How to Freeze Fresh Produce

Freezing is probably the most efficient way to preserve your fruits and vegetables at home. You won't need any special tools or kitchen equipment beyond a freezer and a few containers built for the job. But you can't just throw produce into the freezer without a little bit of preparation. Click through the gallery for our tips and tricks to make the most out of your freezing process at home.

Since freezing does not sterilize your produce, it's important to thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables before freezing them. It's a common misconception that freezing temperatures will kill all of the microorganisms in your produce. Putting fruits and vegetables into the freezer only slows down the biological processes that affect the quality and flavor of your foods, along with the changes that cause spoilage. Anything that's on your produce before freezing is likely to still be present when thawed, so it's critical to give everything a thorough wash in cold running water. Most fruits and vegetables can be frozen for up to a year before you start to notice a decline in flavor and texture.

Knowing that the process of spoilage will somewhat continue in the freezer, it's a good idea to remove any blemishes from your fruits and vegetables before you freeze them. Carefully sort all of your produce to remove anything that's of poor quality, or in any advanced state of spoilage. For produce such as strawberries that bruise easily, thoroughly cut off any parts and pieces that don't make the grade using a sharp, clean knife. Also, be sure to trim off any of the parts you wouldn't normally eat like stems and peels. Prepare your produce just like you normally would before cooking it.

Fruits like oranges or bananas are better off when they're peeled before being frozen. If you freeze fruits with the peels intact, it'll be excruciating to remove them after they've done some time in the freezer. It's still a good idea to wash the outside of those fruits before freezing so that you don't introduce any bacteria while you're working. The general rule with fruits is to prepare them and freeze them as they're intended to be used. So, if you're planning on using your banana for smoothies, it's a good idea to slice them before freezing. If you're using them to make banana splits for the kids, it's okay to freeze them whole.