How long can you store fruit and vegetables in the freezer?

Fresh fruit and vegetables are tasty, refreshing, and essential in keeping healthy. The famous ‘five a day’ stay has never been more relevant, with a strong immune system being an important aspect of beating coronavirus. Fruit and veg expire quickly but can be frozen to extend fridge shelf-life. How long can you store fruit and vegetables in the freezer? Express.co.uk has the answer.

How long can you store fruit in the freezer?

How long frozen fruit lasts for depends on its best by date, how it was prepared, and how it is stored.

Fruit that is flash-frozen can last all year long.

If the packaging is opened, it will only last for about six to eight months.

If the packaging is unopened, it will last from eight to 10 months approximately.

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How long can you store fruit in the freezer?

How long frozen fruit lasts for depends on its best by date, how it was prepared, and how it is stored.

Fruit that is flash-frozen can last all year long.

If the packaging is opened, it will only last for about six to eight months.

If the packaging is unopened, it will last from eight to 10 months approximately.

How should you store fruit in the freezer?

Frozen fruit should be stored in a freezer-safe container, like a zip lock bag or plastic freezer bag.

Make sure you squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag before you place it in the freezer every time.

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Which raw fruits can be frozen?

If you haven’t purchased frozen fruit and would like to freeze raw fruit, this is doable.

All fruit can be frozen, just make sure that it is ripe and unbruised.

Some fruits do best with sugar or sugar-syrup preparation, but others – such as blueberries and cranberries – are fine on their own.

Fruits that go brown, like apples, bananas, or peaches, should be treated with powdered Vitamin C.

Pop delicate fruit, like strawberries and raspberries, straight onto a baking sheet and freeze them.

Once they have frozen, you can transfer them into a freezer-proof container.

How long can you freeze vegetables in the freezer?

Read about which vegetables freeze best here.

You can freeze almost every vegetable out there, except celery, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, watercress, and radishes.

Most vegetables can be frozen for about a year and a half.

How do you freeze vegetables?

Before freezing any raw vegetables, you need to blanch and shock them.

This means boiling them briefly, draining them, and then dropping them into ice water.

Blanching prevents enzymes from damaging colour, flavour and nutrients while destroying bad microorganisms.

The ice water prevents the veggies from cooking.

After this, dry them, and then store in air-tight freezer-proof containers or bags- dating each bundle as you go.

Onions and peppers can be frozen raw.

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