Frozen Fruit

If a fruit is to be frozen, it must have either a dry sugar pack or be frozen in a sugar syrup to retain its fresh flavor and color. With a dry sugar pack, the fruit is carefully mixed with a designated amount of sugar to evenly coat each piece. The choice of either method is dependent on the eventual use of the frozen fruit.

Although some items, such as blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and rhubarb, may be dry-packed without sugar, they will benefit from either a dry or syrup sugar pack. When frozen fruit comes into contact with the air, enzymatic browning (discoloration due to oxidation) results, and sugar greatly lessens the chance of this. In some instances, particularly when freezing nectarines, peaches, and apricots, ascorbic acid is added to a syrup pack to further prevent discoloration. By retarding fermentation, the presence of sugar will also lessen flavor changes. When frozen fruit is thawed, the sugar content helps retain the natural texture, fresh-fruit aroma and flavor, and the normal size of the fruit.