Is it possible to freeze watermelon. Is it possible to freeze watermelon for the winter? How to freeze watermelon at home: simple recipes for harvesting for the winter

Freezing watermelon for the winter is the best way to keep some summer in your freezer. But it should be remembered that when defrosted, such a product loses its shape, turning into a limp mass. Watermelon is frozen only for the purpose of preserving its refreshing juicy flavor. That is why it is best to form small preparations or simply puree the red pulp in a chopper or blender, freezing it in small containers.

Since products lose about 15-20% of sweetness when frozen, you can add granulated sugar or honey to watermelon puree.

The recipe shows two ways of harvesting: slices and mashed - choose the one that you like. From slices of watermelon frozen for the winter, you can cook compote, fruit drink, and use mashed potatoes as a dessert, or add it after defrosting to lemonade or other soft drinks.

So, get the necessary ingredient and start cooking!

Rinse watermelon in water, cut in half and cut into portions.

Cut off the red sweet flesh from them in a deep container, while cleaning both black and white bones.

Carefully place half of the peeled pulp into a freezer bag. Seal it carefully, removing any air, and place it in the freezer. Remember that watermelon easily attracts all the savory flavors, such as bell pepper, so get tight bags for it.

Grind the rest of the watermelon pulp with a blender or in the bowl of a food processor, pour the resulting juice with pulp into a small container. At this stage, you can add sugar or honey to the juice if you wish. Place the container in the freezer. The shelf life of such blanks is 6 months.

In the season of melons and melons sales, zealous housewives want not only to feed their family with sweet berries, but also to stock up on vitamins for the entire winter period. It often happens that the juicy pulp remains, but it is a pity to throw it away. And in this case, you can freeze watermelon without losing most of the nutrients. How to do this, you will learn from our article.

Fresh berries during the cold winter months are a real treat for every gourmet. But in order to preserve the taste, freshness, vitamins and minerals that are contained in the berries, it is necessary to freeze them. There are several options for how to properly freeze vegetables, berries and fruits so that they remain tasty and healthy.

But is it possible to freeze the pulp of watermelon? After all, as you know, a sweet berry almost entirely consists of water. In the process of freezing, the fibers of the juicy pulp are destroyed, so often after defrosting, the hostess gets watermelon water. But do not be upset, there are technologies that will help you properly freeze watermelon and melon so that in winter you can enjoy a juicy dessert with pleasure.

Frozen watermelon after defrosting, of course, will not have as bright, rich taste as fresh, but the pulp is most often used to make various desserts: smoothies, ice cream, cocktails, jelly, juices.

How to choose the right product for freezing?

The main rule for freezing berries is that the watermelon must be ripe! Surely, many people know the old ways to determine the ripeness of watermelons:

• First evaluate the berry in appearance. Pay attention to the yellow spot on the peel, which is found on almost every watermelon. Too large a spot size indicates that the melon culture grew in bad weather conditions, which means that the pulp will not be sweet and sugary.
• The ripeness of the pulp can be determined by the sound. Tap on the peel - a ring should be heard. A deaf tone indicates that the berry is not ripe or, conversely, overripe.
• Melon crops begin to be actively eaten and harvested in the season of their ripening - the end of August-beginning of September. At this time, the sweetest late varieties ripen.

Freezing methods at home

There are several ways to freeze watermelon for the winter at home. But, regardless of which option you prefer, the preparation of the berry will be the same. First, a ripe berry is thoroughly washed with a household sponge with a small amount of dishwashing detergent. Then the watermelon is thoroughly wiped with paper towels. The berry is cut into two parts, each part is divided in half again and the pulp is removed.

On a note! Remove some of the seeds immediately after cutting the watermelon. This will make it easier for you to get the rest of the seeds during the cutting process.

The main ways to freeze watermelon for the winter:

1. Frozen pieces. In this case, use ripe, but not overripe pulp. It is cut into small cubes. You can use a spoon to make balls from watermelon pulp.
2. Pulp with sugar. So that the hostess can add not only freshness, but also sweetness to desserts and drinks, the watermelon pulp is frozen immediately with granulated sugar (a small amount is required).
3. Watermelon juice. Since watermelon is the juiciest berry, getting juice from it is not difficult. If you want to add sweetness, add some sugar to the juice.
4. Cubes in syrup. One of the most popular recipes among housewives. The pulp in syrup absorbs less odors and retains taste better.
5. Pulp in fruit juice. Watermelon goes well with citrus fruits, as well as apple and pineapple juice.

Whole in the freezer

Of course, you can freeze a whole watermelon, but there will be little sense in this. Experimenters who tried to freeze a whole berry were extremely dissatisfied with the results. Reasons why it is better to use other freezing technologies:

• A whole berry takes up a lot of space in the freezer;
• Watermelon will freeze for a very long time;
• After thawing, the product will lose its original appearance;
• The pulp will turn into porridge, which the hostess is unlikely to find the right use for.

