Meanwhile, goji berries are no longer only available in dried form and imported from the Far East, but also partly as fresh goods directly from German cultivation. In many gardens in this country, the so-called wolfberry bush also produces harvest quantities that exceed the requirements for fresh consumption.

Dried goji berries have a very long shelf life

Process goji berries as soon as possible after harvesting

Many fruit lovers know the problem: Fresh fruit is lying on the counter in the kitchen or in the fridge and soon doesn't look really appetizing anymore. It is usually only at this point that the question arises as to whether the fruit can somehow be saved from the compost heap and whether it can be sensibly preserved and recycled. Even if there is perhaps one or the other possibility in this regard, in general goji berries, like other fruit, should either be eaten as quickly as possible or processed directly and preserved accordingly. This is the only way to ensure the best possible quality, including vitamins and other valuable ingredients. However, goji berries, for example, are less sensitive than raspberries when it comes to storing them for a few days after harvesting before further processing.

Different ways to preserve goji berries

Goji berries can be processed and preserved in different ways:

  • by extracting juice from the berries
  • in frozen state
  • by drying
  • by boiling it into jams

Juice made from goji berries will keep in the fridge a little longer than a bowl of fresh berries. However, if it is heated for preservation purposes, there is also a loss of valuable ingredients. Sweeter fruits or sugar should be added when making juices and jams, as the goji berries themselves are not known for their sweet taste.

Freeze and dry goji berries properly

To dry goji berries, the steep green base is removed and the berries are placed in the sun on absorbent kitchen paper. The berries should be turned every few hours to allow them to dry evenly. Alternatively, goji berries can also be dried in an oven heated to a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius, leaving the oven door slightly open to allow moisture to escape. To prevent goji berries from clumping together into a large, inseparable mass when freezing, you should first freeze the berries in a single layer on a tray. Sometimes it can also be helpful to leave the green stalks attached to the berries for storage in the freezer.

tips

If you can't process your goji berries from the garden immediately for reasons of time, it is sometimes better to leave them hanging on the bush. In general, most berries spoil faster after harvest than when they are still able to fully ripen on the branches of the berry bush.

Category:

Vegetable garden