How to Freeze Fresh Fruits
Summer is a wonderful time of the year because of all the fresh fruit ready to be eaten and enjoyed. But there is no reason you can't enjoy the taste and benefit from the nutrition of fresh fruit throughout the year. One option is canned fruit, but it rarely has that fresh-fruit taste and is often loaded with sugar; by freezing your own fruit, you have the option of sweetening it or not. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Freshest fruit possible Sugar Colander Paper towels Large mixing bowl Cookie sheets Plastic freezer bags or frozen food containers
Instructions
-
Dry pack
-
1
Wash fruit and discard any that are not perfect. Drain the fruit thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.
-
2
Lay the fruit on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Allow the fruit to become frozen through before packaging.
-
-
3
Place the fruit in plastic freezer bags or containers and store in freezer.
Sugar pack
-
4
Wash fruit in a colander, drain, and dry with paper towels.
-
5
Peel the fruit, if desired, by placing it in boiling water and blanching for 45 seconds.
-
6
Cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
-
7
Sprinkle ½ cup of sugar for each quart of fruit over the fruit and allow the natural juices to dissolve the sugar for about 15 to 20 minutes.
-
8
Spread the fruit out on a cookie sheet and place in freezer until frozen solid, then place in plastic freezer bags or frozen food containers.
Syrup pack
-
9
Make a syrup by boiling a mixture of sugar and water. Adjust the amount of sugar and water depending on the type of syrup desired. Heavy syrup uses a mixture of 4 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water, and light syrup uses 2 cups of sugar to 4 ½ cups of water. For heavier or lighter syrup, adjust the proportions accordingly.
-
10
Follow Steps 2 and 3 of Section 2 and place fruit into a frozen food containers or plastic freezer bags. Berries should be left whole.
-
11
Pour 1½ cups of syrup over the fruit, seal the container, and place in the freezer.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Remove as much air as possible before sealing freezer bags Berries are excellent for dry packing. Make sure you leave room for expansion when packing fruit with syrup.
You can't make mediocre fruit better by freezing it, so it is important that you buy the best available. Frozen fruits are best if used between eight and 12 months.
