Looking at all the peaches and berries at the farmers' market gives us a bittersweet feeling; we're delighted, but we also know that their season is short-lived. All the more reason to learn how best to freeze them--and even more important if you bought in bulk. Below is a decade-old tutorial from Cook's Illustrated that we dug up...
As the detail oriented people at Cook's Illustrated are wont to do, they froze six different kinds of summer fruit, using several different techniques, to see which held up the best.
The overall verdict is that fruits must be frozen with some sugar (whether that's sugar syrup or plain sugar depends on the fruit). Fruits frozen with nothing added ended up with a mushy texture and off flavors when defrosted a few months later, according to the CI testers.
Peaches need some ascorbic acid to keep their color and texture, and cherries, unfortunately, didn't fare well in any circumstance. The recommendation? Can them instead.
• Read the article: How to Freeze Summer Fruit, from Cook's Illustrated
Related: Weekend Project: Freezing Fresh Produce
(Image: Flickr member Moonfall Pix, licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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Alton Brown recommended freezing fruit by tossing it with dry ice. Since it freezes so fast only very small ice crystals are formed which leaves cell walls intact so the fruit's texture is preserved. I haven't ever tried it, but the theory sounds legit. I happen to like eating my strawberries still frozen, though, so I doubt I'll ever bother.
We make frozen raspberry jam instead of jam or jelly that's been cooked and canned. So I guess it's the same principle - freezing fruit with sugar. Actually, I'll be writing about making frozen raspberry jam later this week on my blog, if anyone's interested in the details.
- Amelia
Good to know, thanks! Most fruit doesn't live long enough to spoil in my kitchen; I've been known to destroy bowls of cherries in no time flat.
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Thank you so much for this article, I am new to freezing and perserving and have been looking for smart ways to store all the great fruits available right now.
i've been freezing, canning, and drying fruit my whole life, and i've never frozen any fruit with sugar.
Berries get frozen on a cookie sheet, in flat, single-layer rows, then tossed into freezer ziplocs. While they might not have the same body as a fresh-picked berry, they aren't necessarily limp or mushy. They are delicious, and if the air is expelled from the freezer bag well enough, they should never develop any off-flavours.
i usually can sweet cherries, but i've ALWAYS frozen sour cherries - they are perfectly tart, juicy, and delicious in pies all winter long that way!
Since most of my berries/fruit that i freeze goes into smoothies, pies, other baking, or sauces in the winter, i'm not sure why there would be any other advantage to adding extra sugar.
Exactly what brighteyes says. I regularly freeze fruit without sugar and to good effect. Blueberries work especially well and taste great eaten frozen as a no-sugar-added snack.