Tips for Freezing Fruit

Do you wish blueberries were in season all year long? What about peaches? Or do you have overripe bananas you don't know what to do with? A few minutes preparation and your freezer will solve all these problems. Use the following tips to learn different methods of freezing several popular fruits, and make your summer strawberries last all winter long.

Small Berries. To freeze small berries such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, wash them gently, allow to dry, and spread on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the berries are firm. Then remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a freezer bag. This process will keep the berries from sticking together while freezing.

Bananas. There are several different ways to freeze bananas. First of all, if you have overripe bananas you want to make into banana bread, or for another baking use, but you don't have time right now, you can put them directly into the freezer. The peels will turn black, but the bananas inside will still be fine to use once thawed. Another option is to peel and mash the bananas and freeze in a bag. Stir a teaspoon of lemon juice in with the mashed bananas to prevent browning. Label the bag with how many mashed bananas it contains so you will know when you go to use them in a recipe. You can also freeze bananas in slices or in chunks. If you are going to freeze bananas this way, it is a good idea to sprinkle the slices with lemon juice, freeze them spread out on a baking sheet, and put them in a bag once frozen. Frozen chunks or slices of banana are great to use in smoothies.

Strawberries. Sliced or whole strawberries are a great thing to keep in your freezer. Wash and dry your strawberries, and carefully remove the hull (the top of the strawberry surrounding the stem). Slice if desired and spread on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, remove from the sheet and put into a freezer bag.

Stone Fruit. Stone fruit (fruits with pits) such as peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines, are best frozen without the pit. If desired, begin by peeling the fruit. After washing and drying, cut the fruit in half and remove the pit. Apricots and plums are good frozen halved. Peaches and nectarines can be sliced. For a quick and easy dessert right out of your freezer, cook peach slices up in a syrup and freeze in a freezer bag. Then just thaw, dump into a pan, cover with cobbler topping and bag.

Mangoes. As with the stone fruit, mangoes should be peeled and sliced before freezing.

Apples and Pears. Peel, if desired, and slice apples and pears before freezing. Mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 1 cup water and soak sliced fruit in the mixture. Remove and dry before freezing. This will prevent slices from turning brown. As with the peach cobbler, you can freeze apple slices as a pie filling. Just follow instructions for making apple pie filling through boiling, the cool and put in a freezer bag.

Citrus. The best method for freezing citrus is to freeze the juice. If you have a lemon tree overburdened with lemons, pick them all into a large basket, set up an assembly line in your kitchen, and juice them all. Fill quart freezer bags with 2 cups of juice (2 cups is the perfect amount for making a pitcher of lemonade) and lay the bags flat to freeze. Once frozen they should stack nicely in your freezer and you can make fresh, homemade lemonade all year long. Another option for freezing citrus juice, if you just have a small amount such as an orange about to go bad, is to pour it into an ice cube tray. You can then use the cubes to flavor a glass of water, or in cooking.