According to nutritionists, we need a minimum of 17 oz of fruit per day to provide adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals for the body. But people don’t have time every day to go to the fruit store and buy some. Therefore, many people choose to buy a lot of fruits for them to hibernate to save time and still have fruit to eat every day. Which fruit can hibernate that you know? Let’s learn with Long Produce to be able to preserve fruits better!
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1/ Should you hibernate fruit?
Hibernating fruits is not a bad choice. However, you need to know the technique of how to preserve them to retain their freshness and nutrients for a period of time.
However, not all fruits can be frozen, some will lose nutrition and no longer taste good, or even become wilted. When fruit hibernates in the freezer, its structure and shape can change, but if you know how to store it, it can still retain a high nutritional value.
You can store the fruits in a zipper bag or if you want them to be more sanitized, you can keep them in a sealed container. At the right temperature and with the right types of fruit, you can store them for up to a few months. However, for household fridges, you should only store them for a maximum of 10 days. It is possible to freeze both vegetables and fresh foods, however, the temperatures and methods used to do so vary.
Hibernating fruits are both convenient and practical, helping you create a habit of eating fruit regularly.
2/ Which fruit can hibernate?
Not every fruit can hibernate. It is not recommended to hibernate fruits that have a lot of water, such as strawberries, watermelons, etc. because the extra water inside will turn into ice, which will cause them to lose nutrition and spoil immediately after defrosting. Moreover, the fruits have a strong, characteristic aroma, and when frozen, they will also have a different flavor. If you store these types of fruit in the refrigerator, put them in the cooling compartment and keep them for a short time.
Now, let’s see which fruits can hibernate the best with Long Produce!
Avocado
Storing avocados in the freezer is not a bad idea, you can remove the skins and the seeds, then put them in a sealed container or a vacuum bag. By doing this, you can store them for a few months to a year without having much impact on the nutritional content. You can also grind the avocados out before storing them for more convenience.
However, remember to peel the avocados before hibernating them because when the avocados freeze, it will be difficult for you to separate their skins!
Read more: Exploring the Nutritional Contents and Benefits of Tropical Avocado
Banana
Unlike avocados, you can hibernate bananas whether peeled or not. The way of storage is like for avocados, put them in a bag or food container, then close it.
For avocados and bananas, when defrosted, it can be a little pastier. So, it would suit to make smoothies, sauces, or ice creams.
Grape
Grapes are also a good choice for hibernating. Grapes seem to be able to retain their taste and nutrients excellently. What’s more, frozen grapes are very delicious and making smoothies out of grapes is also a great option.
Before freezing the grapes, you need to wash them and let them dry completely to avoid the formation of a layer of ice covering the fruit.
Lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit
Citrus fruits like lemons, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruits can be frozen with their peels left on, sliced, and stored in a sealed container or a zipper bag.
As an alternative, you can pour their juice into an ice cube tray and freeze it. This will be convenient if you want a cup of cool juice immediately.
3/ Fruit freezing tips
Here are some fruit freezing tips for you, save them in your notebook and use them when needed.
- Thoroughly wash the fruits before freezing. Washing the fruits will help you remove dirt and bacteria on the surface of the fruit. If you don’t wash the fruits thoroughly before freezing, bacteria may get into them, causing them to spoil quickly.
- Let the fruits dry: Before you put the fruits in a bag or a container, you should let them dry to prevent the formation of an ice layer that makes them unpleasant to eat and hard to cut.
- Try to get rid of all the air in the bag: it is best for the fruits to be stored in a vacuum bag. However, if you don’t have a vacuum suction device, remove as much air as possible from the fruit package, helping the fruit to last longer by minimizing the bacteria’s habitat.
- Freeze fruits when they are at their ripest is recommended, since they cannot continue to ripen after defrosting.
- Keeping frozen fruits and vegetables at a temperature above minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit will improve their quality.
With these tips, you can preserve fruits for longer, keep them fresher, and retain their nutrients.
4/ What should you note when using hibernated fruit?
The best way to defrost frozen fruits and vegetables is to know how to do it properly, otherwise, they will be spoiled. After defrosting, you need to use them immediately to avoid the fruits being wilted.
As most hibernating fruits will be soft after defrosting, they are best used as sauces, smoothies, ice creams, or cake fillings instead of eating fresh.
After reading this article, did you know which fruits can hibernate? However, it is still best to use fresh fruits or preserve them only for a short time to be able to enjoy their best original taste. Read more about fruits on our website: https://longproduce.com/