Pieces of watermelon pulp

Quite often, housewives freeze just pieces of watermelon. This method is quite simple, but it will take time. How to freeze watermelon slices? First, the berries are washed, cut, then the pulp is taken out, while removing the seeds. The pulp can be cut into rectangles or squares, and with the help of a special ice cream spoon to form beautiful balls.

Important! If you want to freeze slices of watermelon, choose a juicy, but not overripe berry. The pulp of such a watermelon will be sweet, but dense.

On a cutting board covered with cling film, the pieces are laid out at some distance from each other. The pulp is placed in the freezer for 12 hours. When the pieces are completely frozen, they must be poured into a bag, sealed and sent back to the freezer.

With sugar

It is very convenient to immediately freeze watermelon pulp with sugar. A little granulated sugar is poured onto the bottom of the plastic container, then prepared and chopped watermelon pulp is laid out. A little more sand is poured evenly on top. The container is sent for emergency freezing to the freezer, after which the pieces are laid out in portions and put back into the freezer for storage.

Important! For 1 kg of watermelon pulp, about a glass of granulated sugar is usually required, but you can adjust the sweetness yourself by adding more or less sugar.

Many housewives prefer to prepare watermelon puree with sugar. It is done simply: the pitted pulp is crushed with a submersible blender, sugar is added, and then the resulting mass is poured into small plastic containers with an airtight lid.

Freezing watermelon juice

Juicy watermelon pulp produces a lot of juice, which can also be frozen for the winter. The pulp is first cut into pieces, then mashed into a puree, and then passed through several layers of gauze or a sieve. If you choose to freeze watermelon juice, keep in mind that blast freezing is not required.

This is interesting! If you pour the juice into portioned glasses and stick sticks into them, you will get a ready-made refreshing fruit dessert.

Cubes in syrup

Many prefer recipes in which the sweet pulp is frozen in sugar syrup. To prepare watermelon in syrup, you will need the following ingredients:

• Sugar sand (2 incomplete glasses);
• Water (liter);
• Ripe watermelon;
• Containers.

Let's get to work:

1. Prepare the watermelon: wash, dry, cut the flesh into pieces, remove the seeds.
2. Then boil the sugar syrup.
3. Arrange the watermelon slices in containers, pour over the chilled syrup so that the slices are completely covered, but the filling should not reach the lid.
4. This is followed by freezing the product, after which it can be consumed.

Pulp in fruit juice

To get a bright fruity dessert, watermelon pulp can be frozen in apple, citrus or pineapple juice - the sweet berry goes best with these fruits. The treat can be stored both in plastic containers and in disposable cups with lids.

The pulp is cut in any way, laid out in portions in a container, after which it is poured with any juice. The containers are then placed in the freezer.

Important! Fruit juice should completely cover the pulp, but not fill the entire volume of the container.

Shelf life and defrosting rules

Frozen pieces of sweet pulp, as well as watermelon juice, can be stored in the freezer for at least one year at a temperature of -18 to -23 degrees. In the event that such a temperature regime cannot be set on the refrigerator, the shelf life is reduced.

For proper defrosting, a container with watermelon is placed on the shelf of the refrigerator for gradual thawing. If juice cubes are to be used for drinks, they do not need to be defrosted.

What can be made from frozen watermelon?

Unfortunately, due to the large amount of water in the composition, after defrosting, the pulp of the berry will not have its previous shape. The taste and aroma will also be different from fresh watermelon. For this reason, some housewives try to freeze watermelon juice, which can then be added to various desserts and drinks. Despite this, defrosted watermelon can be used as an ingredient for making all kinds of desserts.

Drink Cubes

Cut the pulp into small cubes, spread on the board, keeping the distance. When the cubes are frozen, pour them into a bag, seal tightly and send to the freezer for storage. When you want to surprise guests or family with a summer drink in the middle of winter, take out a few cubes and add to a refreshing cocktail.

Pulp in syrup

Frozen slices in syrup are a great option for making homemade lemonades, milk shakes, sherbets, smoothies and other delicious treats. It is very convenient to use slices with syrup, because in this case you can do without adding sugar to the dessert.

Popsicles and ice cream

The favorite delicacy of adults and children is popsicles, for the preparation of which you can use frozen berries. You can combine watermelon pulp with lime, coconut milk, chocolate, berries and other ingredients.

During the freezing process, you can immediately make popsicles if you place watermelon pulp or juice with sugar in portioned plastic cups. Don't forget to stick a stick in each cup. When you want to treat yourself to a refreshing dessert, take out the glass of pulp, dip it in hot water for a few seconds and immediately take out the popsicles from the container.

