The fruits you should and shouldn’t freeze – and how to do it well

Most fruits can be frozen well if you stick to a few simple rules - Andrew Crowley

With a bumper crop of sweet and juicy plums arriving after several years of disappointing harvests, and British hedgerows currently bursting with plump blackberries, you may be wondering how best to preserve this summer’s abundance while it’s at its best and most affordable.

I’m a fan of all forms of preservation, from bottles of foraged-sloe gin and vodka infused with cherries caught from the enormous tree outside my front door, to bright berry jams, curds and sorbets. Admittedly, my dehydrator doesn’t see that much action, though I do still knock up the occasional batch of strawberry crisps or mango chips when faced with a glut that’s reaching its peak.

Home freezing is the easiest way to enjoy summer fruits well beyond their usual shelf life - Andrew Crowley

However, when it comes to saving fruit in its entirety for greater flexibility of usage, nothing competes with home freezing. It is the easiest (and best) way to make the most of the season’s offerings while enabling you to enjoy your favourite flavours year-round.

Delving into the freezer in the depths of winter and finding a bag of sliced peaches with which to make a gingery, oaty crumble is a source of joy for me, and one I always try to remember when the supermarkets sell summer’s best stone fruit and berries at marked-down prices.

Here’s how to freeze your favourite fruit.

Skip to:

• The best fruits to freeze
• The fruits you should keep fresh
• How to freeze fruit

The best fruits to freeze

Many fruits freeze beautifully, though be aware that their structure may be altered during the process. Frozen fruits are generally best used in recipes where a softer texture isn’t a problem, for example when making smoothies or sauces, and for baking.

Be sure to hull strawberries before freezing them - Andrew Crowley

Bananas

While rarely in short supply, bananas are one of the fruits many of us often find neglected and turning brown in the bottom of the fruit bowl. If you don’t have time to whip up a quick banana bread, peel and thickly slice the flesh then freeze for making smoothies or when an afternoon of baking is called for. The flesh can be added to smoothies while still frozen, and similarly to cakes unless mashing is required – in which case allow it to thaw a little.

Berries

All berries, including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, are well suited to freezing whole (with strawberries hulled first). They’re great for adding to smoothies, yogurt and overnight oats straight from the freezer, or for brightening up a pan of porridge in colder months.

Slicing the likes of peaches, berries, figs and apricots prior to popping them in the freezer achieves the best results - Andrew Crowley

Stone fruits

Sliced peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries all freeze perfectly. If swapping in frozen for fresh when baking, it’s best to use them while still frozen so the fruit keeps its shape and releases the juices slowly; ideal for using in this fabulous peach and olive oil cake.

Stone fruit can also be frozen whole and then grated for garnishing fruity cocktails – just grate fine shavings directly over the drink before serving.

Tropical fruits

Mango, pineapple and papaya should be peeled, stoned or cored, and cut into even-sized chunks to freeze. Passion fruit can be scooped from the shells and frozen in ice-cube trays ready to pop out as needed.

Apples and pears

While slices of apples and pears are both ideal for freezing, there is the issue of discolouration to consider. Once the fruit is peeled, cored and sliced, any natural browning can be minimised by tossing the prepared fruit in a little lemon juice.

If the idea of lemony fruit doesn’t work for you, the alternative is a quick blanch for 1-2 minutes in boiling water, then straight into cold water – but this method is only suitable for firmer fruit and isn’t recommended for softer pears. And do remember that any browning won’t really be noticeable once the fruit is baked into a lovely cinnamon-scented pie filling anyway, so you could skip it altogether.

Figs are well-suited to freezing, and their leaves are ideal as a fragrant bed for winter roasts - Andrew Crowley

Figs and grapes (and their leaves)

Both are fantastic frozen and serve as a satisfying snack nibbled straight from the freezer. Halve any larger figs first and add some zing to grapes by tossing them with a little lemon juice, salt and caster sugar (and maybe a pinch of cayenne) to taste, before freezing.

My young fig tree, while not the most bountiful, always has a ready supply of leaves and after I’ve made a batch of Julius Roberts’ delicious plum and fig leaf jam, I always freeze a few extra leaves for infusing into syrups and custard. If you have access to vine leaves, blanch a few leaves and freeze to use as wraps for dolmades or as a fragrant bed for roasting.

The fruits you should keep fresh

Not all fruits are suitable for freezing, with the key factor being their water content and how the cellular structure holds up to the freezing process. When the water freezes it expands and breaks down the cell walls, resulting in a mushy, watery texture upon thawing.

While most fruits are suitable for freezing, citrusy oranges and grapefruit become limp once thawed - Andrew Crowley

Citrus fruits

Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit become limp and squishy after freezing. While you can freeze their zest and juice, the whole fruit or segments are best enjoyed fresh.

Melon

The high water content of melons such as cantaloupe, galia and watermelon make them unsuitable for freezing, resulting in a texture that becomes very pulpy when thawed. That being said, leftover melon can be cut into bite-sized pieces and frozen to enjoy as an icy snack, but they will become less pleasant as they thaw.

How to freeze fruit

For best results, freeze the fruit in a single layer so the pieces remain separate, rather than fusing together into a solid block. You can then transfer them to a more space-efficient container.

Preparation is key, so be sure to remove skin, stems, stones or cores, then cut into chunks before placing fruit in freezer-safe containers - Andrew Crowley

Prepare the fruit

Carefully wash the fruit in cold water then drain well. Remove any skin, stems, stones or cores and cut larger fruits into slices or chunks. Smaller fruits such as berries can be frozen whole. Lay the prepared fruit on kitchen paper and pat gently to ensure it is completely dry.

Open freeze

Arrange the fruit in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Ensure the pieces are not touching each other to prevent them from sticking together. Place the tray in the freezer for at least 5 hours, or overnight, until the fruit is completely frozen solid.

Pack and store

Once the fruit is rigid, transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container or suitable bag. Removing as much air as possible from the bag will help prevent freezer burn (which causes food to dry out). Label and date then return to the freezer. The texture will slowly deteriorate over time, so aim to use your frozen fruit within four months or so.

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