How to store cranberries at home for the winter - in the refrigerator, freezer, dried and other interesting ways

Fruits and berries

Cranberries are an extremely healthy berry with a pleasant sour taste. It contains a lot of vitamin C, as well as minerals, iodine salts, pectin and tannins. Juices, jellies, jams, jams, compotes are prepared from this berry, and they are also ground with sugar and honey and frozen fresh. We will tell you in this article how to preserve cranberries for the winter and all the vitamins they contain.

How long can cranberries be stored?

At room temperature, ripe berries can last no more than 3 days.
Cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator in the fresh zone for up to 6 months.
Properly frozen berries can be stored in the freezer for up to 5 years.

How to store fresh cranberries

To pick the berries, you should buy special tools that do not crush the cranberries, leaving the fruits intact. Cranberries are harvested three times a year:

in September;
after the first frost;
in early spring.

Once properly picked, this berry does not spoil so quickly. How long cranberries can be stored without refrigeration at room temperature depends on the method of processing freshly picked berries:

selected ripe unwashed berries – 3 days;
washed ripe berries – 1 day.

For long-term storage, the berries are sorted, thoroughly washed and dried. Crumpled unripe and overripe cranberries are used to make compote, fruit drink or jam; they are immediately processed. Also, those berries that were collected after frost or in the spring are immediately processed. They are carefully sorted and then dried or frozen.

Without freezing, the shelf life of fresh cranberries can be long if the air temperature is in the range from -2 to +2°C and humidity is 65-70%.

Cranberries contain benzoic acid, a natural preservative that prevents the growth of bacteria. Therefore, it can remain fresh for a long time at low temperatures. This feature was already known to our ancestors, who stored it without refrigerators until spring.

For long-term fresh storage without processing, dry, clean berries are placed in a basket or box and taken to a room where the above temperature and humidity are maintained. You can store cranberries:

on the balcony;
in the cellar;
in the basement.

Do cranberries lose their beneficial properties when frozen?

Properly frozen berries retain almost all vitamins. Under the influence of cold, only the vitamin C content decreases; about 10% is lost in six months.

Therefore, cranberries whose shelf life is coming to an end are not suitable for replenishing ascorbic acid deficiency. But the fruits do not cease to be a source of tannin, which resists pathogenic bacteria and enhances the effect of antibacterial drugs.

Frozen berries are still recommended to be consumed in the first year of storage, since stale fruits lose in taste and aroma.

How to store unripe cranberries

Only unripe berries that are red in color are suitable for storage. Green cranberries do not ripen when picked!

Storing cranberries at home is organized at room temperature. For storage, take a wicker basket or cardboard box, cover the bottom and walls with a clean towel and carefully pour in the unripe berries. Place it in a warm place - you can put it in the room or in the kitchen.

At a house temperature of 18-20°C and a humidity of 70%, the berries will become ripe in 1.5-2 weeks. After that they need to be sorted out.

To make the cranberries ripen faster, you can put an apple in the container. This fruit produces ethylene, thanks to which unripe berries can be “forced” to become ripe faster. Cut the fruit in half and store as is. Change the apple half when it dries out to prevent it from rotting.

How to select and prepare berries for storage

There are two harvest periods: at the beginning of autumn , when it is not fully ripe, and after the first frost - then the berries become as juicy as possible and contain the greatest amount of vitamins. The storage method will depend on the ripeness of the harvested berries, so check out each of the methods below.

For example, if you store berries frozen, then it is best to give preference to slightly unripe fruits: soft and ripe ones will significantly lose their taste after freezing.

Before storing, it is important to clean the product from small leaves and twigs that inevitably end up with the berries during picking.

The harvested crop must be prepared for saving. First, separate the crumpled or overripe berries: it is better to eat them immediately. Immature white specimens should not be used in preparations, because they will not bring any benefit and can spoil the taste.

Rinse the selected cranberries thoroughly, then dry naturally to remove excess moisture. After this, it is ready for further processing.

How to store cranberries in the refrigerator

If you have free space, you can store fresh cranberries in the refrigerator in containers with a lid. Only elastic berries without dents are suitable for long-term storage. It is very convenient to buy several small plastic containers with a tight lid with a volume of 250-300 ml and arrange the berries in portions.

The shelf life is up to 6 months, at a temperature of 3-5°C near the wall of the refrigerator. You can also store harvested garden or forest cranberries in the “freshness zone” at 0°C for up to six months.

