Freezing fruit...

**peanut** · 08-08-2008, 12:26 PM

One of the things I like to do when fruit is on sale, is to buy large amounts to freeze for winter use. I've frozen mangos, blueberries, saskatoons, strawberries, rhubarb, lemons, limes, peeled bananas, etc.

Last year I made applesauce and also sliced apples to freeze. No sugar added. I just spritzed them with ascorbic acid dissolved in water, froze them on a tray, then packaged them into bags for long term storage.

I'd like to do that with pears this year. I'm wondering if anyone has frozen pears unsweetened before, and how you did it? Would the way I did it for apples work for pears too?

Also, what other kinds of fruit do you freeze and how?

Jean

**cheapskate 49** · 08-08-2008, 05:09 PM

Sorry I've never frozen fruit so I can't help you with the pears but how do you freeze your rhubarb and do you use the frozen fruit in desserts only?

**frugalbabe** · 08-08-2008, 08:43 PM

I'm not sure about the pears but cantaloupe freeze well and then I use them in smoothies. Just got some today because they were 33 cents each at my grocery store!

**peanut** · 08-08-2008, 11:21 PM

Well I freeze rhubarb by washing it, chopping it, bagging it and putting it in the freezer! No mess, no fuss.

I froze the pears by cutting them up (left the peels on), dipping them in ascorbic acid in water, and then laying them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Once they're frozen I'll bag them. Hope this works!

Jean

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-08-2008, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by peanut

One of the things I like to do when fruit is on sale, is to buy large amounts to freeze for winter use. I've frozen mangos, blueberries, saskatoons, strawberries, rhubarb, lemons, limes, peeled bananas, etc.

Last year I made applesauce and also sliced apples to freeze. No sugar added. I just spritzed them with ascorbic acid dissolved in water, froze them on a tray, then packaged them into bags for long term storage.

I'd like to do that with pears this year. I'm wondering if anyone has frozen pears unsweetened before, and how you did it? Would the way I did it for apples work for pears too?

Also, what other kinds of fruit do you freeze and how?

Jean

I freeze rhubarb, strawberries, sliced apples, raspberries and blueberries. It's enough to make some really yummy pies and apple crisp, along with muffins and some cake.

I take the strawberries and put them on a wax sheet, unwashed. I freeze them in my chest freezer until they're hard, then I put them in a plastic Ziploc bag and suck the rest of the air out with a straw. I wash the blueberries and dry them, then freeze them the same as I do the strawberries. I just chop up the rhubarb and put it in the bag to freeze. I also wash the raspberries (because MIL and FIL grow them on the side of their house) and put them on wax paper, then put them into a Ziploc bag when they're frozen. I separate all the berries and make sure they don't freeze together.

I got the apples from MIL.

**rachelj** · 08-09-2008, 06:46 AM

I do blueberries (put them in ice cream buckets), strawberries (didn't do any this year - still had some left from last year), peaches, apples, rhubarb, red/yellow/orange peppers (cut them up - flash freeze - bag em) zucchini, bananas (when they get too brown- I'll bag them in the freezer until I'm ready to make banana bread.

I know that that isn't all fruit - just trying to go thru my freezer in my head.

**cheles2kids** · 08-09-2008, 07:59 AM

I read somewhere, me thinks it was on one of my "preserving foods" boards, that if you freeze blueberries, NOT to wash them first.

To just throw them onto your sheet pan and once frozen add them to your baggies or foodsaver them.
Then when your ready to use them, wash them.
This keeps the skin from getting too tough.

I've frozen raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and bananas.
I just rinse the berries, throw them onto a cookie sheet, freeze them for a few hours, until nice and firm and then put them into my freezer bags/Foodsaver bags.

Bananas, you can either freeze them whole, or break them into chunks and do the same as the berries.
These are great for smoothies or any kind of cakes or banana bread.

**missyali** · 08-09-2008, 09:45 AM

I typically make my pears into pear sauce ~ unsweetened. That way we can eat it as sauce or use it for baking. Let me know how the freezing of them whole goes. I want to put away a ton of fruit for school lunches.

**joyofsix** · 08-09-2008, 09:52 AM

I don't think pears with no liquid would freeze well. Could you cover them with apple or white grape juice if you don't want to use a simple syrup or turn them into puree first?

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 08-09-2008, 01:29 PM

I just did a freezer inventory and I have put up already 18 bags of blueberries, 7 bags of strawberries and 3 bags of grapes. For the blueberries and grapes I flash froze them on a tray. For the strawberries I just cut them up and then poured them into a bag to freeze. I put up a lot of fruit every year and we love it.

**peanut** · 08-09-2008, 03:01 PM

Well the pears are frozen. I'm looking at them now and they are still perfect...no browning. I'll be bagging them today. I'm hoping when I thaw them I'll get pearsauce for baking, etc.

Jean

**Bellaboo** · 08-09-2008, 03:59 PM

I never really thought of freezing my own fruit before, but it makes sense to freeze my own instead of buying the already frozen fruit. I think I'll give it a shot!