subject: Freezing Apples And Peaches Successfully For The Winter Months [print this page] Apples and peaches are some of the most delicious fruits, and can be used in many different recipes. However, the freshest and tastiest ones all but disappear in the winter months, which can be quite frustrating.
If you want to enjoy them year round, you need to learn how to properly freeze them for later enjoyment. When it comes to learning how to freeze fruit, common sense is your best friend.
Pick firm apples, and make sure they are thoroughly washed. Washing will remove pesticides as well as dirt.
Once the apples have been washed, peel and core them, and then either freeze them whole or slice them into bite-size pieces. While your apples may be sweet enough on their own, freezing them in syrup will bring added sweetness to the fruit, help keep them from freezer burn and prevent the fruit from turning brown.
A good syrup mixture consists of two cups of sugar to three cups of water, plus half a teaspoon of ascorbic acid to prevent browning. If you want a higher or lower concentration of sugar, simply add more sugar to the ratio.
About one cup of syrup per quart of apples is a good ratio. Once your syrup is ready, sort, wash, and peel the apples.
Then slice them into freezer bags, pour syrup over them, and close the bag. To remove as much of the air from the bag as possible, insert the end of a drinking straw into the corner of the zippered bag, and place the other end in your mouth.
Suck the air out, and immediately zip the bag. While fruits can be frozen indefinitely, for best taste apples should be eaten within one year, so go ahead and stock up on ingredients for apple pie or cobbler.
There is absolutely nothing like the fresh taste of peaches in the dead of winter. The best way to get that taste is to learn how to freeze fresh peaches when they are in season in your own area.
Whether picking the peaches from your own trees or purchasing them from an orchard or market, you'll want to freeze high-quality fruit. Sweet fruit is the best type of fruit for freezing, and even then, you may want to add a sweetener to get the best results.
To know how many you'll need, think in terms of quart sizes. About six medium peaches are equal to one quart.
Pick firm but ripe fruit. Green ones or hard ones will result in soft, mushy peaches that will never develop the taste and texture of tree-ripened fruit, no matter how much sugar you add to the mix.
Just like in the apples, try adding a syrup. This sweet liquid, a natural preserver, helps keep the fruit from becoming frostbitten.
After selecting the best fruit, if you are using syrup, prepare it now, and set it on the stove to heat while you prepare the fruit. The peaches must be washed, scalded, and then peeled.
To remove the skins, boil water and dip the peaches for 30 to 40 seconds. Immediately remove the peaches, and then dip them into ice cold water for two to three minutes.
The skins will slide off easily. As you cut the peaches and remove the stones, you may want to sprinkle a bit of lemon juice into the bowl to keep the fruit from browning.
Mix in the juice to make sure all surfaces are covered. Since a combination of the air and the enzymes in the fruit causes them to oxidize and turn brown, you can cut and quarter the peaches right into freezer bags, add one cup of liquid (or not), and seal the bag immediately.
Just like with the apples, insert the end of a drinking straw into the corner of the zippered bag, and place the other end in your mouth. Suck the air out, and immediately seal it.
Lay the peaches on a flat surface in the freezer so that they freeze in a relatively flat state. Once they are frozen, the bags can be stacked.
They should last up to one year in the freezer, but freezer burn and spoilage may still occur. Check on them often.
Now you can enjoy delicious fruits all year round. Happy Freezing!