Freezing

What can you do with cranberries if you have a large freezer? Of course, deep freeze the berries. This is the second, but most popular way to preserve all the benefits nature contains in this berry. For storage in the freezer, it is better to choose those berries that have already been exposed to frost under natural conditions. As a rule, experienced gardeners wait until the first light frost catches the cranberries, and only after that the berries are picked.

Before freezing, it is recommended to sort out the cranberries and carefully inspect them for rotten spoiled berries. Then rinse, spread on a clean kitchen towel in a thin layer and let dry naturally. After this, we pack the clean and dry berries into bags and store them in the freezer. If you have very ripe berries, then for freezing it is better to choose not cellophane bags, but a plastic container with a lid.

How to store cranberries in the freezer

Cranberries tolerate freezing perfectly, as they completely retain their color, taste and benefits. Carefully selected berries are washed, dried and placed in small containers or plastic bags in portions. For freezing, you can also use special reusable bags with a zip fastener. It is important that the berries are dry, as they may stick together during storage.

Frozen cranberries at temperatures between -10 and -18°C have a shelf life of up to five years.

Such a long shelf life is explained by the tannins contained in the berries, which prevent them from spoiling.

If you have a special flat shelf in your refrigerator for freezing berries, be sure to use it. The temperature during freezing should be minimal, from -18°C and below. After 3 hours, the berries need to be poured into a container or packaged. It should be frozen in one layer. For storage, you can set the temperature to -10°C. When storing, you should provide a tight lid to the container so that the berries are not saturated with foreign odors.

You can also grind the berries with sugar and freeze them as a puree. To do this, it is packaged in plastic containers or ziplock bags in portions and stored at a temperature of -10 to -18°C. The shelf life of cranberries in the freezer in this form is 3 years.

Remember that cranberries cannot be defrosted again.

Storage rules

If the temperature in the freezer is -18 degrees, then cranberries can be stored for up to 3 years. If it was mixed with sugar, then the shelf life increases to 5 years. At temperatures ranging from -5 to -18 degrees, cranberries can be stored for up to 1 year.

Due to the content of benzoic acid, the berry is stored for a long time, protecting against the development of pathogenic bacteria, because it is a natural preservative.

To ensure that the product does not lose its properties, taste, or deteriorate, the following rules must be followed:

you need to close the containers in which the product is stored and monitor the integrity of the package;
If the cranberries have been thawed, they cannot be re-frozen;
It is better not to store fish or meat nearby so that the berries do not pick up the smell of this food;
Do not defrost the product in hot water or the microwave.

Cranberries are great for preparing various dishes. To defrost it, just immerse the container with berries in cold water for half an hour. You can also place the container in the refrigerator. The berries will defrost after 6-7 hours.

How to store cranberries in water

One of the oldest ways to store berries is cold water. To do this, carefully selected ripe elastic berries are washed and placed in an enamel container, then filled with clean well water.

Cranberries should be properly stored in water at a temperature of about 0°C for 6 months. To do this, the container must be placed on the balcony, in the cellar, in the basement, or taken out to an unheated garage.

There is no need to change the water; the berries release preservatives that protect them from rotting. The only important condition is that the room must be clean, free from fungus and mold.

Method No. 7. Heat treatment

Processing through heat allows you to preserve most of the beneficial elements, since the cranberries are preserved in their juice. During the heating process, the temperature does not exceed 100 degrees.
The technology is not particularly difficult. Sort the fruits, rinse them with running water, and place them on a sieve. Wait for the moisture to drain, dry with napkins or towels.
Place the cranberries in an enamel thick-walled pan and place on the stove. Set the heat to the lowest setting and simmer until juice comes out from all the berries.
You cannot bring the composition until the first bubbles appear. Such a move will lead to a complete loss of vitamins. When the juice is washed out of the fruit, pour the mixture into sterilized jars.
Cover with lids, leaving small gaps. Prepare a water bath. Line a wide pan with a towel, place the jars inside, and fill with hot water up to the shoulders.
Pasteurize the cranberries in their own juice for about a quarter of an hour, then turn off the burner. Remove the cans with oven mitts and tighten them with a special key.
Wrap the containers in a sweatshirt, turn them upside down and wait until they cool completely. Store in the refrigerator or cellar for the winter and use as needed.

Soak the berries in sugar syrup or water, dry the cranberries or heat them to release the juice. Cranberries pureed into puree cope well with colds, fight vitamin deficiency in the off-season, and strengthen the immune system as a whole.

