THE KING'S TIPS
ON
FREEZING
FRESH FRUITS
Here at the king's
orchard we know "fresh is best"!
We're sure you
do too! So you can enjoy our fresh fruits all year
long, we've put
together some
simple and fast freezing tips that will insure the natural
color, fresh
flavor, and wonderful food value of our fresh fruits.
Speed in
preparation is necessary. Promptness in
handling,
chilling, and
freezing our product help to retain quality.
Packaging of the
product also plays an important part of the freezing
process. The purpose of packaging is to preserve food
value,
flavor, color, and
pleasing texture. Packaging material
should be
moisture-vapor
proof to prevent evaporation and to retain the highest
quality. Fruit packed in rigid containers or plastic
bags should have
an air tight seal.
Freeze fruits soon
after they are packed. Put no more
unfrozen
fruits into a
freezer than will freeze within 24 hours.
Usually this
will be about 2 or
3 pounds of fruit per cubic foot of freezer capacity.
Overloading slows
down rate of freezing, and fruits that freeze too
slowly may lose
quality or spoil. After fruits are
frozen, store them at
0 degrees F. or
below.
Frozen fruits
undergo slow changes in storage and will not retain
their quality
indefinitely. Suggested storage lengths
for most fruit is
one year or
less. Thaw properly, and use frozen
fruits immediately
after
thawing. If frozen fruit is not used
soon after thawing, food value
will be lost and
spoilage will occur.
Select sound, ripe
fruit which is slightly riper but which is not soft or
mushy. Keep fruit cool from the time it is gathered
until it is frozen.
Wash fruit in cold
water, but do not allow the fruit to stand in the water,
as some fruit will
lose value and flavor.
When packing fruit in syrup (see below)
powdered or crystalline
ascorbic is dissolved in the cold syrup just before
pouring over fruit.
Use 1/2 tsp.
Ascorbic acid per quart of syrup.
For a dry sugar
pack, sprinkle dissolved ascorbic acid over fruit
just before adding
sugar. Use 1/2 tsp., In 1/4 cup water
to each
quart of
fruit. Use the same proportion for an
unsweetened pack.
Most fruits have
better texture and flavor if packed in sugar or
syrup, although,
most can be packed without sweetening for use in
special
diets.
The method
selected to pack fruit will depend on the intended use.
Fruit packed in
syrup is generally better for dessert use. Fruit packed
in dry sugar or
unsweetened is better for most cooking uses because
there is less
liquid in the products.
Dissolve
recommended amounts of sugar for each fruit in hot water.
Cool thoroughly
before pouring over prepared fruit.
Leave space
at the top of the container
to allow for expansion.
CONTAINERS WITH WIDE TOP OPENINGS INCHES
PINTS 1/2
QUARTS 1
CONTAINERS WITH NARROW TOP OPENINGS INCHES
PINTS 3/4
QUARTS 1 1/2
If desired, pour
about 1/2 c. cold syrup into each pint container.
Peel or prepare
fruit and slice directly into the container.
If
necessary, add
syrup to cover.
SUGAR PACK
Place prepared
fruit in a bowl. To avoid crushing
fruit, do not prepare
more than about
two pints at one time. Sprinkle required amount of
sugar over fruit
and allow to stand for a few minutes until the sugar
begins to dissolve
in the juice which will draw from the fruit.
Gently
stir fruit until
all sugar is dissolved and each piece is coated with juice.
UNSWEETENED PACKS
Unsweetened packs generally yield a lower quality product than
packs with sugar or syrup.
However, they are often needed
for special diets. Figs freeze
well without sugar. Simply treat fruit
for discoloration and freeze.
Berries can be
frozen in bulk. Sort, wash, and drain well.
Place on
a flat pan in a
single layer and freeze about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or
until the outer
layer is frosty and beginning to freeze hard.
Take out and
quickly pour into moisture-vapor proof containers and
freeze. The berries can be removed whole in any
amount.
Select fully
ripened, sound berries. Handle as
little as possible.
Wash, cap, and
drain. Use 3/4 cup sugar for each quart
of berries,
or cover with cold
sugar syrup using 3 cups sugar to 4 cups water.
Add 1 cup sugar to
each quart of crushed berries or puree
and stir until
dissolved. Seal and freeze immediately.
Blueberries freeze
best if unwashed until ready to use.
Otherwise prepare
as blackberries and dewberries.
Select firm, fully
ripe, red berries. Sort according to
sizes.
Wash berries a few
at a time in cold water. Lift berries
gently
out of the water
and drain. Cap berries. Leave small berries
whole and slice
large fruit into a shallow pan.
Sprinkle sugar
over berries, 3/4
cup to each quart of berries. Turn
berries
over gently until
sugar is dissolved and juice in formed.
Pack
berries and
freeze.
Select soft ripe
fruit. Make sure they have not become
sour in
the center. Sort, wash, and cut off stems. Peel if desired.
Halve or leave
whole. Treat for discoloration. Freeze without
sugar or cover
with a cold syrup made from 2 1/2 cups sugar to
4 cups water.