Cherries are a delicious fruit, whether eaten alone or as an ingredient in desserts. However, cherries can be difficult to handle if you have them in large quantities. Before you throw it away, try storing it in the freezer to use and enjoy later! Before storing cherries in containers or plastic bags, you must first freeze them in a cake pan. Also, you can store cherries in syrup or coat them with sugar before placing them in a plastic bag and freezing them.
Ingredients
Freezing Cherries in Syrup or Juice
- 1400 grams of cherries
- 250-500 grams of white sugar
- 950 ml of water
- tsp. (3 ml) ascorbic acid for every 700 grams of cherries
Freezing Cherries in Sugar
- 700 grams of cherries
- 70-130 grams of white sugar
Step
Method 1 of 4: Preparing Cherries
Step 1. Rinse the cherries using cold water
Put the cherries in a colander and place under running water. Rotate the sieve while rinsing so that all the cherries are rinsed evenly. Drain the cherries before you transfer them to another container.
Instead of rinsing, you can soak Rainier cherries (a type of cherry) in a bowl filled with 60 ml of lemon juice and water. This is to prevent the color of the fruit from changing later
Step 2. Use paper towels to dry the cherries
Remove any remaining water using a dry tissue. You don't have to wipe the cherries one by one, just make sure no more water drips when the cherries are put in the freezer.
- If you wish, you can also use a clean towel or dishcloth.
- If you're not in a hurry, let the cherries dry on paper towels.
Step 3. Remove the cherry seeds
Remove the cherry seeds using a knife. Insert a knife through the stem of the fruit, and remove the seeds by prying them. If you don't like using a knife, try inserting a straw through the center of the fruit and pressing down. To avoid getting dirty, place the cherries in the mouth of the bottled water when you insert the straw.
Cherry seeds should be discarded as you will not include them for preservation
Method 2 of 4: Storing Frozen Fruits in Plastic Bags
Step 1. Place the rack at the bottom of the cake pan
Prepare a low metal rack and place it at the bottom of the cake pan. Try to place it in such a way that the shelf does not shift when the cake pan is moved.
Although optional, the rack will keep the cherries from moving around too much while on the cake pan
Do you know?
You can't freeze cherries directly in a plastic bag, as the fruit will freeze unevenly. The cherries at the top will harden first and press against the fruit at the bottom.
Step 2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rack
Cut long parchment paper and lay out on a rack. Try to match the paper size to the cake pan so that the rack is completely covered with paper. If you have a parchment roll that includes a cutter, lay the paper directly on the baking sheet so you can get the size right.
If you don't have parchment paper, try using waxed paper
Step 3. Remove the stems from the cherries
Pinch the stalks at the top of each fruit, then twist. Do this quickly and gently so that the stalks come off quickly and don't cause any damage. Since the cherries will be eaten or cooked later, the stalks should be removed before you freeze them.
- Remove the cherry stalks after you remove them.
- The cherry seeds will be easier to remove once the stems are removed.
Step 4. Arrange cherries on parchment paper
Place the cherries in a row to cover the entire surface of the pan. Don't place the cherries on top of each other. If there are still cherries left, spread another piece of parchment paper over the first layer of cherries, then place the remaining cherries on top of the parchment paper.
Depending on the number of cherries you want to freeze, you may need to freeze them gradually, piece by piece
Step 5. Freeze the cherries overnight
Place the baking pan on an empty shelf or in the corner of the freezer, where it won't be damaged. Let the cherries sit in the freezer overnight, or at least 4-6 hours. If you're in a hurry, check the cherries every 4 hours or so to see if they're hard.
Step 6. Put the frozen cherries in a plastic bag and store in the freezer for 6 months
Remove the pan from the freezer and transfer the frozen cherries to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Write the current date on the plastic bag, then put the bag in the freezer. To keep the freshness of cherries maximum, do not use cherries for more than 6 months.
Method 3 of 4: Freezing Cherries in Syrup or Juice
Step 1. Prepare 1400 grams of cherries and remove the stems
Before storing, remove the stalks that are on all the cherries. To quickly remove the stem, pinch and twist the stem in a quick motion. When removing the stalk, don't forget to set it aside in a special place so that the stalk doesn't mix with the cherries.
Step 2. Make a syrup by mixing 950 ml of sugar and water
Take a medium sized saucepan, fill it with water, and heat it over high heat. If you want to freeze sour cherries, add 500 grams of sugar to the water. If you have sweet-tasting cherries, simply add 250g of sugar to the pan. Keep stirring the water until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes thick.
This recipe is perfect for handling large quantities of cherries
Step 3. Add teaspoon (3 ml) of ascorbic acid to the syrup
Add a little ascorbic acid for every 700 grams of cherries, then mix well. Although this is an optional ingredient, ascorbic acid can make cherries look fresh when soaked in syrup.
You can buy ascorbic acid online or at the grocery store
Step 4. Place the cherries in a freezer-safe jar or bag
Place the washed and seeded cherries in a plastic bag or glass jar, leaving 3cm of space at the top for the syrup. If you don't, the syrup won't have enough room to coat all the cherries.
Step 5. Pour the cooled syrup into the bag until all the cherries are submerged
Wait for the syrup to cool before you mix it with the cherries. Open a plastic bag or jar, and pour the syrup into the container until all the cherries are coated and the bag is almost full of syrup. Leave about 2 to 3 cm of space at the top of the container so you can close it without spilling the syrup.
Be sure to seal the plastic bag or jar tightly so that no air or moisture gets into it
Step 6. Freeze and use cherries within 12 months
Write the current date on the storage container before you put it in the freezer so you don't forget the expiration date. While cherries don't have to be used immediately, try to use them within a year. If you use more than that, the cherries may not be as fresh anymore.
Use freezer-safe tape to write the date on the cherry container
Method 4 of 4: Freezing Cherries in Sugar
Step 1. Put 700 grams of cherries in a large bowl
Place the washed cherries in a bowl to make it easier for you to add other ingredients. If you want to freeze a large number of cherries, try to process them gradually, piece by piece.
Make sure you know the type of cherries you're freezing, as the process for handling sweet and sour cherries will be slightly different
Step 2. Pour the sugar over the cherries and let the sugar dissolve
If you want to freeze 700 grams of tart cherries, pour about 130 grams of sugar into a bowl. To freeze sweet cherries, simply use 70 grams of sugar for every 700 grams of cherries. Stir the two ingredients until the sugar dissolves into the cherries.
- The sugar will dissolve into any remaining liquid when you rinse the cherries.
- Don't worry if there's still a little sugar left when you pack the cherries, as the sugar might not be completely dissolved.
Step 3. Put the cherries in another container
Place the sugar-coated cherries in a plastic bag or freezer-safe container, leaving about 2 to 3 cm of space at the top for the bag to seal tightly. If you put too many cherries in 1 bag, the bag may not close properly and tightly.
Don't worry if there's still excess sugar in the bag. The sugar will not dissolve when it is in the freezer
Tip:
As a general rule of thumb, leave about 2 cm of space if you freeze a few cherries. If the cherries are large, leave 3 cm of free space above the bag.
Step 4. Use cherries within 1 year for maximum freshness
Write the type of cherry and the current date on the bag or jar. When labeling, also include that you store cherries in dry sugar. Place the container of cherries in the freezer and use within a year.
