Cherries are as delicious as they are delicate, and if there are a lot of them, it is not easy to manage them. To avoid having to throw away even a single cherry, you can keep a portion in the freezer for future use. Before placing them in a bag or container, let them freeze individually on a baking sheet. Also, remember that you can freeze them in three different ways: plain, with sugar or in syrup.
Ingrediants
Freeze the Cherries with the Sugar Syrup
- 1, 4 kg of cherries
- 250-500 g of white sugar
- 1 liter of water
- Half a teaspoon (2.5ml) of ascorbic acid (per 700g of cherries)
Freeze the Cherries with the Sugar
- 700 g of cherries
- 65-130 g of white sugar
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare the Cherries
Step 1. Wash the cherries with cold water
Put them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Move the colander in a circle so that the water reaches all the cherries. After washing them, let them drain for a few minutes.
Rainier cherries washed under running water may lose color, so it's best to soak them in water and lemon juice to avoid this
Step 2. Dry the cherries with paper towels
Gently dab it into the colander. It is not necessary to dry them individually, the main thing is to get rid of excess moisture. When you put them in the freezer, they shouldn't drip.
- If you prefer, you can use a clean kitchen towel.
- If you have time to wait, you can let them air dry naturally after placing them on paper towels.
Step 3. Stone the cherries
Take a knife and remove the core in the center. Score the fruit from above and slide the blade around the seed to leave the pulp intact. Alternatively, you can try placing a straw in the center of the fruit and then pushing it down. You can make this easier by placing the cherry on the mouth of a plastic bottle before pushing the straw.
Kernels are not needed, so you can throw them away
Method 2 of 4: Preserving Natural Cherries
Step 1. Place a wire rack inside the pan
Take a thin wire rack and place it on top of a baking sheet. Try to place the pan in the center of the rack so that it stays stable as you carry it.
It is not mandatory to use the grill. However, it serves to keep the cherries from moving too far as you move them to the freezer
Did you know that?
If you just put the cherries in a bag and place it in the freezer, they won't freeze evenly. The ones at the top will harden first and crush the ones at the bottom of the bag.
Step 2. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the pan
Unroll the paper directly on the baking sheet to calculate the size accurately. Roll it out carefully, making sure it covers the edges of the pan as well.
If you don't have parchment paper, you can try using aluminum foil
Step 3. Remove the stalks from the cherries
Grab the stalk and roll it up on itself with a quick, fluid motion to detach it from the fruit with ease, without risking damaging it. It is useless to freeze cherries with the stalk as you will still have to remove it before eating them or using them in the kitchen.
- Throw away the cherry stalks.
- Once the petiole is removed, it will be easier to remove the core.
Step 4. Arrange the cherries on the parchment paper
Place them next to each other in an orderly fashion by filling the pan. If they don't all fit, arrange them in two overlapping layers divided by a sheet of baking paper.
If there are a lot of cherries, you may need to freeze them a little at a time
Step 5. Leave the cherries in the freezer overnight
Find a free shelf in the freezer to place the pan on to prevent the cherries from crushing. Let them freeze for at least 4-6 hours or preferably overnight. Make sure they have hardened completely before taking them out of the freezer. If you are in a hurry, check them every 4 hours or so to make sure they have hardened sufficiently.
Step 6. Bag the cherries, store them in the freezer and use within 6 months
Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the cherries into a plastic food-safe bag. Place the date on the bag and place it in the freezer. Try to consume cherries within six months to prevent them from losing their qualities.
Method 3 of 4: Freeze Cherries with Sugar Syrup
Step 1. Remove the stalks from the cherries
Remove the stalks one at a time in order to prepare them for the next steps. Grab the stalk and twist it on itself with a quick, fluid motion, so it will quickly detach from the fruit without damaging it. From time to time, set the stalks aside to prevent them from mixing with the cherries.
Step 2. Make the syrup with water and sugar
Pour a liter of water into a saucepan and heat it over high heat. Add 250 to 500 g of sugar, depending on the result you want to achieve. The higher the amount of sugar, the sweeter the syrup will be. Stir until the mixture has thickened and the sugar has dissolved completely.
This recipe is best suited for large quantities of cherries
Step 3. Add a small amount of ascorbic acid to the syrup
Use half a teaspoon of ascorbic acid for every 700g of cherries. Stir until it is well distributed in the syrup. Ascorbic acid is an optional ingredient. Its function is to make the cherries appear as fresh as possible after covering them with the syrup.
You can buy ascorbic acid online
Step 4. Place the cherries in a container suitable for freezing food
After washing, pitted and deprived of the stalks, transfer them to a bag or glass jar, leaving at least 2-3 cm of empty space on the top to be able to add the syrup.
Step 5. Let the syrup cool and then pour it into the container of cherries
Make sure it has cooled completely before pouring it over the cherries. The fruit must be completely covered with the syrup; only 1-2 centimeters of empty space should remain which will allow you to seal the container without difficulty.
Seal the container carefully so that the cherries are protected from air and moisture
Step 6. Freeze and use cherries within 12 months
Label the container to remind you how long you have stored the cherries in the freezer. They will last a long time, however it is best to eat them within 12 months, otherwise they may lose their taste and freshness.
Use a label that doesn't spoil with freezer humidity
Method 4 of 4: Freeze Cherries with Sugar
Step 1. Place 700g of cherries in a large bowl
After washing them, put them in a large container that allows you to add the other ingredients with ease. If there are many, it is preferable to manage them a little at a time.
Not all cherries are the same: some are sweeter, while others are more tart depending on the variety. Taste them to know how much sugar to use
Step 2. Add the sugar and let it melt
If the cherries have a sour taste, weigh 130 g of white sugar and pour it into the bowl. If you are using a rather sweet variety of cherries, 65g of sugar will suffice. Stir them until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Since the cherries are wet, the sugar should dissolve easily.
- Don't worry if it doesn't melt completely.
Step 3. Transfer the cherries to a separate container
Pour them into a container or bag suitable for storing food in the freezer, leaving a couple of centimeters of empty space so you won't have difficulty closing it. If you put too many cherries in the bag, you will not be able to seal it to keep them away from air and humidity.
Don't worry about adding excess sugar because it won't melt in the freezer
Suggestion:
as a general rule, leave 1cm of blank space if the bag is small or 2cm if the bag is large.
Step 4. Use the cherries within a year to prevent them from losing freshness
Label the container before placing it in the freezer, specifying the date, the variety of cherries and which are already sweetened. Try to eat them within 12 months, otherwise they may lose their freshness and flavor.
