Since goji berries usually started their journey from the Asian growing areas to Europe in dried form in the past, the use of dried goji berries in the kitchen has also become common in a certain respect. Goji berries that are locally produced or harvested in your own garden can also be eaten fresh or frozen for later processing.

Goji berries should be frozen immediately after harvest

As quickly as possible from the bush into the cold

Basically, goji berries should ripen on the bush for as long as possible so that they can develop the best possible aroma. However, if they have already been harvested, freezing should not be the last resort if fresh consumption no longer seems attractive due to the declining quality. In order to be able to preserve a maximum of ingredients and taste quality, goji berries should be washed carefully immediately after harvesting and dried briefly in the air on a kitchen towel. If the goji berries are then placed directly in the freezer, their characteristic taste is retained for up to a year.

First freeze the goji berries individually

Similar to currants and other garden berries, goji berries should not simply be placed in a freezer bag and frozen, or you will end up with a single, hard lump of fruit. Ideally, place the goji berries in a single layer on a tray and let them freeze in the freezer for almost two hours before transferring them to a container. Alternatively, you can place them in a half-full container with a lid in a freezer compartment and shake the container vigorously after about two hours. In this way you ensure that the goji berries do not stick together too tightly when they freeze and are easier to process later.

Use thawed goji berries for delicious recipes

Freezing berries is a method that preserves the vitamins and other vital substances they contain, as well as the taste. However, the consistency of the fruit usually suffers from this method of preservation. In contrast to dried goji berries, thawed fruits are not so good as an ingredient in morning muesli. However, they can still be used for a variety of delicious recipes:

  • fruity sauces
  • refreshing smoothies
  • as a flavoring ingredient in home-baked bread and cakes

tips

Goji berries can also be harvested with the green stalk and frozen. This way the berries don't clump together as much when freezing and can be separated more easily when thawing.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden