Is it possible to freeze a watermelon for the winter?

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

How to freeze a watermelon

From a frozen watermelon, interesting additives are made for cocktails, desserts, smoothies, ice cream. It is unlikely to preserve the dense structure of the pulp: after defrosting, it will still blur. But the sweet taste and vitamins of the freezer can be saved.

The best way is shock freezing. The faster the pulp hardens, the more benefit it will remain, it will not soften too much and will not lose its sweetness. Soak watermelons at low temperatures for about 2 hours, and then transfer to a standard freezer with a temperature of –18 degrees.

The whole fruit is unlikely to fit in the cell, this is a bad idea, and after extracting such a watermelon will have no value. Try chopping the fruit and preparing it in slices, in the form of mashed potatoes, juice or in sweet syrup.

Pulp slices

Making watermelon slices easier than ever. Recipe:

1. Rinse the peel. When cutting dirt from it easily falls on the pulp.
2. Divide the fruit in half, then into several parts.
3. Remove the crusts by capturing the white and light pink patches of pulp. We will freeze only the bright part of the watermelon.
4. Now cut the berry into cubes, small cubes, cut it out with cookie cutters or scoop it up with a device for ice cream balls. Remember to remove the bones.
5. Spread everything evenly on a baking sheet.
6. Pieces must first be frozen individually so that they do not stick together. Hold the pan in the freezer for several hours, maximum 12.
7. Pack solid watermelon slices in containers or bags. Pack everything tightly, preferably in two layers and send for storage. Just remember to leave some space in the bags, as the watermelon will expand in the cold.
8. Freeze in small portions for one meal.
9. You can’t freeze the watermelon again - spoil it.

Tip
purity.bigbadmole.com/en/ magazine recalls that watermelon is negatively known for its high risk of poisoning. Take the flesh only from the center of the fruit: the closer to the peel - the more nitrates.

Watermelon with sugar

Losing sweets during freezing is a natural process. To keep the watermelon sweet, just sprinkle it with sugar. Prepare the slices as in the previous recipe, place them in containers and add sugar in the calculation of 100-200 g per pound 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 watermelon slices. The syrup should not cover the entire container: it will expand from freezing. Remember to pack the blank well before it goes to the freezer.

Tip
To prevent the watermelon from absorbing extraneous 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 mashed potatoes

Try to prepare slices of watermelon puree or juice. Then they can be used for drinks and ice cream.

The instruction is simple:

1. Cut the desired pulp, remove the seeds.
2. For mashed potatoes, mash the watermelon with a fork or send to a blender.
3. It is easy to squeeze the juice out of the puree by placing it in cheesecloth or by using a juicer.
4. Add a little sugar to the juice and puree, if desired.
5. Pour everything into beautiful molds for ice or baking, small plastic cups and containers with a lid will do.
6. Pack in additional packages and send to the freezing unit.

Tip
Watermelon ice is an effective and aromatic tonic for face and neck skin.

How to defrost

If you use mashed potatoes or ice juice, then do not defrost, but immediately send the pieces to a cocktail.

The remaining goodies should be thawed gradually. Move them to the refrigerator first. After a couple of hours, let the watermelon slices thaw at room temperature. Do not forget that the defrost will not last long, a maximum of two days. Do not defrost for future use.

How to choose a good watermelon: detailed tips

To freeze tasty, you should carefully consider buying a fruit.

A selection of tips:

1. Watermelon is a late berry, which means it makes no sense to look for it before August. Either these are nitrate fruits, or unripe. The most sugary varieties appear on the market in the fall.
2. If you tap on the peel of a watermelon, you will hear a ringing sound. When squeezed, the fetus should crackle.
3. Pay attention to the cut: if the structure is grainy - 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 yellow or brownish tint.
5. Choose fruits in the range of 4-7 kg.

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