How to Freeze Fruit Using Agave
Freezing is a great way to preserve fruit so that you can enjoy it even when it's out of season. Freezing fruits in a sugar syrup prevents a loss of texture, color and flavor. Consider making your sugar syrup with agave nectar instead of white sugar. Agave nectar is made from the Mexican agave plant, a relative of the lily and amaryllis flowers which is also used to make tequila. Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) is vegan, unlike honey and some processed sugars. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fresh fruit
- Containers, such as plastic dishes with lids, zip-top freezer bags or canning jars
- Agave nectar
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or lemon juice (citric acid)
- Water
Instructions
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1
Wash the fruit and peel, pit, core or stem as necessary. Cut the fruit into slices or chunks.
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2
Make your sugar syrup by stirring the agave nectar into hot water until well dissolved. For a light to medium syrup, use one cup of agave nectar to four cups of water. (See "Preserving Food: Freezing Fruit" in References for more detailed instructions on how much sugar to use with different fruits.)
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3
Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then add the Vitamin C or lemon juice.
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4
Add the fruit to your containers, then add syrup until the fruit is just covered, leaving room for the liquid to expand. Remove excess air from plastic bags before sealing.
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5
Write the date on each container, then store in your freezer. Most fruits in sugar syrup will last eight months to a year (citrus fruits about half that time).
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Tips & Warnings
Vitamin C can be obtained by crushing several children's Vitamin C tablets into a fine powder or using powdered Vitamin C obtained from health food stores. You can substitute lemon juice if necessary, but it will not preserve the fruit's color and flavor as well as Vitamin C does.
Diabetics and other people watching their food's glycemic index should take care when using agave nectar, as the percentage of fructose in the syrup (and therefore its glycemic index) can vary widely. Sugar substitutes such as aspartame can be used to sweeten frozen fruit, but it will not preserve the fruit's quality as well as a sugar syrup.
