General Freezing Instructions For Fruits:
Please be aware that fruits are 80 percent or more water. When frozen, the
water expands, and the cell wall breaks, thus changing the texture. Upon
thawing, the texture will be mushy. Keep this in mind when determining how
to use the frozen product. We recommend Ball's Blue Book as a thorough and
accurate guide for preserving fruits and vegetables.
Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries:
Wash and sort fruit.
Add sugar if desired.
Put fruit in freezer bags or containers.
Seal and place in freezer.
May be stored for up to one year at 0 degrees fahrenheit in the freezer.
Strawberries:
Freezing with Sugar:
Wash strawberries and drain in a colander.
Remove stems and slice berries as you stem them.
Sweeten: Mix 3/4 cup sugar to 4 cups sliced berries.
Stir and let stand until sugar dissolves, just a few minutes, then put into
freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion.
Put into freezer immediately.
Berries can also be crushed, sweetened, and then frozen.
Freezing Whole for Garnish:
Wash large, select berries, and drain on a paper towel.
Place in freezer on a cookie sheet, only one layer at a time.
After they are frozen, place these berries in a freezer bag, and tie.
Place the bag back in the freezer.
Source: North American Strawberry Growers Association, 1983
Cherries:
Freeze cherries as soon as possible after picking to ensure a high quality
product.
To freeze: Stem and sort cherries
Wash in cold water. Drain and pit.
Pack into containers in one of the following ways:
With sugar: 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water; mix to dissolve.
In syrup: Bring 5 cups sugar and 4 cups water to a rolling boil. Chill syrup
before using to freeze cherries.
Plain: Place in freezer quality plastic bags.
Frozen cherries may be stored for 12 months at 0 degrees fahrenheit.
Peaches:
Make a simple syrup of 1 3/4 cups sugar boiled with 4 cups water and 2
tablespoons lemon juice. Cool.
To get peels off easily, dip peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, and
then dip into ice water.
Peel peaches and cut into chunks.
Pour cooled syrup over cut peaches.
Put peaches and syrup into plastic containers, allowing about 1/2 inch of
head space. Do not use glass because the expansion in the freezer will break
the glass.
Press a crumbled piece of wax paper over the top layer of peaches to keep
them from rising to the top of the container.
If using plastic freezing bags, make sure all of the peaches are completely
covered by the syrup to prevent browning.
Source: The Sun 2 August 1989
Apples:
Apples should be stored in a refrigerator, between 32 and 40 degrees
Fahrenheit, in a plastic bag for best results.
(Maryland State Apple Commission: "Maryland Apples") Refrigerated apples
will last two weeks to several months, depending on the variety. Apples may
be frozen in slices or in a pie mixture. Ball's Bluebook suggests boiling
the apples for two minutes, then cooling in ice water prior to draining, and
freezing in plastic bags.
Source: Ball Bluebook, p. 87.
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