic to save for the winter even in this way.
When frozen, food retains almost all vitamins, with a few exceptions. Apples, which contain a large amount of iron, zinc, potassium, vitamin C, can be kept healthy for the winter by freezing them.
Which fit
Late varieties of apples are suitable for freezing. For example, Antonovka or Golden. They have a sweet-sour taste and are fully ripe by mid-October. It is important not only to choose the right variety, but also the fruits themselves for freezing. They should not be crumpled, wormy, plucked long ago (only fresh apples are suitable, literally from the tree), dried.
It is necessary to dry the fruits so that they do not stick together in the freezer. This can be done by placing the apples on a napkin or paper towel for 3-5 minutes.
Preparation and freezing
Since apples can only be frozen once, they are usually packaged in small portions. Plucked fruits can not be peeled (it contains about 30% of all nutrients), washed and cut into slices, cubes, strips. To prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning black, they are soaked in brine for 15 minutes.
To prepare the solution, you will need cold drinking water (500 ml) and a tablespoon of table salt. You don't have to wait for the salt to dissolve, just stir it well.
After soaking, the apples are laid out on a napkin so that the excess moisture is gone. Fruits ready for freezing are packed in bags or containers, put into the freezer.
In order to preserve all the useful properties of the product, a stable low temperature is required. Therefore, the freezer must work properly, do not disconnect from the mains during the freezing period.
How to defrost
It is important not only to properly freeze apples, but also to defrost them. Aggressive heat treatment is not allowed immediately after removal from the freezer. Defrosting by immersion in cold water is also not recommended. The fruit must be thawed at room temperature.
It should be noted that when defrosting, the color and taste of apples may slightly change. At the same time, the slices, which were soaked in saline before freezing, practically do not change their color, remaining white or yellowish.
