How To Freeze Fruit (The Right Way)
In the summer, fresh fruit – at the very height of deliciousness – is everywhere. The downside, if there is one, is how to eat the glut of produce before it bids us adieu. Try as I might, most weeks I struggle to keep up with my farmers’ market haul; snacks are devoured, pies are baked, salsas and sauces fill my kitchen, and still there’s fruit that dwindles away into soggy demise.
Can you cheat this slow march to death? Yes! Not all fruit is created equal when it comes to freezing, but the vast majority – especially the ones with shorter seasons – do quite well in Arctic temperatures. Simply chopping them up and throwing them in a bag won’t do, but if you follow these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to perfect pieces of frozen fruit for all your baking, cooking and snacking needs.
What you’ll need:
- parchment paper
- lipped baking sheets
- plastic wrap
- freezer containers and/or freezer bags
- silicone spatula
Know what to use your frozen fruit for:
- To snack on: blueberries, cherries, grapes, mango, peaches, pineapple
- To bake/cook: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, blackberries, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberries
And what fruit not to freeze:
- Because they turn to mush: lemons, limes, oranges (A better idea is to squeeze them and freeze the juice.)
- Because they take on a wobbly, gelatinous consistency: cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon (A better idea is to quick pickle melons and watermelon rind.)
- Because there are better ways to preserve their flavor: tomatoes (A better idea is to slow-roast tomatoes to dry them out prior to freezing, or cook and purée them into sauce or paste.)
Some fruits freeze and thaw with virtually no change, some retain their flavor but lose their original texture, and others are a total disaster. Before you begin, think about what you’ll be able to use your frozen stash for (see list above).
Some fruits need little to no prep in order to freeze – a simple rinse and pat dry, and you’re ready for action. Others may require some work to ensure they’re ready to use straight out of the freezer. Halve or quarter strawberries; peel and slice apples and pears; chop mangoes and pineapples into chunks; and remove stones (pits) from stone fruit, quartering larger ones and peeling if you wish. Pro tip: We’ve all seen commercial frozen fruit; make your fruit match the grocery store’s and it should be smooth sailing.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper and lay out fruit in a single layer. Leave a little air between the pieces; crowd the fruit and you risk damaging it with slower freeze time or having chunks stick together. Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and transfer to freezer.
Fun fact: Clarence Birdseye pioneered food freezing techniques that we still employ today. Although more concerned with fish than fruit, he observed that food tasted freshest when frozen rapidly at very low temperatures, sealing in flavor and keeping textural changes to a minimum. If you have a deep freezer at home, use it to freeze your fruit, which will mimic Birdseye’s commercially viable quick-freezing technique more than your fridge/freezer combo. If you’re working with a regular freezer, no problem: Once the baking sheets of fruit are in, try to keep the freezer closed as much as possible to help maintain consistently low temperatures and speed things along. Fruit should be hard-frozen before you package it for storage; freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
The minute the fruit comes out of the freezer, you’re on the clock, so get your storage containers out and ready. Label them with necessary information such as the date and quantity. For fruit such as bananas, you may want to add how many chunks equal 1 banana, so you know how many to take out for quick breads or smoothies.
Remove fruit from freezer and, working quickly, use a wide silicone spatula to shovel fruit into containers. Why a spatula? The heat from your hands will start to thaw the exterior of the fruit; using a spatula keeps thawing to a minimum. Work in batches to keep everything as cold as possible, and if you’re using flexible containers such as freezer bags, wrap them in a kitchen towel (to eliminate heat transfer) and squeeze as much air out as you can prior to sealing.
You didn’t do all that work just to leave your fruit languishing in the freezer, so remember to mind the dates on the containers and find ways to use your stash before freezer burn kills it. If you’ve sealed and stored correctly, fruit should stay good for 2 to 3 months. Keep anything you don’t have immediate plans for in your deep freezer, if you have one.
You’re a fruit-freezing aficionado: Not only will you be able to save summer stock from a sad demise, but you’ll be able to savor the season’s flavors well into the cooler months. Ready to branch out? Try the technique with some of your favorite vegetables. Like fruit, some vegetables will require more prep work – blanching, usually – and some won’t work, period. If you have a favorite vegetable you’d like to store, a quick internet search should get you all the information you need to proceed.
Shannon Weber
Shannon Weber is the creator, author and photographer behind the award-winning blogaperiodictableblog.com, and her work has appeared on websites such as Bon Appétit, Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen.