How to store dried cranberries

Drying is a great way to store berries. This can be done in several ways, the most popular of which are fresh air, oven and household electric dryer.

How to dry cranberries outdoors

Clean, dry, carefully selected berries are placed on a baking sheet and dried for several weeks in the open air at a temperature of 25-30 ° C in the shade. You can take them out into the attic or place the baking sheet on the balcony, covering it with gauze.

It is necessary to carefully stir the berries periodically and throw out those that have begun to spoil. The berry is ready when it becomes elastic, but does not crumble when pressed.

How to dry cranberries in the oven

You can also dry cranberries in the oven at 50°C for 4-5 hours. To do this, they are dried with the door slightly open until they become elastic, but are no longer sticky.

You can pour the berries for storage only after they have cooled completely.

How to dry cranberries in an electric dryer

If you have a special household dryer, you can cook cranberries in it. The berries are scattered on pallets in one layer so that they do not come into close contact with each other. When drying in an electric dryer, it is necessary to change the trays every hour to speed up the process. Depending on the model and power of the device, the drying process can take from 6 to 10 hours.

Dried cranberries should be cooled, then poured into a storage container. It is worth noting in what container it is better to store dried berries. For storage, it is poured into glass or plastic containers and stored in a cool, dark place at a temperature of 10-20°C under a tightly closed lid. The shelf life is 12 months.

If you want to store the berries longer, you should place the containers in the freezer. The storage time of frozen dried cranberries should not exceed 2 years.

Interesting facts about cranberries

The higher the acidity of the cranberries, the longer they will be stored.
You can also pick or buy slightly unripe berries - cranberries can ripen later. If for some reason you want to speed up the process, you can put a tomato or apple in a container with cranberries. The ethylene they release will affect the berries. However, we must remember that the best berries are those collected in late autumn, dark red or purple in color.
Cranberries are harvested several times a year. The first time was during the golden autumn. The second is before winter, when the temperature drops below zero and the first snow falls. The third is in the spring, after the snow has melted.
Cranberries are 90% water.
It prevents urinary tract infections, reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, slows the progression of malignant tumors, and improves vision.
Cranberries are rich in vitamin C, B, PP, K1, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and phosphorus, as well as fiber and antioxidants.
Regular consumption of cranberry juice or fruit drink relieves depression and stress.
One cup of fresh berries is equivalent to half a cup of dried cranberries.

How to store cranberries in sugar

An effective way to preserve all the properties of cranberries is to prepare them in a jar with sugar without cooking.

Layers of berries and sugar are poured into dry, clean, sterile glass jars. The top layer should be sugar.

Tightly closed jars should be stored at a temperature of 0-5°C in a cellar, basement, garage, balcony or refrigerator.

Cranberry preparation with honey for the winter is also delicious. Washed dry fresh cranberries need to be ground through a sieve or crushed in a blender, add honey in a 1:1 ratio.

The berries mashed in this way should be stored in a jar in the refrigerator on the top shelf at a temperature of 5°C.

Another popular way to preserve berries for a long time is by preparing candied fruits. To do this, the berries are boiled in thick syrup, turning them off every 15 minutes so that they are soaked in syrup and cool. The process takes 3-4 hours until the berries become translucent. Then they are filtered and laid out on a baking sheet or other surface in one layer. Cooked berries should be dried in an oven preheated to 50°C for 2 hours and cooled.

This method of preparation does not make the berries healthy, since heat treatment destroys vitamin C. Candied fruits should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container on the middle shelf or on the door at a temperature of 5°C.

What can be made from frozen cranberries: 5 ideas

The simplest and especially relevant way to consume frozen cranberries during the cold season is to pour hot honey over the berries and eat them, crunching them and drinking aromatic tea. But there are many more options for using it, here are some of them.

Frozen cranberry juice

✍ You will need:

2 cups (200 ml) frozen cranberries;
2 liters of water (separately for soaking);
6 tablespoons of sugar.

Preparation:

Pour cold water over the frozen berries, let them thaw for 15-20 minutes, and rinse under running water in a colander.
Place the cranberries in a blender and chop.
Squeeze out the juice through gauze or a fabric strainer. Set aside.
Place the pulp in a saucepan and add two liters of water. After boiling, cook for 1 minute. Remove heat, add sugar, stir, leave for half an hour.
Strain the broth and combine with juice.

If you don’t have a blender, mash the berries with a masher.

Cranberry Sauce

Particularly good with lamb, wild meat, and duck.

