Freezing Specific Fruits

How-To

Specific Directions for Freezing Fruit

While fruit can be frozen using any of the packing methods (see TYPES OF PACKS on our General Directions page), some methods yield better products than other methods. The following chart lists the methods that generally yield the best products for each fruit.

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	Preparing Fruit	Type of Pack
Apples	Wash, peel, and core. Slice into 1/4 inch slices directly into an anti-darkening holding solution.	Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack if apples are to be used for uncooked desserts. Use an anti-darkening method in a sugar pack or dry pack if apples are to be used for pie making or applesauce.
Apricots	Wash, halve, and pit; peel, if desired. If apricots are not peeled, blanch for 30 seconds to keep skins from toughening. Chill in ice water and drain before packing.	Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack or sugar pack.
Bananas	Choose ripe bananas. Peel; leave whole or mash. Use when just thawed.	Dry pack.
Blueberries, Currants, Saskatoons	Wash and stem.	Choose a light syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack.
Cherries	Wash, stem, and pit.	Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack.
Citrus (Grapefruit, Oranges)	Wash, peel, and section, removing all membrane and seeds.	Choose a light or medium syrup pack or dry pack.
Cranberries	Wash and stem.	Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.
Gooseberries	Choose fully ripe berries for pies and slightly underripe berries for jam or jelly making. Wash and remove stems and blossom ends.	Choose a medium syrup pack if berries are to be used for uncooked desserts. Choose a dry pack if berries are to be used for pies or jam.
Grapes	Wash and stem. Cut in half and remove seeds, if necessary.	Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.
Mangos	Wash, peel, and slice.	Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack. Mango slices may also be pureed and packed with or without the addition of sugar.
Melons (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon)	Wash, peel, remove seeds and cut into balls, cubes, or slices.	Choose a light syrup pack or unsweetened pack. Melon may have a musty flavour after freezing.
Nectarines, Peaches	Wash, peel, and pit. Slice directly into an anti-darkening holding solution.	Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack or sugar pack.
Pears	Wash, peel, core, and slice.	Choose a medium syrup pack used as follows. Heat pears in boiling syrup for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving syrup. Chill fruit and syrup. Pack pear slices into containers and cover with chilled syrup using an anti-darkening method.
Pineapples	Wash, peel, core, and remove eyes. Cut into wedges, slice, dice, or crush.	Choose a medium syrup pack made with pineapple juice or water or pack in unsweetened pineapple juice.
Plums	Wash. Leave whole or cut into halves or quarters and pit.	Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack, heavy syrup pack, or dry pack.
Pomegranates	Wash, score rind in quarters, break apart, and remove seeds.	Choose a dry pack and freeze seeds only.
Raspberries, Strawberries	Wash and stem. Leave whole, slice or crush berries.	Choose a medium syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack. A syrup pack or sugar pack is preferred for sliced or crushed strawberries.
Rhubarb	Wash, trim, and slice.	Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.

Specific Directions for Freezing Fruit

Wash, peel, and core. Slice into 1/4 inch slices directly into an anti-darkening holding solution.

Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack if apples are to be used for uncooked desserts. Use an anti-darkening method in a sugar pack or dry pack if apples are to be used for pie making or applesauce.

Wash, halve, and pit; peel, if desired. If apricots are not peeled, blanch for 30 seconds to keep skins from toughening. Chill in ice water and drain before packing.

Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack or sugar pack.

Choose ripe bananas. Peel; leave whole or mash. Use when just thawed.

Dry pack.

Wash and stem.

Choose a light syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack.

Wash, stem, and pit.

Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack.

Wash, peel, and section, removing all membrane and seeds.

Choose a light or medium syrup pack or dry pack.

Wash and stem.

Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.

Choose fully ripe berries for pies and slightly underripe berries for jam or jelly making.

Wash and remove stems and blossom ends.

Choose a medium syrup pack if berries are to be used for uncooked desserts. Choose a dry pack if berries are to be used for pies or jam.

Wash and stem. Cut in half and remove seeds, if necessary.

Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.

Wash, peel, and slice.

Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.

Mango slices may also be pureed and packed with or without the addition of sugar.

Wash, peel, remove seeds and cut into balls, cubes, or slices.

Choose a light syrup pack or unsweetened pack.

Melon may have a musty flavour after freezing.

Wash, peel, and pit. Slice directly into an anti-darkening holding solution.

Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack or sugar pack.

Wash, peel, core, and slice.

Choose a medium syrup pack used as follows. Heat pears in boiling syrup for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving syrup. Chill fruit and syrup. Pack pear slices into containers and cover with chilled syrup using an anti-darkening method.

Wash, peel, core, and remove eyes. Cut into wedges, slice, dice, or crush.

Choose a medium syrup pack made with pineapple juice or water or pack in unsweetened pineapple juice.

Wash. Leave whole or cut into halves or quarters and pit.

Use an anti-darkening method in a medium syrup pack, heavy syrup pack, or dry pack.

Wash, score rind in quarters, break apart, and remove seeds.

Choose a dry pack and freeze seeds only.

Wash and stem. Leave whole, slice or crush berries.

Choose a medium syrup pack, sugar pack, or dry pack. A syrup pack or sugar pack is preferred for sliced or crushed strawberries.

Wash, trim, and slice.

Choose a medium syrup pack or dry pack.