Freeze Fruits and Vegetables for Nutrients, Healthy Eating

Freezing fruits and vegetables is a great way to serve the family healthy, nutritious fresh foods all winter. By using safe, approved techniques, the nutrients will be preserved. Freezing foods is quick and easy, and tends to heat the kitchen less on a hot summer day. It also takes less equipment.

Home freezing techniques to preserve high quality foods with the maximum nutritional value are based on the same principles as commercial companies use. This requires a basic understanding of the chemical and physical reactions that take place in the foods during the freezing process.

Freezing fruits and vegetables is perhaps the best method of preserving nutrients and high quality, if proper procedures are utilized.

Enzymes and Chemical Reactions as Foods Ripen

During the growing process, fresh fruits and vegetables constantly undergo chemical changes causing them to grow and ripen. When harvested, the chemical changes continue. This is what causes foods to deteriorate in quality, and then spoil. Therefore, fruits and vegetables should be harvested at the peak of ripeness, and frozen or canned as soon as possible.

Enzymes are some of the chemical compounds. They cause changes in color, flavor, texture and color as the harvested foods age. Perhaps even more important, enzymes cause loss of nutrients.

How to Freeze Fresh Vegetables, Fruits

Ready to freeze? Go to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables for Nutrients, Healthy Eating for directions.

Packaging Foods for the Freezer

Frozen foods need to be packaged properly to prevent ‚”freezer burn,” or loss of moisture from the foods.

Packaging must be both moisture and vapor proof, keeping moisture in the product and outside odors, moisture out.

If using containers, be sure they are meant for freezer storage. Reusing food containers is a great practice, but things like cottage cheese boxes do not keep moisture in or vapors out. Lids need to fit tightly.

If using bags, be sure they are freezer bags, not regular food storage bags. Freezer paper is lined with plastic, and is easier to mold to the shape of firm foods.

No matter what containers are used, be sure to expel as much air as possible before closing. Label containers with the product and date to ensure using them before the quality declines.

Storing Frozen Foods

• Store frozen foods (home prepared and purchased) at 0 degrees F or lower. Follow storage charts and use foods within the recommended times.
• Use a freezer thermometer to ensure proper temperatures are maintained.
• William Schafer and Shirley T. Munson offer this chart for food storage in the 2009 publication, ‚”Freezing Fruits and Vegetables,” University of Minnesota Extension:

‚”Fruits‚Äîmost frozen fruits maintain high quality for 8 to 12 months. Unsweetened fruits lose quality faster than those packed in sugar or sugar syrups.

Vegetables—most vegetables will maintain high quality for 12 to 18 months at 0° F or lower. However, it is a good idea to plan to use your home frozen vegetables before the next year crop is ready for freezing.

Longer storage of fruits and vegetables than those recommended above will not make the food unfit for use, but will decrease its quality.”

Packaging Vegetables for Freezing

Vegetables may be tightly packed into the container. This will cause them to freeze in a ‚”clump,” which is fine if the package will be prepared or added to a dish. This is called a ‚”dry pack.”

Sometimes, a loose pack is desired, called a ‚”tray pack.” Foods are spread out on a tray or flat pan to freeze, then packaged.

Packaging Fruits for Freezing

Fruits may be frozen with a sugar pack, syrup pack or unsweetened pack. The flavor is better if sugar is used. Some fruits, including rhubarb, blueberries, cranberries and currents freeze well without sugar. Refer to the above web site for complete directions on freezing fruits.

Additional Resources

National Center for Home Food Preservation, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA)

Freezing and Food Safety, US Dept. of Agriculture

Cooperative Extension Service, click to locate the Extension Service offices in your state.

Freeze Fresh Produce

Home freezing fruits and vegetables saves money and provides healthy, nutritious food for the family.