Preparation of various fruits before freezing including apples, blackberries and more. |
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The following is a guide on how to prepare fruit for freezing and which fruits suit the various methods used to freeze fruit.
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Apples: Slices - Peel and core the apples. Cut into slices. Immerse slices in a bowl full of very cold acidulated water (water and juice of 1 lemon). Blanch (immerse in fast-boiling water) for 1 - 2 minutes and immediately cool in ice-cold water. Drain well. Dry or sugar freeze by packing in rigid containers or polythene bags.
Purée - Peel, core and slice the apples. See instructions for fruit purée. Allow to cool and pack in plastic containers, leaving ½ inch headspace for expansion.
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Apricots: Blanch for 30 seconds in fast-boiling water then immerse in cold water until cool. Remove the skin. Cut in half and discard the stone. Slice the fruit or leave as two halves. Freeze in syrup made from 2 pints of water, 1 lb of sugar and 500 mg of ascorbic acid for each pint of syrup. Freeze in labelled plastic containers.
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Blackberries: Dry or sugar-freeze using 4 oz (115 g) of caster sugar to each 1 lb of blackberries. Pack in polythene bags or plastic containers.
Purée: Pass through a fine sieve and mix with sugar to sweeten. Pack in rigid containers.
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Blackcurrants: Wash and dry the fruit. Remove stalks. Dry or sugar-freeze and pack in polythene bags or plastic containers.
Purée: Follow instructions for fruit purée, making sure that only a minimum amount of water is used. Sweeten with sugar (3 oz / 85 g for each 1 lb of fruit) and pack in plastic containers.
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Cherries: Wash, remove stalks and dry thoroughly. Dry freeze.
Sugar-freeze after removing the stones. Pack in rigid containers.
Syrup-freeze with a syrup made from 8 oz (225 g) of caster sugar, 1 pint of water and ¼ tsp of ascorbic acid to each pint of syrup. Pack in plastic containers, allowing ½ inch headspace.
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Damsons: Purée - Wash the fruit and cook gently in a minimum amount of water. Add sugar to taste. Cool and then pass through a sieve or blender. Pack in rigid containers.
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Gooseberries: Top and tail, wash, dry and then dry-freeze.
Syrup-freeze in syrup made with 1 lb of caster sugar and 1 pint of water. Allow to cool and pack in rigid containers.
Purée - Sweeten with 4 oz (115 g) of caster sugar to each 1 lb of fruit. Cool and pass through a sieve or blender. Pack in plastic containers, label and freeze.
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Grapefruit: Peel the grapefruit and remove the pith. Cut into segments and sugar-freeze. Use 8 oz (225 g) of caster sugar to each 1 lb of fruit. Pack in plastic containers.
Syrup-freeze in a syrup prepared with equal quantities of water and caster sugar.
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Lemons: Freeze whole.
Slice or cut into segments, blanch for 1 minute and freeze in polythene bags.
Squeeze the juice from the fruit and freeze in trays for ice cubes. When frozen transfer to polythene bags.
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Melon: Cut the melon in half and discard the seeds. Cut the fruit into cubes. Syrup-freeze using syrup made with 1 pint of water and 8 oz (225 g) of caster sugar.
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Oranges: Prepare and sugar-freeze as for grapefruit.
Freeze the juice as for lemons.
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Peaches: Wash, peel and remove the stones from the peaches. Halve or cut into slices. Immediately brush with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Syrup-freeze as for apricots.
Purée - Peel and stone the peaches and pass through a blender. Add 4 oz (115 g) of caster sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice to each 1 lb of puréed fruit. Pack in rigid containers.
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Plums: Syrup-freeze as for apricots. Wash, stone and halve the fruit first.
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Rhubarb: Wash the rhubarb and trim the ends. Cut into 1-inch chunks and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Immediately immerse into ice-cold water, allow to cool and sugar-freeze. Pack in polythene bags.
Syrup-freeze in syrup made with equal quantities of sugar and water (4 oz caster sugar / 4 fl oz water). Pack in plastic containers, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Purée - Prepare as above and then simmer gently in a little water, adding sugar to taste. Pass through a blender, cool and pack in rigid containers.
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