It’s always fun to find new, or even not-so-new ways to prepare, or store our food. One sustainable, and versatile option is to freeze your food fresh. It keeps the freshness, and offers on-demand fruits & veggies, regardless of the season.
Here’s some techniques for freezing fresh foods that will make life simpler.
Freezing fresh food opens up so many possibilities for future meals and makes planning ahead easy.
Freeze Apples Whole
There’s a few ways to freeze apples, and the way that they last longest is to freeze whole. Place them on a cookie sheet & once they’re frozen, transfer to plastic bags and you’ll have your apples ready for recipes! As with many fruits, the consistency will change, so they won’t be ideal for eating out of hand, but will be fresh for baking, making applesauce, adding to smoothies & more for months.
Freezing Berries & Grapes
The best way to freeze berries is similar to freezing apples. Place on a cookie sheet on top of parchment paper, and allow to freeze for several hours until they’re frozen solid. Then transfer to plastic bags to keep. When you add frozen berries to your smoothies or frozen drinks, they can be used instead of ice, and you’ll want to pop them in after the other ingredients. When baking with fresh frozen berries, recipes can taste even better because there is less moisture than when they are fresh, making the flavor stronger.
Grapes can be frozen just like berries, and as mentioned in our grape harvest blog, make a delicious frozen snack or flavored ice cubes, all by themselves!
Bananas
Frozen peeled bananas can be used in so many ways. Whether they are fresh or even getting brown, you can use them for desserts, and even banana bread. There’s no better way to make healthy ice cream than with a frozen banana. Blend with chocolate and peanut butter, and viola! One of the best ingredients in a smoothie is a frozen banana. No need to add ice, or milk! You can even make your own delicious banana milk with just a frozen banana & water. For creamy indulgence, add a ripe avocado (which can also be peeled, pitted & frozen) to your banana ice cream or smoothies!
Freezing Squash & Zucchini
Blanching your zucchini or squash before freezing will keep it from getting mushy. Just wash, slice, blanch & cool, and you’re ready to place in freezer bags for storage. Thaw it in the fridge before using. If you want to use your zucchini for bread in the future, grate it before freezing & it’ll be ready to use when you are.
Freeze winter squash by peeling & cubing. And if you want to freeze cooked winter or butternut squash, it’s best to be pureed. You can place the puree in ice cube or muffin trays to shape before transferring to plastic bags.
Dairy
Just about all dairy can be frozen, though some takes a few steps for the best way to keep. You can store butter right in the wrapper for up to 5 months & thaw in the refrigerator & it’ll be as good as new. Cheeses that freeze the best & can last up to 6 months include cheddar, jack, mozzarella & Gouda. Place in a heavy duty freezer bag for optimal freezing.
Eggs can be frozen separated, or whole. To freeze whole eggs, beat them slightly (just enough to combine but not let extra air in), then place in ice cube trays or muffin tins. Scramble the yolks & freeze for future recipes. You can even add sugar & have them ready for baking. It’s super easy to freeze egg whites, just pour in ice cube trays & there you go! Frozen eggs last up to a year.
Blanching Veggies Before Freezing
Many veggies freeze well if they are just blanched and thoroughly dried before freezing. Why? It retains nutrients, keeps the vibrant color, and prevents mushiness.
In addition to zucchini and squash, you can also blanch & freeze:
- asparagus
- brussels sprouts
- green beens
- broccoli crowns
- cauliflower florets, or riced cauliflower
- cabbage (wash well, cut in quarters, dry & freeze on a cookie sheet before storing)
Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be frozen whole, peeled, pureed, or chopped. You really can’t go wrong with freezing fresh tomatoes!
Freezing Citrus
Citrus can be frozen whole, in wedges, slices, segments, or even in a simple syrup to retain the texture & flavor. You can use your frozen oranges, lemons, or grapefruit for juices, smoothies, or even homemade sherbet.
Bread
Bread can be placed right in the freezer, and thawed in the refrigerator or right on the counter when ready to use. You can even place frozen bread slices right in the toaster! Artisan or homemade bread lasts up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
You can really utilize freezing fresh food to make the most out of everything you buy, short of salads and raw snacks. Now you can enjoy the freshest local goodies in, and out, of season!