Guide to Freezing Fruits

Hanna Trafford — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:59:39 +0000

This is the time of year when fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and ready to be preserved for those months of cool weather and high priced imports in your supermarket.

Freezing your fruits and vegetables is easy – here is the basic guide to get you started preserving your favourite fruits!

Guide to Freezing Fruits :

Freeze only high quality fruits
Always use garden-fresh fruits and freeze within a few hours of gathering
Select varieties of fruits that are recommended for freezing
Clean and cut up fruits as for eating, cooking or baking
Prepare and pack quickly and carefully, working with only enough fruits to fill 3 or 4 containers at a time
Pack fruits in freezer containers, freezer bags of freezer wrappings.
Store your fruits for up to 1 year.

Guide to Packaging:

Dry Pack: Suitable for those fruits which can be frozen without any preparation other than washing, draining, discarding imperfect ones and packing – i.e. blueberries, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, rhubarb.

Dry Sugar Pack: Suitable for those fruits which can be combined with sugar, packaged and frozen. Fold recommended amount of sugar carefully into the fruit and package to freeze. See chart below for details.

Syrup Pack: Suitable for fruits which are packed in a syrup of a strength best suited to tartness of the fruit. (see chart below for details) Slice or cut the fruits directly into the container. Leave berries whole, if desired. Be sure that the syrup covers the fruit and that there is enough head space for expansion during freezing. To keep fruit under syrup, especially apricots and peaches, place a piece of crumpled waxed paper or cellophane on top.

To make syrup: Add sugar to boiling water and stir until dissolved. Chill only – do not cook or heat,

Thin syrup:1 cup of sugar + 2 cups of water

Medium syrup: 1 cup of sugar + 1 cup of water

Heavy syrup: 1 cup of sugar + 3/4 cups of water

To Prevent Discolouration of Fruit:

Syrup Pack – add 1/4 teaspoon of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to 4 cups of syrup and stir to dissolve

Dry Sugar Pack – for apples, apricots and peaches – dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid in 2 tablespoons of cold water per 2 cups of prepared fruit, sprinkle over prepared fruit and mix gently.

Serving Frozen Fruits:

To Thaw – leave in unopened container in refrigerator for about 6 hours or at room temperature for about 2 hours

To Use in Pies, Muffins or Cobblers – thaw in unopened package just until fruit can be separated. Continue as with fruit that has not been frozen.

To Use in Sauces, Jams, Jellies or Preserves - place frozen fruit directly in saucepan and continue as with fruit that has not been frozen.

To Use as Fresh Fruit – serve when partially thawed – a few ice crystals should remain

Freezing Fruits Easy Chart:

FRUIT	PREPARATION	TREATMENT	TO YIELD 4 CUPS
Apples	Wash, pare, core and cut into slices	Treat to prevent discolouration.Use syrup pack or dry sugar pack	2-1/2 to 3 lbs. of apples
Applesauce	Prepare your favourite recipe	Chill thoroughly and pack	2-1/2 – 3-1/2 lbs. Of apples
Apricots	Wash and peel if desired. Leave whole,halve or cut into quarters. Remove pits.	Treat to prevent discolouration. Use thin syrup pack or dry sugar pack 0 2.3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of apricots.	1-1/2 to 2 cups
Blueberries	Sort out imperfect berries, wash, stem and drain	Dry pack without sugar or use 2.3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of prepared berries	1-2 quarts
Cherries – Sour	Sort out imperfect ones, wash, stem and pit	Dry sugar pack – use 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of fruit or syrup pack – use heavy syrup	2-1/2 to 3 lbs. Unpitted
Currants and Cranberries	Stem and wash	Dry pack without sugar or syrup	1 lb.
Peaches	Dip in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then run under cold water. Remove skins and pits, then slice directly into sugar or syrup	Treat to prevent discolouration. Syrup pack – use medium syrup or dry sugar pack using 2/3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of prepared fruit.	2-3 lbs.
Plums	Wash, half and pit	Treat to prevent discolouration. Dru sugar pack – use 2.3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of fruit or syrup pack – use thin syrup	2-3 lbs.
Raspberries	Sort out imperfect ones and wash	Dry sugar pack – use 1.2 cup of sugar to 4 cups of prepared fruit or Syrup pack – use thin syrup	2-2-1/2 quarts
Rhubarb	Wash and cut into 1″ length or make into sauce	Dry pack – without sugar or syrup or dry pack using 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of prepared fruit.For sauce – sweeten to taste and pack cold	2-2-1/2 lbs.
Strawberries	Sort our imperfect ones, wash, sort and hull, Slice if desired	Dry sugar pack – use 1/2 cup of sugar to 4 cups of prepared fruit or for syrup pack – use medium syrup	1-1/2 to 2 cups

For Guide to Freezing Vegetables, please visit:

http://www.mama-knows.com/recipes/guide-to-freezing-vegetables.html

I hope this simple guise will help you – please send in your comments and suggestions, your input is always welcomed!

Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)

Mama Knows » Preserving foods

Guide to Freezing Fruits