Freezing can be a great way to keep fruits and vegetables throughout the year!

Freezing Fruit
Some fruits that will freeze well are peaches, cherries, berries, apples, grapes, pears, apricots, cantaloupe, strawberries, and oranges.

Tips:

• Peel apples, apricots, peaches and pears before you freeze them.
• Toss pears and apples with lemon juice to keep them from getting brown.
• Toss apricots with honey to keep them from browning, and toss peaches with a little bit of honey and lemon juice.
• Frozen fruit will taste great in cakes, muffins, pancakes, and breads.

Freezing Vegetables
Some vegetables that freeze well are broccoli, cauliflower, beans, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, okra, and pumpkin.

Tips:

• Blanch vegetables before freezing. "Blanching" means putting the vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes. Blanching will keep them from spoiling while they are in the freezer. After you blanch the vegetables, put them into ice water right away. This will stop them from cooking.
• Use containers that are made for freezing. Good choices are freezer bags (the self-lock ones work best), freezer-quality plastic containers, or can-or-freeze glass jars. This will help stop freezer burn and keep the food fresher for longer.

When you take fruits and vegetables from the freezer, thaw them in the refrigerator. Use them quickly to keep them from spoiling.