Preparing Produce to Freeze
Chopped up squash ready for the freezer!
How to Freeze Fruit
Some fruits freeze best with a sugar or sugar-syrup preparation. Blueberries, currants, and cranberries do fine without sugar.
To freeze delicate berries like strawberries or raspberries: Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag or container. You can also prepare delicate berries with sugar or sugar syrup.
For fruits that tend to brown, like apples, peaches, nectarines and apricots, treat with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Citric acid or lemon juice are not as effective in preventing browning as ascorbic acid solutions.
To make an ascorbic acid wash: Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid powder (or finely crushed vitamin C tablets) in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle this mixture over the cut fruit. If you don’t have ascorbic acid, slice the fruit and dip the slices in a water bath of about one quart water plus a tablespoon of lemon juice before drying and freezing.
Frozen fruits will last up to a year in the freezer in a sealed air-tight container.
How to Freeze Vegetables
Vegetables that hold up well to cooking generally freeze well.
To freeze vegetables, you can first blanch them briefly in boiling water, then quickly submerge the vegetables in an ice water bath to prevent them from cooking. Dry veggies thoroughly on paper towel-lined sheet pans.
Freeze vegetables quickly by spreading them in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.
When the produce is frozen solid, store in air-tight containers or freezer bags. Fill hard-sided containers to the top and remove as much air as possible from freezer bags. Date the packages!
Veggies should last 18 months in the freezer in a sealed air-tight container.
Thawing Produce
Most vegetables can go directly from the freezer to cooking in boiling water.
Fruits are best when allowed to thaw at room temperature.
Delicate berries can turn mushy when thawed completely, so consider using them before they're thoroughly thawed, such as for baking, in smoothies, or as a topping for ice cream or yogurt.
