Freezing fruits and berries: why it is so useful and how to do it at home

Freeze-drying is an alternative way of preserving food, thanks to which fruits and berries do not lose all their important and useful properties. They are frozen at -220 C, but before that, they go through a whole process.

The FoodOboz editorial team has prepared for you a complete list of the benefits of freezing food, as well as whether it is possible to do it at home and what stages of freezing there are.

It is worth noting that during the freeze-drying process, products are subjected to rapid freezing at temperatures down to -200°C. All the liquid contained in the berries turns into ice. But, since its crystals are so small, this allows cell membranes not to break down.

Sublimation process

The products are placed in a special hermetically sealed vacuum chamber, where the berries are heated while air is removed. In this way, ice crystals evaporate rather than turn into liquid.

The fruit can then be vacuum-packed and sent to the freezer.

Advantages of freeze-drying:

• All the useful properties of the products are fully preserved.
• When placed in warm water, freeze-dried berries restore their shape, color, taste and aroma.
• You don't need to add anything to the fruit and berries, no chemicals.
• It is important that freezing prevents the development of fungi and microorganisms.
• Freeze-dried berries are stored for 2 years.

How to freeze fruits and berries at home

It's not that difficult to do, you just need a fruit drying rack or you can use the oven, but this is in extreme cases. It is not convenient for this, as you need to keep the oven door open to remove moisture.

Drying berries in the oven:

• It is necessary to provide a temperature of 120-130 C.
• Stir the berries periodically to prevent them from burning.
• Be sure to keep the oven door open.

Drying berries in the dryer:

• Spread them out on trays and you can dry them, swap them periodically.
• To prevent the food from burning, use a dryer with a power of 700 watts or more, but do not set the maximum temperature.
• Do not fill the tray tightly so that air can circulate freely. This will prevent your berries and fruits from turning sour.