How To Freeze Apples and Pears
Apple and pear season is over around these parts, but I figured I’d share how I froze a bunch of these fruits this fall, while it’s still fresh in my mind! I would have preferred to turn them into sauces, jellies/preserves, or pie filling to can, but this is the reality of a busy mom. Sometimes, it just doesn’t get done.
The cool thing about freezing fruit is that you can save them to can another day. Or, you have the makings of a quick dessert at your fingertips.
The canning books all tell you to put your fruit in a bowl of cold water with either lemon juice or Fruit Fresh to keep them from turning brown as you work. However, this has never really worked for me. They always turn a little brown regardless. Plus, I hate depending on a product like Fruit Fresh.
As you can imagine, I was excited when I learned a different trick to keep my fruit from browning!
One day about a month ago, my husband, my children, and I took a drive to the mountains for a scenic day-trip. We had stopped for lunch at a quaint little country restaurant. As we walked into the small diner, a steady hum of silverware clanking and people chatting greeted us. The kids and I took our seats at a table in the corner of the small room while my husband went to the counter to order our food. I smiled at the older couple who sat in the booth next to us, and noticed that the gentleman sported a handgun on his hip, which instantly made me feel safer.
They asked if we were from around there, as if they already knew we were outsiders in their small town. I shared that we’d driven up for a visit to some of the old, historic homes. Somehow we got to talking about their property, and the nice lady began telling me about the fruit trees she has around her home- a dozen or so apple and pear trees. I had to stop her to ask if she cans her fruit.
She confided that she doesn’t do much canning anymore, but that she usually freezes her fruits instead. I was intrigued, and asked her how she does it. She brightened at this youngster showing interest in preserving food, and generously shared her secret.
She explained that as she grew up, she was always taught to soak the fruit in salt water as she cut it to keep it from turning brown. But then all of the canning books changed, and started recommending lemon juice or Fruit Fresh. She tried making the switch to this more up-to-date recommendation, but it never worked quite as well as the salt water did. So, she went back to her tried and true method, and has stayed with it ever since.
She doesn’t have any exact measurements or anything, but basically when she’s cutting up a large amount of fruit (apples and pears), she gets a very large bowl, fills it with cold water, and pours enough table salt into the bowl to cover the bottom with a pretty good layer. (When I did it, I swished the salt around a little to dissolve it a bit.) As she cuts and peels the fruit, she drops it into the salty water to sit until the bowl is filled.
Next, she rinses the soaked fruit in cold water and drains it off before filling freezer bags with the still beautifully white fruit.
I was grateful for her advice, and told her I’d have to try that soon. And I did.
Not long after, I froze several gallons of sliced apples and pears using her salt soak method, and it worked perfectly. You’d never know these apples had sat out for a while before I put them in the freezer!
Nice and white! I’ve been using them in dessert recipes, without the slightest hint of saltiness. Baked apples is one of my favorites to make with my frozen apple slices. I freeze in portions that go along with my favorite recipes.
Do you prefer to freeze apples and pears? How do you keep your fruit from browning?
Wonderful tip! I love knowing how the old timers did things! As new products like FRUIT FRESH come out, these old ways seem to “disappear” leaving us wondering how Ma did this without these products. Thanks for sharing
Me too, JES! I want to know how they got by in the old days, without Walmart right up the road!!
Didn’t know salt could be used. I prefer salt over lemon juice. Have to use this method. Thanks for posting.
And I’d like to know more of how old timers preserved their food.
I learned this trick from my Aunt many years ago. I works for canning fruit too. My Aunt would have the prettiest jars of white apple slices. Everyone always wondered what was her secret. Barbara Gantt
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! I knew about lemon. Like you I am always skeptical about chemical stuff for my food.
Thanks for this new tip!
You’re very welcome!!
That’s incredible that it doesn’t taste salty at all. I’m going to have to try this for myself. And I hate to take away all your product-hating fun, but Fruit Fresh is just powdered Vitamin C.
Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try this next year when I freeze my apples. I just dealt with slightly brown fruit because I did not like the idea of chemicals on my fruit and I hardly ever had lemon juice on hand. Thanks again for the knowledge.
I wonder if the salt method would work with a juicer fruit, like peaches?? Anyone know? I have a terrible time getting my boys to eat my frozen or canned peaches as they always seem to brown a little no matter what I try.
I had forgotten about doing this. Thanks for the reminder. Hopefully I will remember next year and my pears won’t turn brown again!
My mother passed this tip on to me many years ago; she is now 92! And, yes, it does work with peaches. It is all she (and I) have ever used. It really does not take much salt either, just about a tsp. to a gallon of water does it for me. Do stir and dissolve it to give good distribution throughout. Happy freezing and canning.
Deborah,
It’s good to know this works with peaches, and that you don’t have to use so much salt. Thanks!!!
I have done this with potatoes as well. Last month for a potluck we were having at church we cut up a bunch of potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes and placed them in a big bowl of salt water the night before. In the morning, we drained and rinsed them, seasoned them up and put everything in a roaster to cook. It saved a lot of time that morning anyway!
That’s really good to know, Shelley. Thanks!
Hi Kendra,
I learned a trick from someone years ago and just love it! Look at the ingredients in Fruit Fresh. You’ll see the main ingredient is ascorbic acid, and then something to keep it from caking. Ascorbic acid is vitamin C. So….go to the vitamin/supplement section of your favorite store. Look for the various Vitamin C bottles. Then check out the ingredients. Choose the bottle with ascorbic acid–not rose hips. Also don’t get any with flavorings, etc. If you can find ONLY ascorbic acid, that’s great. But, you might have to compromise with a bit of “binder,” although I prefer not to. Notice how inexpensive it is compared to Fruit Fresh! A BIG bottle will be cheaper in the long run and last you for many canning projects. Next time you’ve got peaches, apples, or whatever to put up–freezer, canner or dehydrator, put a few tablets in the bottom of your bowl. Add a bit of water, then smash up the tablets. If there are a few chunks not pulverized, it’s okay. They will dissolve. Add your fruit and proceed as usual. I like to add a bit of ascorbic acid to the syrup when I can, too. Works great and it’s cheap.
I just found your website and I must say so far I love it! SO get used to ltos of questions from me as I try to figure things out! #1 one of my boys loves to eat apples but I would love to preserve them during their peak season….can I just pull these out of the fridge and thaw them fro him to eat as they are..or will they get nasty/slimy in the thawing process?
So happy to have you here, Jaci! When you thaw frozen apples they won’t be slimy, but they will be soft, and they won’t be as sweet as fresh apples. They definitely won’t be crisp like a fresh apple. I like them best cooked. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this tip, my life has changed so i need to watch the pennies, so all these tips are a real help to our lives. Isn’t it good to know you’ve helped someone you don’t know and they will remember you for this…… Thank you.
I just adore hearing from my readers, so don't be shy!! Although I may not be able to respond to every single comment, I do read and appreciate every word of them. Knowing I have an audience keeps me writing, so take a moment to say hello and share what's on your mind!
Categories
My Life, Month-by-Month
2013 Egg Production vs. Expenses