Freezing Fruits And Quality Of

Frozen Fruits


Presented by: Bikramjit Nandi
Regn no : PGFET/116208




Presented to : Dr. H.K Sharma

Before preserving any food,
we should consider the
types of foods our family
enjoys
and the usefulness of the
preserved
product in our lifestyle.
Basics for Handling Food Safely
Prevent bacteria from spreading through your
kitchen
Wash hands:
Warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after
handling food
Sanitize: Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops
Use a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid
chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water


Freezing Overview
Easy, convenient and the least time-
consuming
Slows growth of microorganisms and chemical
changes
Preserves the greatest quantity of nutrients

Selection
Fruit:
Fully ripe, but firm
Under ripe may be bitter
Freeze soft, very ripe fruits as pures

Preparing Food for Freezing
All fruits should be thoroughly washed in cold
water- DO NOT SOAK!
Enzymes:
Fruits:
Enzymatic browning
Controlled by ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or other
additives
Usually not blanched


Selecting Freezer Containers
The selection of containers depends on the
fruit being frozen, personal preference and
the types that are readily available.

Containers should be
moisture-vapor resistant
Durable
easy to seal
should not become brittle at low temperatures


What is the Freezing Effect?
Textural Changes:
Water freezes and expands foods
Ice crystals cause the cell walls of fruits to rupture,
making them softer when thawed
Fruits with very high water content do not freeze
well
Ex. tomatoes
Fruits with lower water content become more
compact




Freezing Pointers
Check freezer temperature
0
o
F for best quality
Freeze foods quickly
Dont stack food packages until they are
solidly frozen

Fruit: Freezing Overview
Frozen in many forms
Whole, sliced, crushed, juiced etc.
Best quality- choose fully ripe, but firm, fruit
Immature or overripe produce lower quality when
frozen


Fruit: Preventing Darkening and
Discoloration
Best for peaches, apples, pears and apricots
Treat washed and sorted fruit with ascorbic
acid (Vitamin C)
1 tsp of ascorbic acid to one gallon of cool water
Use commercial ascorbic acid mixtures
i.e. Fruit Fresh (we have to follow manufacturers
directions)
Lemon juice or citric acid solutions




Fruit: Types of Packs
Syrup pack
Sugar pack
Best for slices of soft fruits like strawberries and
peaches
Dry (Tray) pack
Good for small whole fruits such as berries
Unsweetened and water packs
Artificial sweeteners


Fruit: Dry Tray Pack
Fruit pieces may be frozen individually, in single layer,
on a tray
Freeze until firm, then package in rigid container or
bag



Will pour out of container easily when frozen
Fruit pieces do not clump as when packed directly
into containers or with sugar syrup




Fruit: Thawing for Serving
Timing:
Dry sugar packs thaw faster than syrup packs
Unsweetened packs thaw the slowest
Pointers:
When used in recipes, allow for added sugar and
more juice
Not all fruits need to be thawed before using

Recommended Storage Times
Most frozen fruits maintain high quality for 8 to 12
months
Unsweetened fruits lose quality faster than fruits
packed in sugar or sugar syrups
What to do if the
freezer stops working:
Keep the freezer closed
If the freezer will be stopped for more than 24
hours use dry ice (if obtainable) or move the
food to another freezer
Thawed fruits that still have ice crystals can be
refrozen or used in cooking, baking and
making jams and jellies

Nutritional quality of frozen food
products:









Table 1: USDA nutrient data for ascorbic acid (g Kg
-1
wet weight) in
selected fruits and vegetables









Table 2: USDA data for B vitamins (g Kg
-1
wet weight) in selected fruits
and vegetables









Table 3: Total phenolics (g gallic acid equivalents Kg
-1
wet weight) in
fresh, frozen and canned fruits after storage
Summary
Freezing fruits is a safe, easy way to preserve
them.
Wash all fruits thoroughly
Use proper procedures and equipment,
including freezer-safe materials
Use the freezing process that works best for
your family meal needs
References:
Angell, D., & Shertzer, J.(2009) Freezing Fruits. Cooperative Extension, The Ohio State
University.

Angell, D., & Shertzer.J.(2009) Freezing Basics. Cooperative Extension, The Ohio State
University.

Angell, D., & Shertzer, J. (2009) Freezing Vegetables. Cooperative Extension, The Ohio
State University.

Andress, E., & Harrison, J. (2006) So Easy to Preserve (5
th
ed.). Cooperative Extension,
The University of Georgia.

THANK YOU