Freeze-dried berries at Verival & the best tips for freezing berries at home
We are glad that we do not always have to follow the berry season calendar and can enjoy fresh berries all year round in our muesli , crunchy and porridges. Because in our organic breakfast products there are many different freeze-dried berries. But what does this mean, how does it work, and how can you best overwinter your berries at home?
Freeze-dried berries at Verival
1. What does "freeze-dried" mean?
Berries are dried particularly gently by the freeze-drying process. They are frozen when freshly harvested, and then the water is removed from the berries with the help of a vacuum.
2. How exactly does this work?
Water has the special property of passing under a vacuum from the solid, frozen state directly into a gaseous state, which allows it to evaporate immediately. The liquid stage in between is completely skipped, with the advantage that the washing out of vitamins, nutrients, and colors is prevented.
The freeze-dried berries are therefore not only long-lasting but also remain crunchy, retaining almost all of their original vitamins and minerals. When they come into contact with liquid, such as milk in cereal, the berries swell up and take on a shape similar to fresh berries.
3. How are berries usually dried?
In other drying processes, the berries are usually dried with the help of heat, but this destroys most of the vitamins. Additionally, sugar is often added to extend the shelf life, as there is still residual water.
Freeze-dried berries, on the other hand, are intense in taste and do not require added sugar – perfect for our cereals.
4. Which berries are freeze-dried?
The following berries are freeze-dried for our muesli: sour cherries, sweet cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red currants, and black currants. You will find a particularly large number of freeze-dried berries in our Berry Crunchy, Berry Urkorn Muesli or Blackberry Porridge.
Freeze berries at home
For us, there is nothing better than refining your healthy breakfast with a few fresh berries. To ensure that we don't miss any fruit, we orient ourselves based on our berry calendar. In order to enjoy berries at home all year round, we have collected some tips for freezing.
Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, red and black currants are best suited for freezing. These and many other berries can also be frozen in pureed form and used directly for cooking and baking.
When freezing the berries, make sure to process them as soon as possible. Unlike other fruits, berries do not ripen but only have a short time to be used. Once frozen, they can be stored for six to twelve months.
Freezing is easy with these three tips:
1. Washing
Carefully wash the berries and drain them well, removing the stems and leaves. When washing, make sure to be as gentle as possible so as not to damage the berries.
2. Freeze
Place the berries individually, with a little space, on a plate, tray, or baking sheet (preferably lined with baking paper), and put them in the freezer. This prevents the berries from sticking together later, allowing them to retain their shape and making it easier to portion them. After two to three hours, you can put the berries together in a container.
If you have less space in the freezer compartment, you can put the berries directly into a container and shake it well over the next few hours to prevent them from freezing too much together.
3. Defrosting
To defrost, first, place the frozen berries in the refrigerator, then let them defrost at room temperature, preferably in a sieve over a bowl.
Our freezer is already filled with the best berries of the season. However, whether they survive more than a few months is another question in our berry cravings 😉
