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How Long Can Fruit Be Frozen? [Defrost & Refreeze TIPS]

How Long Can Fruit Be Frozen

I’ve been looking into ways to preserve fruit and I was curious as to how long fruit would last in the freezer.

I looked at the advice from a bunch of sources, all of which who have done it before and here’s the best of what I found.

Overall, fruit can last for around 1 month frozen but can last up to 1 to 2 years in the freezer provided it is sealed air tight.

It’s also advisable to put a small amount of water onto the fruit as this will freeze first and provide a protective layer against freezer burn.

Freezing fruit is a great way to preserve fruit, and has the added bonus of replacing the ice in a smoothie.

So, in this article, I will explain everything there is to know about freezing fruit such as whether you can freeze fruit zest, and whether frozen fruit can be refrozen.

Can You Freeze Fruit Zest?

Can You Freeze Fruit Zest

Fruit zest is one of those foods that isn’t really a fruit, so I was curious if the same rules apply to fruit as they do to fruit zest. Here’s what I found.

Generally, you can freeze fruit zest.

It is best to vacuum seal fruit zest and also apply a thin layer of water to it.

Freezer burn occurs when liquids in the fruit are extracted by the formation of ice.

However, a thin layer of water will freeze first, allowing the liquids to remain in the fruit zest.

Fruit zest has a texture where it won’t be crushed by vacuum sealing.

Other fruit and vegetables such as berries and tomatoes need to be half-frozen first to make them firm.

If you attempt to vacuum seal fresh berries and other soft fruit the fruit can be crushed and a lot of the juices will come out of the fruit.

Fruit that is used for smoothies is generally fine to be crushed.

However, the most delicious juice is fresh juice. And as the juice gets older it loses its taste.

When you freeze fruit though with the juice partially squeezed out it will tend to retain its flavor for about a month.

After that time, you can experience some flavor loss.

Therefore, if you’re planning on keeping your fruit in the freezer for longer then it’s best to flash freeze soft fruit first.

That way all of the juices will be retained in the fruit.

Can I Freeze Fresh Fruit?

Can I Freeze Fresh Fruit

Overripe bananas that are starting to turn mushy can be easily frozen and reused for baking.

But, how about fresh fruit? Can you freeze freshly picked fruit or fruit straight from the grocery store?

It’s perfectly fine to freeze fresh fruit.

The main thing to watch out for is freezer burn.

Freezer burn occurs where the liquids on the surface of the fruit are sucked out as ice crystals form on the surface.

So, it’s best to vacuum seal them, as well as, wet them down a bit.

Frozen fruits will also typically turn mushy when thawed out.

Therefore, it’s best to reserve them to be used in baking, or as a sweet sauce in a range of dishes.

As well as, in smoothies.

The layer of water protects the fruit from freezer burn. Soft fruit such as:

  • Berries
  • Pears
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines
  • Grapes
  • Oranges

Will lose their shape when they are vacuum-sealed.

As the vacuum suction creates a lot of pressure.

Grapes for example can be squashed and the juices leak out.

And you might find a perfectly round orange is now a bit pressed down.

To avoid that from happening, freeze them halfway through by putting them into the freezer and monitoring how firm they feel.

It’s a good idea to check them periodically until they firm up a bit.

But, take them out before they completely freeze.

Then vacuum seal them as normal.

Before vacuum sealing them wet your fingers and apply some water onto the entire outside of the fruit.

This layer will freeze before the surface of the fruit and greatly reduce the risk of freezer burn.

Freezer burn essentially sucks out all of the flavors from the outside of the fruit.

Can Frozen Fruit Be Refrozen?

Can Frozen Fruit Be Refrozen

Fruit can sometimes get left out by mistake or might thaw out completely if you left it in your car too long on a hot day.

But, is it ok to freeze frozen fruit that has thawed out.

Refreezing thawed frozen fruit is perfectly fine, but make sure to do a visual and smell inspection. If they don’t look rotten and don’t smell off then you should be fine.

The fruit will naturally clump together during freezing and be more difficult to use next time, so just be mindful of that.

The reason is that when it’s initially frozen, the fruits and in particular berries, are laid out separately.

