At Love.Life we recommend eating fruit every day. But you may not be able to get fresh fruit from the supermarket daily, and fruit doesn’t always last as long as you hope. Here’s a guide on how to freeze fresh fruit so you’ll always have some on hand to incorporate into your daily meals and/or snacks. Fortunately, fresh fruit is easy to freeze, and unlike canning, the process doesn’t require adding sugar.
Quick tips for freezing fruit:
- It’s best to freeze fresh fruit when it’s at peak ripeness.
- After freezing most fruits will last about 8-12 months.
- We recommend using reusable freezer-safe bags or containers as eco-friendly options.
General fruit freezing instructions:
- To begin, wash, peel, and if needed slice or chop your fruit.
- Spread out the fruit on a lined baking sheet in a single layer with spaces between each piece.
- Place the tray in the freezer for about 2 hours.
- Transfer the frozen fruit to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and store it in the freezer.
Bananas: While you can freeze bananas in the peel, we recommend peeling prior to freezing. You can then follow the steps above. Frozen bananas will keep for about 3 months. They’re great in smoothies, oatmeal, or dipped into melted dark chocolate.
- Bananas also make a terrific replacement for added sugars in baking. To freeze mashed bananas, mash with a fork and spoon and then fill silicone ice cube trays or muffin tins with mashed bananas. Freeze for about 2 hours and then transfer to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container. If you use specific amounts often, like ½ or ¼ cup, measure before freezing and mark the containers so you can thaw the exact amount you need.
Grapes and cranberries: Simply place these fruits in a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them (no need to freeze on a tray first).
Berries: Berries can be frozen using the method described above, or rinsed under cold water, dried well, and immediately frozen. They’re terrific in smoothies, acai bowls, overnight oats, or as a frosty snack.
Apples: If you want to peel your apples, do so first, then core and cut them into slices or chunks. To preserve their color, coat or soak apple pieces in water with lemon or lime juice prior to freezing (use 3 tablespoons of citrus juice per quart of water). Next, place the apples in a freezer bag or container and freeze. They’re perfect for smoothies, oatmeal, or cobbler.
Peaches and apricots: Wash these fruits under cold water. To peel, dip them into boiling water for about 20 seconds to loosen their skins. Cool, peel off the skins, and then chop or slice. Next, freeze on a baking sheet for about 2 hours and transfer to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. These gems make delicious additions to smoothies, sauces, and chia pudding.
Crushed or pureed fruit: To preserve color, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per pint of crushed or pureed fruit. Freeze in reusable freezer bags or containers.
Avocados: First, wash your avocados. You can freeze them in their skins whole or remove the shells and chop. You can also slice avocados into halves or pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice, and place on a baking sheet to freeze for about 2 hours. Then transfer to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and freeze.
- For mashed avocado, remove the peel and pit and mash with a bit of lemon juice. Place scoops of mashed avocado (in your desired amounts) on a lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Transfer to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. Or skip the pre-freezing step and simply place mashed avocado in a reusable freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. You can also freeze your guacamole. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in cold water for 30 minutes.