Are home picked razzberries that have been frozen sanitary? After they are defrosted should I heat treat the juice from them ?
I’m not sure there’s a definitive answer on this. They aren’t sanitary, but probably are more so than before they were picked. I’ve done some research on the same topic with frozen blackberries. Here were some of the key points I took away:
- if you’re interested in adding these to the secondary, the alcohol already present in the beer should help suppress any bacteria that might come along for the ride.
- if you’d like to heat treat the rasberries, don’t boil them. You can pasteurize them with something like 160°F for 15 minutes.
- if any bacteria from the rasberries were to take hold in the beer, it would change the beer’s character, but likely not ruin it.
I chose to pasteurize my blackberries (and let them cool) before adding them.
Good recommendations Brick.
The one time I added raspberries to a batch, they were frozen, then pasteurized, then mashed with a potato masher before adding in secondary. Turned out pretty well.
I agree with Brick as well…I have been told if you want to pasteurize, then you want at least 190 degrees…for at least 10 minutes…not sure if this is correct or not. Would be interested to know if this is true.
They’re not sanitary. I’d make a sour beer with them.
