John Myers
Whether as cherry jam, cherry cake, or pure. Cherries are a real treat. So that leftover cherries never end up in the trash again, we show you how to freeze cherries.
Freezing cherries: preparation
How you freeze your cherries depends on the intended use or the time management during processing. Basically, the following preparations are required:
- Clean fruit in a cold water bath
- פליסן
- אַראָפּנעמען סטעמס
Now you have to decide whether you want to freeze the cherries with or without the stone. The first variant is less complex since the seeds can be removed relatively easily from the pulp when they are half thawed. However, if the frozen supply is for quick use or should be frozen for preparation, it is best to pit the fruit beforehand.
You can read how best to pit cherries in our article on pitting cherries!
Tip: Frozen cherries that have already been pitted can be made into a refreshing sorbet in no time at all.
Freeze cherries properly
Whether with or without a stone, this is how you freeze the fruit very easily:
- Spread the fruit out on a baking sheet (a plastic plate will suffice for small portions)
- place in the freezer for about 2 hours
- To save space, transfer to a freezer bag or a plastic container
- freeze forever
Note: Pre-freezing prevents the fruit from freezing together. In addition, the shock freezing ensures that only very small ice crystals form, and the cherries do not taste mushy after thawing.
Durability and subsequent use
Cherries can be frozen for up to a year. So that they still taste good, you should only freeze intact fruit without bruises. You can remove the stems beforehand without hesitation, as the cold ensures natural preservation. If, on the other hand, you store the fruit in the refrigerator at milder temperatures, you should only cut off the stems immediately before processing.
Defrost cherries
Defrosting is just as easy as freezing. If necessary, take the fruit out of the freezer and thaw it at room temperature. They are defrosted after 1 to 3 hours. If you have a little more time, it is best to defrost them overnight in the fridge. Of course, you can also add them directly to the food when they are frozen. If you have followed our instructions, you will hardly taste any difference from fresh cherries.
