Freezing Fruits?

[MelissaAHM]

I have 5 month old twins who will be eating solid food this fall/winter. I bought lots of extra organic peaches, pears, avocados, and bananas to freeze so they can have these for when they are ready. But now I feel confused...how do I freeze these? I heard you don't precook pears as they are already soft and it will cook the nutrients out. For pears also the skin shouldn't be removed. So how do I do this? Do I just cut them in cubes and freeze them? or is it better to puree it - then freeze it?

Also, what if I want to mix sweet potatoes and pears? Do I freeze them already mixed together or would it be easier to freeze each fruit individually then mix once thawed.
My other question is once made how do you store it in the freezer. I was thinking in a freezer baggie if in cubes. Freezer bags don't leach in any way do they? If pureed I have a plastic (what looks like a ice cube tray) container to store portions in.

Some of these questions may seem silly - but I'm very overwhelmed and my produce is ripening rapidly. Any help would be appreciated.

[cristeen]

All of the fruits you listed might as well be pureed now before freezing. They will essentially be mush after defrosting. The avocado will need to be mixed with lemon juice, packed into whatever container you're using and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Even so, it may be brown when you pull it out. It doesn't freeze all that fabulously. Alternatively, if they're not too soft, you can pop the entire fruit half out of it's skin, dunk it in acidulated water and freeze it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. You have to work quickly doing it this way, and get them frozen quickly. Once frozen, bag.

I would really freeze individual fruits by themselves, you never know what's going to happen. And freeze in individual portions - either ice cube size or 1/4 cup or so. Be prepared for oxidation - all the fruits you listed oxidize, and will turn brown.

ETA - bananas, pears and avocados - none of those are summer fruits, so I'm not sure why you're feeling like you need to stock up on them now.

[mamadelbosque]

When I've frozen peaches before I've just sliced them into slices and frozen on a cookie sheet, then into ziplock bags - that way i can pull out as much or as little as I want (you can also freeze berries this way: wash'm then stick'm on a cookie sheet to freeze then into ziplocs - if you go straight to ziploc's you'll just have a block of frozen fruit

[hildare]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

When I've frozen peaches before I've just sliced them into slices and frozen on a cookie sheet, then into ziplock bags - that way i can pull out as much or as little as I want (you can also freeze berries this way: wash'm then stick'm on a cookie sheet to freeze then into ziplocs - if you go straight to ziploc's you'll just have a block of frozen fruit

This! Plus, you never know that you might want to pull out fruit for a cobbler, and you won't want puree for that!
~thoughtfully considering your dessert options at all times.. that's me!

[Arduinna]

So you aren't even going to be starting to feed them to the babies for 6 months? I'd probably puree and can them in the smallest jars I can find. Otherwise you are probably going to end up with freezer burned fruit by then.

[MelissaAHM]

I appreciate the advice...I like the idea of freezing on a cookie sheet. We make a ton of smoothies an we could use them for that as well.

Makes sense to not freeze bananas and avacados...as I can buy them year round. I should have thought of that but I still don't have all my brain cells back from being pregnant. The pears and peaches I plan on freezing. There is only one place around here that sells 'Organic' produce and he only seems to carry whats in season - The only things I can find in winter is squash, potatoes, ect.
Thanks so much for the advice!!!

[KristyDi]

I vote you learn to can for the peaches and pears. You can can them in water, unsweetened apple or white grape juice or a light syrup (it's also possible to use a medium or heavy syrup, but I'm assuming you don't want a ton of sugar)

I just canned 5 quarts of peach slices. It's a bit time consuming, but easy to do.

I found these directions. My Ball Blue Book (canning bible, if you're going to learn to can pick one up. I've seen them at several stores along with canning supplies right now) says you need to use the hot pack if you use water juice or light syrup. Oh and I don't bother sticking each fruit with a fork and holding it in boiling water for a min. I drop 2 or 3 in the pan of boiling water at once, then fish them out with a slotted spoon and drop them in a big bowl of cold water. Then I dump some more in the boiling water while I peel the cooled ones. Much more efficient.

[mamadelbosque]

Nonsense on them being freezer burned/unusable after just 6 months - I have frozen blueberries, black berries and strawberries from last year that are still OK. Granted, I did just find a couple bags of frozne peaches an such from TWO years ago and *THEY* look a bit freezer burnt... so they'll probably be chucked here in a bit (I really need to do a deep freezer cleaning... never did get to it last year, so its been two years at this point!! )

[serenbat]

I do peaches, cut up (bit size chunks) and right into a zip bag-in one cup sizes.

I do only some pureed fruit in ice cube trays (these are to add to yogurt) the size works best for us.

I do mostly one cup sizes of most fruit, I add it to what we are eating not just for little one,(we all eat the same food from infant time on) we add fruit to pancakes, oatmeal (other grain hot items, etc) so a chunk, so to speak, works best.

I defrost the one cup size as I am making certain items- just add bag in water still sealed, most I don't want completely defrosted-I find it much better for adding to HOT items, it cools them down right away and peaches, that are untreated- be it lemon juice or with something else will brown on air contact, doing it this way tends to not happen.

The fruit for yogurt, goes in the glass container the night prior-still frozen, plain yogurt on top and this goes the next day in the lunch-just stir and good to go.