How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables (2)

How to freeze fruit



Selection and preparation

Most fruit can freeze very well. Choose healthy and ripe fruit, a little more mature than that used for packaging, but very soft. Keep the fruit cool until ready to use. Wash in cold water and pat dry. This saves you the nutritional value taste and texture. Prepare only enough fruit to fill a few containers at a time, especially if the fruit tends to darken quickly. A good amount is 8 to 12 cups.



How to prevent discoloration

Some fruits such as peaches, apricots, apples and pears fade easily. To prevent discoloration use a treatment with ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) prevents fading and can be purchased in tablet, powder or crystalline form. Ascorbic acid tablets are more difficult to dissolve but can be crushed to dissolve better. Dissolve the tablets were crushed in cold syrup just before putting on fruit. Use ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid per 4 cups syrup. A teaspoon of ascorbic acid equivalent to 1500 mg. If using tablets as calculating the amount of milligrams in each tablet. To freeze fruit without liquid, spray the fruit with ascorbic acid solution just before sprinkling with sugar. Use 1 / 4 teaspoon ascorbic acid dissolved in a quarter cup of water for every 4 cups of fruit. Use the same proportion to freeze fruit without sugar.

You can buy anti-bleaching solution of ascorbic acid. They usually contain sugar and citric acid. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using them. Ascorbic acid and commercial products can be purchased at the pharmacy or where products are sold frozen and packaged.



Formulation Types

Most fruits have better texture and flavor if packed in sugar or syrup. Some can be packaged for use in sugar-free diets. The method used to prepare the fruit depends on the use you want to give. Prepared fruit in syrup is best used in desserts prepared fruit with powdered sugar or unsweetened are best for cooking because it contains less liquid.



Packed in syrup

Dissolve the recommended amount of sugar in warm water and let cool completely. Place about 1 / 2 cup syrup in each bottle of 500 ml. Wash and / or peel fruit; Slice cut so that the drop in the bottle. Add more syrup to cover the fruit leaving space to the mouth of the bottle, to allow it to expand as it freezes. For fruit which darkens put moisture-proof paper between the lid and crushed fruit to keep it submerged.

How much space to leave between the fruit and the mouth of the bottle use the following chart as a guide.



Area wide mouth containers

500 ml (liquid) 1.5 centímetros1000 ml (liquid) 3 centímetros500 ml and 100 ml (without liquid) 1.5 centimeters.

Space narrow mouth containers

500 ml (liquid) 2 centímetros1000 ml (liquid) 4 centímetros.500 ml and 1000 ml (without liquid) 1.5 centimeters.



Packed with sugar

Place fruit in a bowl list. In order not to damage the fruit does not prepare more than 4 cups at a time. If necessary, use a treatment that does not obscure the fruit. Sprinkle sugar over the fruit necessary and let it sit a few minutes to dissolve in the juice out of fruit. Gently shake the fruit until sugar is dissolved and each piece is covered with fruit juice. Place fruit in the container tightly without crushing. Leave 1.5 inches of space to the mouth of the bottle.



Sugar-free packaging

The sugar-free packaging products normally produces lower quality than those packaged with sugar or syrup, but it may be necessary for certain diets. Figs or berries freeze well with or without sugar. Use a solution to prevent discoloration. Leave 1.5 inches of space on all containers. You can also freeze the berries on a tray. Arrange in single layer separated and freeze. Once frozen, put them on any packaging and re-put in the freezer. Unsweetened fruit also be packed in water or fruit juices of apple, pineapple or unsweetened white grape.



Packed with artificial sweeteners

Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

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