Skin tonic

Frozen gourds are also used as cosmetic products. How to make a refreshing toner for combination to oily skin:

1. Mix in equal proportions watermelon and cucumber juice.
2. Pour into an ice container.
3. When the cubes are frozen, remove them from the container, put them in a bag and seal tightly.

As you can see, it is quite possible to freeze sweet pulp at home. The main thing is to follow the basic rules of freezing in order to be able to delight loved ones and friends with refreshing, incredibly tasty desserts during the cold winter months.

In what other form can you prepare watermelons for the winter:

A large sweet berry is always associated with summer warmth. And every time, with impatience, we wait for the onset of melon season. Therefore, more and more often you can hear the question: “Is it possible to freeze watermelon in the freezer?”. The answer to this question is yes, but one must be prepared for the fact that when frozen, the watermelon loses its original structure and part of the sweetness. We will talk about how to properly approach the issue of freezing this berry in this article.

Before freezing, the peel of the berry is thoroughly washed using soap. Then wipe dry with towels.

At least 1 hour before placing food in the freezer, the freezing unit must be set to the “Super frost” mode, since the finicky pulp of watermelon needs to be quickly frozen.

7 ways to freeze watermelon

Method number 1: Freezing a whole watermelon

Some people ask: “Is it possible to freeze a whole watermelon for the winter?”. The report is obvious - it is possible, but there is little point in such a freeze. Watermelon, after defrosting, will completely lose its shape, pulp texture and become very watery.

Watch the video from the channel "Chinese things" - "I froze a watermelon and eat it in winter"

Method number 2: Freezing watermelon pulp in pieces

You can freeze slices of watermelon for the winter. To do this, the peel is cut from the watermelon, and the pulp is cut in an arbitrary way. During processing, if possible, all the bones are removed.

Then the pieces are laid out on a cutting board covered with cellophane. It is important to place the cubes at some distance from each other so that they do not stick together. The board is sent to the freezer for 12 hours.

After that, the pieces of watermelon are poured into one bag and sent back to the cell for storage.

Watch the video from the channel "DIY ideas for creativity" - Watermelon popsicle delicious ice cream without extra calories

Method number 3: How to freeze watermelon with sugar

For such a freezing, pieces, pitted, are laid out in containers and sprinkled with sugar. The ratio of pulp and sugar is 1:5.

The containers are tightly closed with a lid and put into the freezer.

Method number 4: How to freeze watermelon in syrup

For this preparation, both ready-made fruit syrup and prepared independently from sugar and water, in a ratio of 1: 2, are suitable.

To prepare the syrup, sugar is placed in boiling water and boiled for 2 minutes. Then the syrup is cooled. It is advisable to keep it in the refrigerator for a while.

Cold syrup is poured into containers filled with slices of peeled watermelon. It is important that the syrup covers them completely. The containers are sealed with lids and sent to the freezer.

ADVICE: Line the inside of the container with cling film. After the products are completely frozen, the ice briquette can be removed from the container and, tightly packed with the edges of the film, stored separately.

Method number 5: Freezing the pulp in fruit juice

Watermelon cubes are placed in plastic containers, after removing the seeds from them. The pulp is poured with chilled juice. Juice for this blank can be anything: pineapple, orange or apple.

Method number 6: Freezing watermelon puree with sugar

To make puree, the pulp of watermelon is pierced with a blender, and mixed with sugar to taste. The workpiece is laid out in plastic cups or molds for ice.

After the puree is completely frozen, the cubes are removed from the molds and placed in a separate bag, and the cups are sealed on top with cling film.

Method number 7: How to freeze watermelon juice for the winter

Frozen watermelon juice is used in cosmetology or as ice for cocktails. To prepare ice cubes from watermelon juice, you need to squeeze the pulp of watermelon crushed with a blender through cheesecloth. Ready juice is poured into molds and frozen.

Storing and thawing watermelon

Frozen watermelon is stored in a freezer at a temperature of -18ºС from 10 to 12 months.

Melons should be defrosted slowly: first in the main compartment of the refrigerator, and then at room temperature. Never use a microwave to defrost.

The most seasonal summer fruits. The moment when you need to seize the moment! If you want to delight yourself with watermelon and melon in the winter, set aside other preparations and take care of these bright delicacies.

Grade

And they tolerate freezing well, but you need to understand that when defrosted, they will not look much like themselves in the summer - you will get a puddle and a little "framework" of fiber. Therefore, harvest fruits so that they can be frozen and used. For example, put in a drink like or just in water and make it, eat it as a dessert or quickly beat in a blender and make a sorbet.

Freezing watermelon

Sweet and juicy, watermelon can be a complete winter dessert when frozen. You can cut not just slices, but figuratively, or freeze in the form of balls, cutting them out with a special spoon. It is important to remember that watermelon contains a lot of water. When frozen, it will expand - just like it does in a bottle. So when you pack your watermelon for permanent storage, don't pack it too tightly into the containers or roll the bag too tight. Leave space so that the container with the workpiece does not burst.

