Summer may be fresh fruit season but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your favorite summer fruits throughout the year! If you love fresh, summer fruit be sure to stock up if you see a great deal at the grocery store. Even better, head out to a local farm and pick your own fruit with the family! There’s a good chance that you’ll take home more fruit than you’ll know what to do with! Set aside some of this fruit to freeze it so it can be enjoyed later.
Here’s a step by step guide to freezing strawberries:
1. At the store or at the farm, look for fully ripe berries that are plump and bright red.
2. Rinse and drain the berries.
3. Remove all stems and leaves from the berries.
4. Slice or crush the berries if desired, or leave them whole.
5. If you want extra sweet berries, add ¾ cup of sugar to 4 cups of sliced berries. Stir and let stand a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
6. Place berries in a freezer safe sealable plastic bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible, but leave a ½ inch of head space for expansion.
7. Label the bags with a date and put in the freezer!
When it’s time to use the strawberries, remove them from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Enjoy summer strawberries whole or as part of a recipe throughout the year!
Here’s a step by step guide to freezing blueberries:
1. At the store or at the farm, look for fully ripe berries that are round, dark blue in color, and free of cracks.
2. Remove the stems from the blueberries. You do not need to wash the blueberries (you can rinse them prior to using them) but if you do wash them, make sure to pat them dry before freezing so they don’t get freezer burn or stick together.
3. Place dry blueberries apart in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer.
4. Remove frozen blueberries from the cookie sheet and place in freezer safe sealable plastic bags. Remove as much air from the bags as possible.
5. Label the bags with a date and put in the freezer!
Frozen blueberries are best if used within 6 months. Be sure to rinse them if they weren’t washed before freezing. Frozen blueberries make great additions to oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, smoothies, shakes, and more!
Here’s a step by step guide to freezing peaches:
1. At the store or at the farm, look for peaches that are ripe. They should not be mushy or rock hard. If the peaches are hard, you can wait for them to ripen at home.
2. Prepare the liquid solution that will prevent drying, freezing, and browning. It can be water (with sugar) or fruit juice. There must be enough to cover the peaches. If using sugar, heat water on the stove and add sugar slowly until it dissolves. Let it cool before adding it to the peaches.
3. Wash and peel the peaches.
4. Cut the peaches as desired and remove the pits.
5. Combine the peaches and liquid solution.
6. Place combination into freezer safe sealable plastic bags. Remove as much air from the bags as possible, but leave a ½ inch of head space for expansion.
7. Label the bags with a date and put in the freezer!
When it’s time to use the peaches, remove them from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Enjoy in cobblers, pies, or as is throughout the year!