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How to freeze fruit
Some fruits require a sugar-syrup or sugar preparation, while others will freeze okay - cranberries, blueberries and currants will freeze well without sugar-syrup, for example.
Always wash any fruit first in cold water and drain carefully - discard damaged items. Never soak the fruit for any length of time in the water, as it will lose its flavour and nutrients.
Strawberries and raspberries are the most popular for freezing and they can be stored with or without sugar syrup. Soft fruits that can be sliced such as peaches, figs, plums, de-seeded grapes and cherries can be layered with sugar and left to stand for 15-minutes to produce enough syrup for freezing.
Prepare the fruit as it will be eaten – so, pitted, stemmed, sliced or peeled. Prepare sufficient quantities for a few containers at a time. Don’t put it all together in one large container, as you will have to defrost it all at once and some may end up being wasted.
Arrange the fruit on a baking sheet, in a single layer, in an airtight plastic food container.
Fruits that tend to go brown, such as apples, can be treated with a vitamin C solution to preserve them better. Mix two pints of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice and quickly wash the fruit in it. Then, pat it dry and place in a plastic food container with lid for freezing.
How to freeze vegetables
Vegetables that remain fairly solid after cooking, such as corn and peas, will freeze best, although most types of veg are suitable for frozen storage.
Those with a lower water content such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and runner beans are also ideal for packing away in the freezer.
First, learn how to blanch vegetables for freezing to enjoy the greatest success. Blanching stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of flavour, colour and texture. It’s a simple process that involves placing them briefly in boiling water for a short time. They should never be cooked thoroughly.
Follow this by cooling them completely in cold or iced water. To dry them, lay them out on a kitchen surface lined with paper towels. Then, spread them in a single layer on greaseproof paper in a plastic food container with a lid. You can spread several layers in each box, as long as they are separated by a paper sheet.
Never pile them high altogether, as they will be very difficult to thaw out successfully. As with fruit, it’s preferable to freeze vegetables in lots of small containers, with an average portion of veg in each, so you can thaw it over time when needed.
Be sure to date the containers, with a label reminding you of the contents. The advantage of using plastic containers, rather than freezer bags, is you can reuse them time and time again, instead of being wasteful with single-use packaging.
Any fruits and vegetables that you shouldn’t freeze?
Don’t freeze watermelon and citrus fruits, as their texture is different once thawed. They tend to become soft and mushy.
Vegetables that usually don’t freeze successfully include cucumbers due to their high water content, lettuce, green peppers, parsley and radishes. Freezing celery causes it to become limp and soft with an unpleasant flavour. Lettuce turns to mush after defrosting and can never be successfully frozen.
You also shouldn’t freeze raw potatoes, although you can freeze them after cooking. When you freeze a raw potato, the water separates from the starch. This causes it to be watery when you defrost for cooking.
How long can you freeze vegetables?
Frozen vegetables can remain in the freezer for between eight and 12 months. Their freezer lifespan will depend on how well you prepared them and how they are stored.
For example, you should keep them at a constant temperature and never continuously refreeze them if they have been thawed out.
Always keep track of the date labels and keep the older boxes of frozen fruit and veg at the top of the freezer drawer. This way, you can ensure you eat them first - don’t let them be forgotten at the back of the compartment!
How do you thaw out fruit and veg?
Most vegetables can be placed directly into a pan of boiling water to cook them directly from the freezer. However, corn cooks better when it is allowed to thaw at room temperature before cooking.
Fruits should be allowed to thaw out at room temperature. If you’re using berries for baking, or in smoothies and desserts, they can go a little mushy if left out for too long. It’s best to use them before they are completely thawed.
Reduce the risks of over-soft thawed fruits by freezing your produce as quickly as possible after picking it. This will help stop the "mushy factor", as completely fresh fruit doesn’t have as high a water content, so is less likely to go soft.