The best way to extend the shelf life of your fresh fruits and vegetables is to freeze them. Freezing them in the wrong way can cause the fruits and vegetables to be saggy and bland the right way of freezing and retaining the flavor and nourishment.
What happens to fruits and vegetables that are frozen in the wrong way?
Have you ever noticed crystals forming around your fruit or vegetable after freezing? After you thaw your fruits and veggies, the crystals melt,t and the produce turns mushy and dry. That is the result of wrong freezing. This happens when fruits and vegetables are frozen, the water contents expand, and the produce gets cellular damage.
How can you prevent this?
Freezing your produce in high cold temperatures creates smaller crystals. The smaller the crystal, the less cell wall damage.
Packing The Produce For Freezing:
The thing to remember about packing your produce is to have a secure and tight lid pack. Use heavy-duty freezer bags or moisture-proof containers. Fruits and vegetables should retain moisture and prevent air in the container. Remove as much as you can before sealing bags. Secure the seal by wrapping the lid with tape. Set the freezer temperature to its highest setting. Overloading or placing them on top of the other can cause bruising and lower temperature.
Wash your produce properly and make sure to dry them off completely. You can place them in the containers whole or cut them into small pieces. Fruits and vegetables should be cut into small pieces to freeze faster.
Produce that is best packed whole.
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- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Chili peppers
- Tomato
- Corn
How to Freeze Fruits:
Delicate Fruits (raspberry, blueberry, etc.)
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- Arrange your delicate fruits on a baking sheet, create a single layer, and place them in the freezer. Check after 30 minutes if the fruits are fresh and in a freezer bag, and remove as much air as you can before sealing and placing them in the freezer again. You can add sugar syrup in them too.
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So, sensitive Fruits (fruits that easily brown like apples)
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- Create an ascorbic acid soak, buy powdered vitamin Cc, or crush vitamin C tablets. Take a half teaspoon of ascorbic acid and add in 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle this mixture or brush on the fruits before freezing. The ascorbic acid will prevent the fruits from bruising.
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Tips:
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- Wash the fruit and check for damage or punctures.
- Separate the fruits you want to freeze. Some fruits are better frozen with sugar syrup or with ascorbic acid. Some fruits can be dry-packed.
- Prepare your sugar syrup or ascorbic acid soaks.
- Take out a sealed bag or sealed container.
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How To Freeze Vegetables:
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- Before freezing vegetables, lightly blanch them in boiling water and then submerge them in ice-cold water. Doing this will stop the vegetables from cooking further. When the vegetable turns cold, remove it from the ice water and place it on top of paper towels. Dry them off thoroughly before sealing them in a container and heavy-duty bags. Like fruits, you have to remove them from the container.
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Why do you need to blanch before freezing?
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- Blanching will prevent bacteria growth, color damage, loss of nutrients, and bruising.
- Freeze fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness to retain the most nutrients and taste.
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Thawing The Fruits and Vegetables:
Most vegetables should be boiled as soon as they leave the freezer, except for corn thaw corn before boiling it. Delicate fruits should not be thawed completely; they will turn too mushy. So, eat them while they are still a little frozen.
Why should you consider freezing your fruits and vegetables?
Canned fruits and vegetables are easy to find and can be kept for a long period, but they sacrifice a lot of nutrients and the quality of the produce. Freezing also gives you the liberty to pack your mix of fruits. Freezing doesn’t cost a pretty penny either, all you need is heavy-duty containers, natural preservatives, and water. SSeasonalfruits are great fofreezingng; you can eat the fruit even when it’s not in season. Frozen fruits and veggies can last up to 6 to 12 months.
Tips:
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- Label your fruits and vegetables, and place the date, too. This way, you can eat the fruits that were frozen first.
- Create jams with the fruits you don’t plan to eat anymore.
- Use freezer tape instead of regular tape.
- Use a vacuum sealer to remove air from the container.
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Freezing is a great way to keep your fruits and vegetables in the fridge for a long period and also a healthier alternative to canned fruits and vegetables.