Is it possible to freeze watermelon for the winter?

Finding high-quality, tasty watermelon in winter is an unrealistic task. But striped berries can be frozen for the winter. In the freezer, watermelon will retain its benefits and taste, but be prepared that the pulp will lose its shape. The fact is that there is a lot of water in it.

How to freeze watermelon

Frozen watermelon makes interesting additions to cocktails, desserts, smoothies, and ice cream. It is unlikely that it will be possible to maintain the dense structure of the pulp: after defrosting, it will still spread out. But the freezer can preserve the sweet taste and vitamins.

The best way is blast freezing. The faster the pulp hardens, the more benefits will remain in it; it will not soften too much and will not lose its sweetness. Keep the watermelons at low temperatures for about 2 hours, and then transfer them to a standard freezer at -18 degrees.

The whole fruit is unlikely to fit into the chamber, this is a bad idea, and after removal such a watermelon will have no value. Try cutting the fruit and preparing it in pieces, in the form of puree, juice or in sweet syrup.

Pulp in pieces

Making watermelon slices couldn't be easier. Recipe:

1. Rinse the peel. When slicing, dirt from it easily gets onto the pulp.
2. Divide the fruit in half, then into several more parts.
3. Remove the crusts, capturing the white and light pink areas of the pulp. We will freeze only the bright part of the watermelon.
4. Now cut the berries into cubes, bars, cut out with molds or scoop with an ice cream scoop.Don't forget to remove the seeds.
5. Place everything in an even layer on a baking sheet.
6. The pieces must first be frozen separately so that they do not stick together. Keep the baking sheet in the freezer for several hours, maximum 12.
7. Pack hard watermelon slices into containers or bags. Pack everything tightly, preferably in two layers, and store it. Just be sure to leave some space in the bags, as the watermelon will expand when cold.
8. Freeze in small portions for one meal.
9. You cannot re-freeze watermelon - it will spoil it.

Advice
The magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com recalls that watermelon is negatively known for its high risk of poisoning. Select the pulp only from the center of the fruit: the closer to the peel, the more nitrates.

Watermelon with sugar

Loss of sweetness during freezing is a natural process. To keep watermelon sweet, simply sprinkle it with sugar. Prepare the slices as in the previous recipe, place them in containers and add sugar at the rate of 100-200 g per half kilo of berries.

Watermelon in syrup

Not only sugar, but also syrup based on it will preserve the sweetness of watermelon. Mix water and sugar in equal proportions, melt, cool slightly and pour over watermelon slices. The syrup should not cover the entire container; it will expand when frozen. Don't forget to pack it well before putting it in the freezer.

Advice
To prevent watermelon from absorbing foreign odors, store it separately from meat, fish and other strong-smelling foods. Ideally, you should have a separate chamber for vegetables, fruits and berries.

Watermelon juice and puree

Try making pieces of watermelon puree or juice. They can then be used for drinks and ice cream.

The instructions are simple:

1. Cut off the desired pulp and remove the seeds.
2. To make the puree, mash the watermelon with a fork or put it in a blender.
3. It is easy to squeeze the juice out of the puree by placing it in cheesecloth or using a juicer.
4. If desired, add a little sugar to the juice and puree.
5. Pour everything into beautiful ice or baking molds; small plastic cups and containers with a lid will do.
6. Pack into additional bags and place in the freezing unit.

Advice
Watermelon ice is an effective and aromatic toner for the skin of the face and neck.

How to defrost

If you use puree or ice-cold juice, do not defrost, but immediately add the pieces to the cocktail.

The rest of the treats should be defrosted gradually. First, move them to the refrigerator. After a couple of hours, let the watermelon slices thaw at room temperature. Do not forget that defrosting will not last long, two days maximum. Do not defrost ahead of time.

How to choose a good watermelon: detailed tips

To make freezing tasty, you should be careful when purchasing the fruit.

A selection of tips:

1. Watermelon is a late berry, which means there is no point in looking for it before August. Either these are nitrate fruits or unripe ones. The most sugary varieties appear on the market in the fall.
2. If you tap the skin of a watermelon, you will hear a ringing sound. When squeezed, the fruit should crunch.
3. Pay attention to the cut: if the structure is granular, everything is in order, if the surface is smooth, as if mirrored, there is a risk of poisoning.
4. A good berry has a large earthen spot of a yellow or brownish tint.
5. Choose fruits in the range of 4-7 kg.

Enjoying fresh watermelon in winter is easy, just follow all the rules for selection, preparation and freezing process. If you did everything correctly, sweet watermelon will be stored for up to 1 year.