Which fruits freeze well?

beingjdc

Hello gang. Day off for me to reward myself for working last weekend. I had Thursday and Friday off too, but never mind as I haven't really had a going-away holiday this year so I have lots of leave.

I'm feeling stodgy. When I cook I tend to make enough for 4 servings and freeze three for work lunches - veggie cottage pie, quorn spag bol, I made 'yasai cha han' in an attempt to recreate the wagamama menu on Saturday and it was ok. But you see the problem.

So apart from trying to work in a few more salads to my work lunches (need to make these as the shop next to work sells them for £5 - if anyone wants to start a business!) involving beetroot, sweetcorn, etc, I thought I'd have more fruit salad.

When I've made this in the bast for dinner parties I've tended to make a mixing bowl full and that's enough for everyone and then my breakfast. What would be great would be if I could freeze portions in freezer bags, then either defrost the night before I want it, or in the microwave.

Does anyone do this? Which fruits should I seek out and which should I avoid? Any other fruit salad tips - I tend to throw in some fruit juice too as well as what comes out of the ones I'm using. I like orange, banana, pear, grape, berries if I can get them at a sensible price, and most others.

I see the Lidl tip and will make the trek to my local one to see if it's worthwhile. There's a little market stall round the corner too, but that's no good unless I'm at home during the day.

There, that was nice and long winded wasn't it!

angie_loves_veg

I haven't done what you are suggesting, but I am positive you can buy frozen fruit salad, so I am sure intheory it should work fine.

I think that the prepared frozen salads include melon, pineapple, apple, grapes. You could use several types of melon for colour.

I have had success freezing berries (black, rasp).

I assume segmented oranges/satsumas and chuncks of banana would work but haven't tried.

hth!

mattogier

Most berries (not straw or goose) freeze well raw - most other fruit will go mushy when you freeze them as as the water in them freezes it expands and breaks the cell walls so you end up with little texture - more of a smoothie!

Stewed fruit freezes well - apples, plums, pears, rhubarb, gooseberries to name a few.

If I were you I'd make up some fruit compotes - orchard fruits abound at the moment - you can add some spices (cinnamon, mixed spice,), dried fruit (chopped apricots, sultanas etc) and the zest & juice of citrus fruits too for interest.

Banana (& carrot) can be baked into a banana (and carrot) loaf - this freezes well (if it lasts) and can be sliced into portions before freezing.

Cheers

Matt