Frozen fruit is the lifeline of thousands of people around the world, either because there is no good fresh fruit in their area; to continue consuming some types of fruits out of their time; because it is cheaper; so that it lasts us longer. etc. Whatever the reason, we are going to learn how to consume this type of fruit, some benefits and drawbacks and we will also know if fresh fruit can be frozen or not.
Fruit is an essential food in our daily diet and we must vary as much as possible, instead of always taking the same ones, for example, apple, pear, banana, strawberry and orange. What we achieve by varying the fruit is to increase the range of benefits, since not all fruits have the same vitamins and minerals.
The problem comes when there are fruits that are in season instead of being all year round. That is when several possibilities appear, either we freeze the fruit in its season, we buy in syrup or its juice, dried, we buy frozen fruit or we wait for it to be available again.
Fruit in syrup or in its juice usually has a lot of added sugar, so it is not an option to take daily or several times a week, but rather to have supplies in case one day we want fruit and we do not have it. Dried fruit is not as pleasant as fresh fruit, and waiting sounds like a bad idea sometimes.
It only remains either to freeze the fruit in due course or to buy frozen fruit. Both options have pros and cons, as not all fruits can be frozen and not all fruits are sold frozen.
Can fresh fruit be frozen?
We may once have made natural fruit popsicles, so now we can extrapolate that possibility. Yes, there are fruits that can be frozen, but others that at the moment in which there is a very abrupt change in temperature, spoil, a good example of this is the banana.
There are those who decide to freeze the fruit in season and thaw it little by little. Of course, it does not serve just any fruit and, in addition, we recommend freezing them in individual tupperware or freezer bags and freezing the approximate amount of a serving.
Some types of fruits that we can freeze almost without problems are: apples, peaches, blackberries, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, figs, grapes, plums, raspberries, blueberries, pears, strawberries, kiwis, guavas and mangoes. We can freeze them whole or cut into pieces and if we vacuum pack them, it will be safer and more hygienic.
This is how frozen fruit is thawed and consumed
On numerous occasions we have talked about how negative sudden changes in temperature are. That is why, to defrost the fruit, it is best to transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours and then remove it from there an hour before consuming.
In this process we can, or not, keep the packaging in which the fruit was frozen, be it a special freezer bag or a tupper. Remember that, as it defrosts, it will release water, so whether we keep its original container or not, it will be better to put a new one so as not to find a puddle of water in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter.
Some people defrost fruit in the microwave. It is a very widespread technique, but with which you have to be very careful, since the result can be, running out of fruit to have for dessert or snack.
Once defrosted, we wash it with cold water and serve it . We can use it normally, for yogurts, cakes, to snack, to drink with cream, to cook and make sauces or jams, etc.
We do not recommend thawing and refreezing. After thawing for more than 1 hour, the microorganisms come back to life, so that, when frozen again, the risk of infection is greater, since these microorganisms remain and the food is no longer safe for consumption (human and animal).
The fruit can remain frozen for a maximum of 12 months, it will be from then on when the quality of the fruit begins to drop drastically and when it is defrosted we will notice it.
Benefits of eating frozen fruit
Consuming frozen fruit is exactly the same as consuming it fresh, so its vitamins and minerals are preserved. Not because it is frozen fruit, it already has worse nutritional value or is less safe for the body.
Allows you to eat seasonal fruit all year round
The best thing about freezing fruit or buying frozen fruit is that it allows us to eat seasonal fruit all year round . For example, strawberries, cherries, pineapple, blueberries, etc. They are fruits that we can find frozen in some supermarkets or we can also buy them fresh (when it is their season) in large quantities and wash, peel and chop them, and then freeze them in portions.
It is not necessary to buy them immature, we can buy them at the right time or somewhat ripe and freeze them without problems.
We save money and time
We don’t have to be shopping for fruit every 2 or 3 days, but rather we can make a large purchase and freeze it in individual servings. With this, we save time and money, since, if we choose to buy frozen fruit, it is usually cheaper than fresh fruit . In addition, many times, in the frozen section, we find packages with only one type of fruit or with watts type frozen fruit cockatails.
We improve our diet
By consuming various types of fruits we are increasing our nutritional range, since not all fruits have the same vitamins or minerals. Everyone, children and adults, must eat 5 pieces of fruit a day and that these 5 are different and are distributed throughout the day.
The good thing about fruit is its fiber, and humans need about 7 grams of fiber per day to be able to release toxins, defecate and with those feces, blood sugar and cholesterol levels are also regulated. However, a low fiber diet causes heart problems, diabetes, colon cancer, etc.
Apart from the fact that frozen fruit does not lose its nutrients . Normally a food loses nutrients when it is subjected to heat, such as steam, the iron, the fryer, the oven, etc.
