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How to Freeze Fresh Fruit

By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated March 25, 2020
How to Freeze Fresh Fruit
Don’t let the season’s best fresh fruit go to waste! Learn how to freeze your favorites now so you can enjoy them all year long.
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Whether it’s a bumper crop from the bush in your yard or the yield from a too-good-to-resist sale at the store, finding yourself with a lot of fresh fruit on your hands can feel like a bittersweet blessing. Of course, there are few things better in the world than fruit at its juiciest peak ripeness.

But by the same token, when there’s a lot to eat—more than you can reasonably get through before it starts to fade—there’s the stressful threat of waste. Well, waste not, stress not! Your freezer is the perfect tool for keeping your fruit from going to waste, and we’re sharing the secrets to the best methods for freezing fruit so that you can enjoy it well beyond its usual shelf life.

We’ll walk you through freezing a few different kinds of berries, plus bananas, peaches and melons, but you can use these tips for just about any kind of fruit!

washing strawberries

General Tips for Freezing Fruit

No matter the fruit, no matter the season, these tips will set you on the right path to freezing fruit successfully:

  • Always choose fruit at its peak quality—and freeze it when it’s ripe.
  • Use high-quality freezer bags that seal tightly. Any amount of fruit can be frozen; just choose an appropriately sized bag for the amount of fruit you’re freezing.
  • Remove as much air as possible before placing bags of fruit in the freezer. Air is your fruit’s worst enemy as it can lead to the formation of ice crystals that’ll leave you with subpar thawed fruit.
  • Label bags of fruit with the freeze date so you know when you need to use it up. Remember, freezing things doesn’t mean that they’re good indefinitely!

How to Freeze Blueberries

preparing blueberries for freezing

Step 1:

If you bought blueberries in a grocery store, place them in a bowl filled with water. Allow the blueberries to sit in the water for a couple of minutes to remove any debris. 

Step 2:

Remove from bowl and rinse with water. (If you picked blueberries yourself and no chemicals were used, give them a quick rinse before proceeding to the next step.)

Step 3:

Place blueberries on a paper towel-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Allow to air-dry for an hour or so.

Step 4:

Transfer blueberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 60 minutes. Remove and transfer to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Label and return to freezer.

How to Freeze Strawberries

freezing strawberries

Step 1:

Place strawberries in a large bowl filled with water. Allow the strawberries to sit in the water for 20 minutes, swishing them around with your hand a few times to remove debris.

Step 2:

Drain water and rinse strawberries. Place strawberries on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and allow to air dry for at least an hour.

Step 3:

Once the strawberries are dry, cut them into small pieces or leave them whole, as desired. Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 60 minutes, until firm.

Step 4:

Remove baking sheet from freezer. Place strawberries into sealable freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Label and return to freezer.

How to Freeze Raspberries

raspberries

Step 1:

If your raspberries are store-bought, place them in a bowl filled with water. Allow them to sit in the water for a couple of minutes to remove any debris. If they’re from your yard or you’ve picked them yourself, you can skip the soaking and just rinse them gently—raspberries are tender!

Step 2:

If you’ve soaked your berries, remove from bowl and rinse with water.

Step 2:

Place raspberries on a paper towel-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Let them air-dry for about an hour.

Step 3:

Transfer berries to a baking sheet lined parchment. Place in freezer for 60 minutes before removing and transferring the berries to a freezer bag. Carefully squeeze out as much air as possible, being careful not to crush the berries. Label the bag and return to freezer.

How to Freeze Bananas

bananas

Step 1:

Select bananas that are ripe, i.e., ones you’d want to eat fresh. You can freeze bananas at that stage, but don’t worry if they start to get a little beyond ripe—you can still freeze them.

Step 2:

Peel bananas—this will make them easier to work with when you’re ready to use them.

Step 3:

You can either leave bananas whole or cut them into slices approximately ½ inch thick. If leaving bananas whole, place them in a freezer bag and remove as much air as you can before labeling the bag and placing it in the freezer. If you’re slicing, places the slices on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and put it in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Step 4:

Remove the frozen banana slices, place them in a labeled freezer bag and, after removing as much air as possible from the bag, seal it and place it in the freezer.

How to Freeze Peaches

freezing peaches

Step 1:

Peel peaches. Cut each peach in half and carefully remove the pit.

Step 2:

Cut each half into four or five slices. Place each slice on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Step 3:

Place peaches in freezer for 60 minutes. Once peaches are frozen, remove from freezer and place into a sealable freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn and ice crystals. Label and return to freezer.

How to Freeze Cantaloupe

freezing melon

Step 1:

Cut melon in half and remove seeds.

Step 2:

Use a melon baller to cut round sections of cantaloupe. Continue until the whole melon has been cut.

Step 3:

Place melon balls on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in freezer for one hour.

Step 4:

Remove from freezer and transfer melon balls to a resealable freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Label and return to freezer.