✍ You will need:

300 grams of frozen cranberries;
300 ml water;
3 tablespoons each of sugar and honey;
2 tablespoons vegetable oil;
a teaspoon of cinnamon;
3 teaspoons of a mixture of dried herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme);
3-4 cloves of garlic;
¼ teaspoon salt.

See also: Oregano - medicinal properties and contraindications

Preparation:

Mash the thawed cranberries or process them in a blender on a pulsating mode; there should be pieces of berries in the mixture.
Finely chop the garlic.
Combine cranberries, water and oil in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients to the cranberry mass, add heat, cook for 3 minutes. Cool slightly, pour into a gravy boat.

You should not prepare sauce in aluminum containers: the material releases harmful substances from contact with an acidic environment.

Video recipe for making cranberry sauce

Quick ice cream with cranberries and cottage cheese

If the blender is powerful, the berries are not defrosted; otherwise, they are allowed to thaw for 20-30 minutes. Yogurt in dessert can be replaced with full-fat kefir.

✍ You will need:

100 grams of frozen cranberries;
200 grams of cottage cheese;
200 grams of natural yogurt;
100-125 grams of sugar.

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.
Divide the mixture either into portioned cups or into one container, close with a lid or cover with film. Place in the freezer for half an hour or an hour.

To make ice cream healthier, sugar is replaced with a large ripe banana.

Cranberry tincture

✍ You will need:

a glass of frozen cranberries;
half a liter of quality vodka;
a tablespoon of sugar;
50 ml water.

Preparation:

Grind the thawed berries with a masher or submersible blender to a paste. Place in a jar, add vodka, stir, close the lid, and put in a dark place for two weeks.
Filter the tincture several times through 3-4 layers of gauze.
Boil syrup from sugar and water, cool, add to the tincture, let stand for another day.

Video recipe for “Klyukovka” - cranberry tincture

Secrets of experienced housewives

Secrets of storing and preparing cranberries from experienced housewives:

Wash the berries without touching them with your hands so that they do not squash or release juice. Use a sieve.
Wear gloves when handling cranberries. The juice stains and irritates the skin.
To determine if a cranberry is ripe, drop it on the floor or table. If the berry bounces like a ball when it falls, then it is fully ripe.
Pickled cranberries are used during crop preservation. Add a few soaked berries when pickling cucumbers or cabbage. They will give vegetables a piquant sweet-sour taste.
When soaking, use well or spring water. If this is not the case, then use tap water after boiling it.
You can make a delicious fruit drink from cranberries. Mix 300 g of berries and 140 g of sugar, add filtered water, boil over low heat, wait until the drink cools. If you use frozen cranberries, let them melt on their own. Add ginger, honey or lemon.
Place cranberries in a meat or vegetable dish. This will add some spice to it.
To prevent colds, pass 0.5 kg of cranberries and lemon through a meat grinder, add honey. Wash the mixture with hot tea.

Advice from experienced housewives

There are several recommendations that should be followed by anyone who wants to preserve cranberries for as long as possible.

The ideal degree of maturity suitable for storage is easy to determine. The cranberry will bounce like a well-inflated rubber ball when dropped on the floor.
It is better to soak in water collected from a well. Of course, today you won’t find a well in a city. Therefore, tap water will do. But such a liquid requires preliminary boiling or settling.
Some of the berries soaked for storage should be saved until the canning season. They can be added to cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes in a twist. And the classic version is sauerkraut with cranberries. The berry can enrich the taste of neighbors and make them aesthetically pleasing.
Fruits that were collected for storage early in spring, under the snow, are ideal for preparing original sauces. Sauces for meat and poultry are very popular.

Read further:

Advantages of freezing cranberries at home

Simple tips on how to keep broccoli fresh for a long time

Ways to preserve fresh grapes throughout the winter

How to preserve the freshness and aroma of strawberries - proven methods

8 ways to preserve fresh watermelon until the New Year

How to properly store fresh cucumbers so that they do not spoil for as long as possible?

Previous Fruits and berriesConditions and features of drying apples in an electric vegetable dryer Next Fruits and berriesCan apples be stored on the balcony in winter?

Requirements for containers

For freezing berry preparations, two types of containers are used:

Plastic bags - it is advisable to purchase special freezing bags for these purposes. They have a dense structure and are therefore resistant to mechanical damage. They have a lock on the side for ease of use. It is not advisable to use this container for berries with a soft texture.
Plastic containers - choose containers that are resistant to low temperatures. The container must have an airtight lid. The containers are convenient to stack on a shelf and do not take up much space.