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 Vegetables and fruits deteriorate during storage. Sugar is gradually consumed in them, the content of vitamins decreases; in connection with the evaporation of water, the fruits wither and shrivel, the pulp coarsens, it is easier to rot.
One of the best modern ways of preserving (canning) fresh fruits and vegetables is by freezing. It almost completely stops life processes in them and at the same time largely preserves their high nutritional qualities, natural color, taste and aroma.
Freezing is carried out in canneries, in special fast-freezing installations. Only high quality fruits and vegetables are selected for freezing. They are washed thoroughly with water.
For one and a half to two hours, vegetables and fruits are exposed to low temperatures from 24 to 36 degrees of cold. This rapid freezing of the product has several advantages. Firstly, vitamins are almost completely preserved, including vitamin C. Secondly, the water contained in the pulp of fruits frozen at such a temperature turns into very small crystals that do not destroy the tissues of the fetus.
Berries and fruits are often frozen in glass containers with added sugar or sugar syrup. After thawing, a delicious sweet dish of fresh fruit is obtained, which also has an increased nutritional value due to the presence of sugar. Fruits, frozen without added sugar, are suitable mainly for preparing various dishes, since after thawing they release juice, lose their shape, and sometimes even color.
Frozen vegetables and fruits must be handled properly. Store them at home only at a temperature of about minus 3 degrees. If such conditions cannot be created, then frozen fruits and vegetables must be eaten on the same day as they are purchased.
Fruits and berries are recommended to be brought into a warm room so that they thaw quickly, and vegetables are directly immersed in boiling water. With slow thawing, the loss of vitamins is much greater than with fast thawing.
Of frozen fruits, the most delicious and nutritious apples, plums and persimmons, as well as strawberries and lemons in sugar or syrup. For the preparation of various dishes, frozen green pea and green beans; nutritious and tasty frozen dairy corn on the cob. It has a good effect on the activity of the intestines. For soups and sauces, it is useful to use frozen tomatoes, which should be dipped directly into a boiling dish, without allowing them to thaw.
More and more new types of frozen fruits and vegetables go on sale. Throughout the year, you can now include high-quality fruits, berries and vegetables in the diet, while maintaining the quality and taste of a fresh product.
Professor M. S. MARSHAK, "Health" magazine, 1957
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