It’s summertime, and supermarkets and farmers’ markets are stocked with succulent, delicious, fresh fruits. Summertime is the perfect time to freeze fruit. Seasonal produce is less expensive. Buying what is in season and freezing it will help stretch our food dollars.
I had a friend ask me, “Can you freeze pineapple?” After much experimenting and trial and error, the answer is definitely, “Yes, Connie, you can.” Pineapple can be frozen; but when it thaws, its texture will be softer and mushier than when it is fresh, making frozen pineapple perfect for smoothies. Recently, our Kroger® store had pineapples on sale for 99 cents each. Now, that’s pretty cheap. If you use pineapple in your smoothies, stock up when it’s on sale and freeze it for smoothies. If you love morning smoothies, frozen fruits make a richer, creamier, thicker smoothie.
My new book, Grocery Shopping Secrets, includes a plethora of directions on freezing everything from fruit to milk to eggs to help you extend the life of your perishables, stretching your food dollars. The following is an excerpt from my book on how to freeze fruit. I have included prep for only the fruits we use in smoothies—bananas, pineapple, and strawberries—as well as one of my daughter’s favorite smoothie recipes and, of course, my grocery-insider tips on how to get the very freshest fruit. When our children are young, we work hard teaching them to be competent, productive, ethical adults. When they become adults, they share new things with us. The circle of life.
Now for tips on freezing fruit:
“For best results, follow my guidelines on selecting the freshest fruit at its peak, and freeze only ripe fruit. Freezing does not sterilize food, but the cold will retard the growth of microorganisms. Buy high-quality freezer bags that seal tightly. Choose the size of bag that is appropriate for the amount of fruit you wish to freeze. If you are freezing individual portions, consider placing smaller bags into a larger bag. This will help prevent freezer burn.
When you freeze fruit, think about how you will use it. Portion the fruit into serving sizes and package it accordingly. If you plan to freeze strawberries for a pie, core, hull, and slice the strawberries according to the recipe you will follow. If you plan to freeze fruit for smoothies, make the slices or chunks about 1-inch thick.
1. Wash fruit and discard any part that is poor quality. After washing, lay the fruit out in a single layer, pat gently with paper or kitchen towels, and let it dry thoroughly before freezing.
2. Prep the fruit. Preparations for specific fruits follow.
Bananas: Peel and slice bananas into ½-inch thick pieces.
Pineapple: Peel and cut into slices or chunks.
Strawberries: Hull, core, and slice or cut strawberries in half.
3. For a dry pack: Lay fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so that the fruit won’t stick to the pan. Freeze for a few hours until the fruit is solid, then transfer it to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Press as much air out of the bag as possible. This helps prevent freezer burn.
4. For a syrup pack: You can freeze fruit in a sugar syrup, but this adds sugar. I prefer the dry pack. If you choose to freeze your fruit in syrup, use the following ratios of sugar to water:
Type of Syrup Sugar Water Yield Light 1 cup 4 cups 4 ¾ cups Medium 1 ¾ cups 4 cups 5 cups Heavy 2 ¾ cups 4 cups 5 ⅓ cups
To make the syrup, place water in a saucepan over a low heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and the solution is clear. Chill the syrup before using. If you are freezing fruit in syrup, you will want to use a freezer-safe container. Place the fruit in the container and add enough syrup to just cover the fruit. To keep the fruit submerged in the syrup, place a crumpled up piece of parchment paper on top of the fruit and press the fruit down into the syrup.
5. Use a black marker to label the freezing date on the bag and return immediately to the freezer. Frozen fruit can be stored for up to 3 months.
Tips on retarding browning: Certain fruits, like apples, pears, and apricots will turn brown when exposed to air and during freezing. You can use ascorbic acid, lemon juice, citric acid, or Fruit Fresh® to retard discoloration. If using ascorbic acid, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Lemon juice and citric acid can mask the natural flavor of some fruits. If using citric acid, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Fruit Fresh® is a combination of both ascorbic and citric acids. If you use this product, follow the directions on the label.”
Leelee’s Tropical Smoothie
Makes 1 serving
1 cup oat milk
½ to 1 cup frozen strawberries, about 4 to 6
¼ cup frozen banana slices, about ½ banana
½ to 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 scoop vanilla protein powder, optional
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed, optional
1 teaspoon chia seeds, optional
1 teaspoon hempseeds, optional
In a blender, place oat milk and strawberries and banana slices. Process until blended. Add pineapple chunks and process again until fruit is puréed. If desired, add protein powder, flaxseed, chia seeds, and hempseeds and process until combined. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Tips on making smoothies: Place liquid in the blender first, followed by softer fruits that will purée easily.
Tips on selecting bananas: Select plump bananas that do not feel mushy or show signs of damage. Avoid bananas with green tips, instead select fruit with yellow skins that are flecked with tiny brown spots.
Tips on selecting pineapples: Select pineapples that are plump. This fruit should seem heavy for its size, and its outer skin should feel slightly soft to the touch. Leaves on the crown should be fresh,, with a deep green color. Pineapples with dry, brown leaves or a dull, yellow appearance will be more acidic to the palate. My father taught me to pull gently on the leaves. If the leaves can be removed easily with gentle pressure, the pineapple is ripe. Shop with your nose. The stem end of fresh pineapples will have a sweet aroma. Highly colored pineapples will have a sweeter taste because they were picked ripe. Avoid bruised, discolored pineapple with soft spots, an unpleasant odor, or dark watery eyes. The eyes of a pineapple should be flat and almost hollow.
Tips on selecting strawberries: Strawberries should be plump with a bright red color. Their caps should be green and look fresh. Avoid fruit with limp or spoiled caps. The size of a strawberry is not an indication of flavor. Small or large strawberries can be sweet and juicy. Do not buy strawberries with white or green splotches or mold. Moisture speeds decay so don’t buy fruit with excess moisture. Always check the quality of the fruit from the bottom of the container as well.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market and Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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