1. Wash the watermelon, wipe dry. Cut into slices, remove the peel, take out all the bones that you can get.

2. Cut into portions of the desired size and shape. Take out any remaining bones.

3. Arrange the watermelon slices on a tray. It is important that they do not touch, otherwise they will stick together into one piece.

4. Place in freezer until completely frozen. Then remove, remove the slices from the tray, place in bags or containers and place back in the freezer for storage.

Freezing melon

The main mistake when freezing a melon is to try to stock it for the winter in large pieces. This is not worth doing: the pulp is quite dense, it takes time to freeze. The melon will freeze slowly and unevenly and end up untasting when defrosted. So it is better to cut it into small slices. So it can even be put in

Recently, thrifty housewives are increasingly resorting to home freezing of various vegetables and fruits. Modern technology helps to freeze watermelon or melon without much effort. Previously, these products were harvested only in canned form, but now you can stock up on your favorite delicacy almost fresh, without losing most of its useful properties. Modern chefs know several ways to freeze watermelon and similar products.

Harvesting watermelon for the winter

A juicy summer berry is loved by many, and therefore people have learned to harvest it for the winter. Watermelon can be stored in several states: salted, pickled or frozen. It should be taken into account that if you freeze a watermelon at home, it will retain 80-85% of its useful properties, and pickled or pickled - only 60%.

Freezing watermelon is possible according to several recipes. The most popular winter preparations of the chestnut native are:

• classic freezing;
• in sweet syrup;
• in berry juice;
• in the form of a puree.

Before you start harvesting watermelon in the freezer, it is recommended to properly prepare it. To do this, the berry is thoroughly washed and wiped dry. Then it is cut into pieces and cleaned from the skin and seeds.

The classic method of freezing involves cutting the watermelon into convenient small pieces or cubes. Next, the berry is laid out on a flat surface, it can be a tray or board for cutting food, and sent to the freezer.

When laying out a watermelon on a board, it is necessary to maintain a small distance between the pieces, then they will not stick together.

If your refrigerator has an emergency freeze function, you can use it. It takes 1-2 hours to process a watermelon product in this mode.

After the watermelon has frozen, its pulp is removed from the board and laid out in batches in batches. As a convenient container for further storage, berries are suitable:

• plastic cups;
• plastic containers.

The watermelon laid out in the selected container is put into the freezer. In this form, it is usually stored for up to 1 year.

To easily separate the frozen pulp from the board, you can cover the surface with cling film.

When defrosting a watermelon, from the freezer it is first placed in the upper chamber of the refrigerator so that it thaws gradually.

Pulp in sugar

You can make watermelon slices by freezing them with sugar. For this, a ripe berry is prepared and, having cut the pulp in a convenient way, sprinkle it with sugar. Next, the workpiece is sent to the freezer for emergency freezing. After that, portions are laid out in bags or other containers and put into the freezer for long-term storage.

Preserving the watermelon product according to this recipe, a proportion is observed in which about 200 g of sugar is required per 1 kg of pulp.

Quite often, the red berry is harvested in the form of grated puree. To do this, the watermelon pulp is crushed with a blender and laid out in a plastic container with a lid. To make the preparation sweet, sugar is added to it to taste.

You can also arrange watermelon puree in plastic cups.

In the case of harvesting mashed potatoes, you can immediately put it in the freezer without resorting to quick freezing. In this case, do not impose full containers, leaving some distance between the lid and the puree.

Watermelon juice in the freezer

It is very easy to prepare and frozen watermelon juice. To do this, the berry is crushed and the liquid is squeezed out through a sieve or gauze. The collected juice is poured into containers and frozen in the freezer. In this case, emergency freezing is not needed.

In the cold season, this juice is added to various tonic drinks or consumed as a dessert. You can also prepare watermelon ice, for this the juice is poured into special containers and frozen.

If you pour watermelon juice into glasses and stick wooden sticks into it when it hardens, you get healthy ice cream.

Watermelon in syrup

You can also prepare gourds in sweet syrup. For this you will need:

• watermelon;
• sugar;
• water;
• freezer containers.

The berry is prepared, peeled and pitted and cut into cubes. At the next stage, sugar syrup is cooked, at the rate of 2 incomplete glasses of sugar per 1 liter of water.

Pieces of berries are laid out in plastic containers and poured with ready-made chilled syrup. The liquid should completely cover the pieces, but there should be free space up to the container lid.

It is important to cool the sweet liquid so that you do not get jam when pouring watermelon.

So that the prepared product does not take up much space in the freezer during storage, after solidification it can be decomposed into bags.