If the fruit harvest was very productive, many do not know what to do with it. Our tip: you should preserve the fruit. Here are 4 options presented.
Sun-ripened fruit from the garden not only tastes particularly delicious, but is also extremely rich in vitamins. However, as soon as the fruits have reached their absolute ripeness, they have to be harvested. And it is not uncommon for gardeners to stand in front of a huge mountain of fruit that needs to be processed. However, our tips will tell you how to preserve the fruit so that you can have it all year round.
How to preserve garden fruit?
Garden fruit, like vegetables, can be preserved in a variety of ways over the long term. For example, you can freeze it, make jam, dry it, preserve it as a compote, pickle it in alcohol or store certain types of fruit (such as apples, pears, etc.) in a cool, dark room for a few months after harvesting.
However, it is always important that you only use undamaged fruit for preserving and, if necessary, generously cut out damaged areas.
Preserving fruit - 4 ways presented
❍ Option 1 - Freeze:
Most types of fruit can now be frozen in a freezer without any problem. It is advisable to first place the individual fruits loosely on a freezer tray ( alternatively, you can also use a baking tray) and shock freeze them briefly.
This has the advantage that you can later remove the fruit from the freezer without any problems and berries in particular do not muddle as much.
» Tip:
You can also preserve vegetables and herbs in the same way.
❍ Option 2 - Insert:
You can also pickle fruit in alcohol, from which the famous rum pot can be made, for example. Or you process the fruit into fruit liqueur. The production of strawberry limes or raspberry limes is also quite popular.
» Tip:
You can find numerous, really tasty and also exotic recipes for pickling garden fruit in alcohol on special recipe websites on the Internetfind.
❍ Option 3 - Make jam:
Meanwhile, making jam has become very popular again. Especially since various types of gelling sugar are now available in the food retail trade, which make it extremely easy to preserve fruit.
When preserving, you can really let your imagination run wild and experiment with different types of fruit. The great thing about it is that you can create your own types of jam that cannot be bought anywhere else.
❍ Option 4 - Preserving:
You can also preserve your fruit. In this way you can consume your own fruit in the form of compote all year round. The shelf life here is usually one year.
In order to preserve the fruit, you must first fill it bite-sized into mason jars, refine with sugar and fill with water until it is completely covered. Then close the jars and place in a large saucepan filled with water. Bring the water to the boil (about 90 degrees) and boil the jars for about half an hour.
Alternatively, you can also cook the fruit in the oven in a so-called baking pan, which you also have to fill with water. The preserving time at 180 degrees is extended accordingly - this varies depending on the type of fruit and recipe.
» Tip:
Particularly firm fruits such as apples, peaches, etc. should be blanched briefly in hot water before preserving. This will make them softer without losing their bite.
After the preserving time, the jars should remain in the water bath for about 30 minutes before you take them out to cool down and then store them in the dark.
By the way:
Pickled fruit, homemade jam, rum pot and co. are always great gifts. Because homemade gifts from the garden usually taste much better than bought ones and most of them also appreciate the effort that has been invested in the production.