I prepared in ahead though and usually freeze individually, in separate freezer bags.

But, when they thaw out they will all be touching each other and therefore freeze together in one piece.

So, if you want to use some berries in a smoothie or some ice cream then you need to break a piece off which can be very difficult.

Therefore, it’s best to separate out thawed frozen fruit into individually wrapping so that it’s ready to go.

Therefore small sandwich bags, and some of them have zip lock or push lock seals.

Or you can simply wrap them in plastic film. For long-term storage, it’s best to vacuum seal them.

But, you’ll need to get a vacuum sealer.

They run anywhere from $40 to $50.

And definitely worth the investment. Especially if you’re looking to store other food long-term.

For example, for disaster preparedness it’s generally recommended to seal your food to preserve its freshness.

And it can typically last for 25 years. Common foods are rice, oats, and spices.

Can Fruit Puree Be Frozen?

Can Fruit Puree Be Frozen

Fruit puree is a good way to preserve fruit when it’s in season.

But, is freezing a good idea, or is there a better option?

As a general rule, fruit puree can be frozen.

Freezing fruit puree can extend its life dramatically.

Typically, fruit puree will last for 7 to 14 days at room temperature. And will stay fresh for 30 days in the fridge.

However, in the freezer, it can last up to a year or more.

As far as the freshest and best tasting fresh fruit is the best, and after that would be fresh fruit that has been refrigerated or frozen.

Next would be fruit puree. And after that ranked lowest for flavor is store-bought.

Typically, most store-bought fruit is picked before it is ripe to maximize how long it can be stored in transit.

Therefore, it lacks certain sugars that only develop when the fruit ripens all the way on the tree.

But, certain sources like farmers’ markets can have tree/vine-ripened fruits.

Or, the best time to plant a fruit tree was 5 years ago.

And the next best time is now.

Can Nutribullet Blend Frozen Fruit?

Can Nutribullet Blend Frozen Fruit

Apart from ‘growing’ on, I mean going on about fruit trees, I was curious about making smoothies from frozen fruit using a Nutribullet.

Is a Nutribullet strong enough to handle it?

As a whole, a Nutribullet can easily blend frozen fruit.

People who have used the Nutribullet have reported that they have blended frozen fruit into smoothies for 4 to 5 days out of the week for 2 years straight and the Nutribullet is still working.

Therefore, the Nutribullet can more than handle frozen fruit.

Some favorite ways to use frozen fruit are frozen bananas, frozen berries, and frozen grapes.

But, the sky’s the limit.

Can you eat frozen fruit without defrosting?

Can you eat frozen fruit without defrosting

Frozen fruit is very hard, and makes your mouth cold.

And is similar to keeping an ice cube in your mouth. But, can you eat frozen fruit without defrosting?

It’s perfectly fine to eat frozen fruit without defrosting. In certain cases it can be preferred.

Certain people prefer the taste and texture of frozen fruit such as berries, peaches, and mangoes.

That can be like eating sorbet.

Frozen fruit can also be blended into a smoothie without being thawed.

But, to eat it like you would a normal fresh piece of fruit it’s necessary to allow the fruit to thaw out.

Some fruit will respond negatively to being thawed out and turn into mush.

Therefore, it’s typically better to use it in a smoothie, eat it frozen, or use it as an ingredient in a baking recipe rather than thawing it out.

However, it can be used similar to a fruit puree especially with fruit such as strawberries and passionfruit.

They can be used on ice cream, or in a banana split.

Can you eat frozen berries straight from the freezer?

Can you eat frozen berries straight from the freezer

Freezing berries is a great way to preserve their freshness.

And they are the perfect size to just pop into your mouth. But, can you eat frozen berries straight from the freezer?

Generally, you can eat frozen berries straight from the freezer.

They are generally very delicious and the coolness of the fruit is very refreshing.

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries all freeze very well, however, it’s best not to clump them up when freezing.

If you’ve ever tried to break apart frozen peas you’ll know why.

When the berries are packed close together they can stick to each other and be difficult to separate.

Therefore, it’s best to leave as much space in between individual berries as possible until they are frozen all the way through.