Photo: Bonnarina (Shutterstock)
I have two problems: not enough freezer space and way too much fruit this time of year. I got a vacuum sealer last year as a way to solve that problem, but now I have a freezer full of rock-hard fruit in gallon-sized bags. To get any use of them, I have to defrost the entire thing, and it’s rare that I need a gallon of peaches or raspberries—or worse, lingonberries. So I have to wait for the thing to defrost and then get the right measurement, and then do something with the rest.
First, consider what you’ll use the fruit for
The pro move is to freeze the fruit in the right size of bag that you’ll need next time you use it. Blueberries? Pints, probably. Most muffin and pancake recipes call for two cups, so you’ll be perfectly queued up for success. Cherries might go in a gallon-sized bag for pies. Strawberries go in quart-sized bags for me; I tend to throw them into smoothies. Your measurements may be different, but it’s well worth giving it a think before you pitch everything into bags and send it to the Siberia of your freezer.
Set yourself up for freezing success:
Group fruits you’ll use together
A real hack is to freeze different fruits together, when it makes sense. Pack strawberries and rhubarb together in just the right amount for a pie. Combine your smoothie fruit, perfectly portioned out, so you only need to grab one bag at a time.
Make sure you’re packaging the fruit the right way
The key to keeping the fruit fresh is keeping the air out of your bags. Ziploc bags are reusable, and they’re fine if you really, really clean them and actually get all the air out. I also highly recommend reusable FoodSaver bags. Otherwise, your best bet is always traditional vacuum sealer bags, which are a little wasteful but terribly convenient. You can buy stacks of bags in all three sizes, which makes for an easy solution any time you need to freeze things.
