Freezing Fruit... and Other Stuff!

It is still surprisingly cool here in Southern Ontario. The vegetable garden is begrudgingly rooting but certainly no signs of new growth. So, while we will wait a bit longer to enjoy local delights, things seem to be chugging along on schedule for our neighbours to the south. Brought home a flurry of inspiration from the produce mart yesterday, including cherries, asparagus and arugula. 

Good thing I thought to freeze some cherries, because my bowl is already empty. I love freezing fruit (and I absolutely cannot STOP eating frozen bananas)!

Penny-wise tip: With the exception of strawberries (and special occasions), I seldom buy fresh berries. Instead, I stock up when the frozen fruit goes on sale. Most brands have blueberry and raspberry as separate options. Packages are 600 grams (1.3 pounds) and a typical sales price is $4 (though this week I got them for $3!) This is a considerable savings over the fresh ones. I just wish more of the brands were using recyclable packaging... so far I have only found one brand that does - Europe's Best bags are a #7 for recycling. Unfortunately, their products are packaged in China, so they carry a larger footprint. Favourite blend for smoothies is the organic line at Goodness Me (grrr, I can't remember the name) - they have a blend that includes cherries and mangoes or peaches which is spectacular! 

Bananas





I like to wait until the bananas have a really good "freckle" before they go into their frozen slumber. Then peel and slice into desired lengths and freeze. After about 2 hours, they should be frozen solid & can be transferred to Tupperware.

Grapes

Wash, dry well, remove stems and freeze in single layers on trays.