Some fruits you would never think to freeze, like bananas. But bananas can be frozen and so can quite a few other fruits.
Peeled bananas can be frozen and used in recipes, like banana bread. Bananas can also be frozen unpeeled and cut up. Frozen bananas are great for blending with vanilla yogurt and fruit for a frozen dessert. Frozen Bananas Remove the bananas from their skin, and put whatever the recipe calls for in a freezer bag. Then when you're ready to make the recipe just pull out a bag of bananas and let them thaw. Don't worry about it being mushy it won't change the recipe in any way. You can also peel and mash the bananas before freezing. Or, freeze bananas in slices or chunks. Sprinkle the slices with lemon juice spread them out on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, put them in a bag and returned to the freezer. Frozen Strawberries Wash and dry your strawberries, and carefully remove the hull. Slice if desired and spread on a baking sheet to freeze. After freezing, place in a freezer bag and return them to the freezer. Not only are these berries a great healthy treat for your family and friends, but they are so pretty! Strawberry Freezer Jam The summer before last, we made small batches of strawberry freezer jam because we had so many strawberries from our garden. Frozen Blueberries, Raspberries or Blackberries Gently wash and allow them to dry. Spread on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for a few hours until the berries are firm. Then remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a freezer bag and return to the freezer. This will keep the berries from sticking together while freezing. To use your frozen berries, thaw them for about 10 minutes, and then use them in smoothies or add to any recipe that calls for frozen berries. You can also use them in your favorite muffins, quick breads, and other baked goods. Frozen Peaches, Plums, Apricots and Nectarines These fruits are best frozen without the pit. After washing and drying, cut the fruit in half and remove the pit. Apricots and plums are good frozen halved. Peaches and nectarines can be good frozen halved or can be sliced. 1.Place fruit on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. 2. Place frozen fruit in a bag or container and store in freezer. 3. To use: Place frozen fruit in a small bowl and microwave until thawed. Frozen Apples and Pears Keep your kitchen slice-of-life fresh and crisp by keeping it clean and simple. To keep your countertops, cutting boards, dishes and other utensils clean and free of food particles, use this easy tip: Wash them in warm, soapy water, then rinse well and air dry. For additional help getting your kitchen back in shape fast, check out "The Clutter-Free Kitchen. Tip 1: Over ripe fruit can be pureed and frozen in small amounts to be later used as dessert toppings or added to sauces and glazes. Tip 2: Freezing fruit chunks or slices is a great way to use up overripe or slightly damaged fruit that would otherwise be wasted. Use them in your smoothies, or serve them as an easy dessert when you have guests.
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Yes fresh fruits and vegetables are more nutritious for you that the frozen and canned type. Well I guess that would be correct if you counted the instance you picked them. But I researched this question that I get very often. And I have found that the foods you find in the produce section most times have had a long journey to get to where you see them.
Yes, they have been freshly picked but then they are packed into crates, where they spend many days or weeks getting to you from the farm or the orchard. Now I ask you, do they stay fresh? Well, of course not, I have found during this transit or storage many natural enzymes are lost in your, so called, fresh fruits or fresh vegetables. Thus, I now know they lose valuable nutrients. Not a good thing. Let us discuss the frozen and canned fruit portion of this article. What would preserve much of your vitamins and mineral content in your fruits and vegetables? Well, I believe that, by contrast, when your fresh picked produce are put in a quick freeze, most of your expected vitamins and mineral content are still in tact. Take for instance frozen beans; well did you know that frozen beans retain twice as much vitamin C as the fresh beans that you and I purchase to the super market? Now get this, contrary to common belief, I can now tell you with certainty that canning does not hurt fruit or frozen vegetables, to any degree, when you think about the amounts of nutrients. When you can something, you are simply locking in vitamins, minerals and phyto-chemicals and that’s a great thing. The food still looks amazing, tastes amazing and can last up to 25 years in many cases. That’s amazing! Now while processing certain canned foods with heat may reduce some levels of vitamins, in certain canned foods, such as spinach and pumpkin you might find vitamin A levels to be higher than with the fresh versions. Bread (Contains Vitamin C and Calcium) Bread is a great addition to your stockpile, but you should store whole wheat or whole grain bread as opposed to white bread. I will give you that as far as taste goes you will never mistake frozen fruits for fresh ones. But the technology in freezing foods has greatly closed the gap relative to tastes, too. I actually prefer using the frozen version of foods while cooking. I defy you to tell the difference. Once again, Fresh foods are not better for your health than the frozen and canned variety. Eat well to be healthy. I read. I learn. I write. I report. Why don't we talk? I can help you get healthy by showing you how to shop and what is good for you. I have learned the hard way (through trial and error) what works (and what doesn't work) when it comes to selling on Amazon. But I've also spent a lot of time researching and reading about other people's successes and failures. And I think I have a pretty good idea of what works (and what doesn't work) when it comes to making money on https://www.sinofrozenfoods.com/ I think we all know that fresher foods are way better for our bodies than canned, frozen, or highly-processed foods. Likewise, it may be better to eat your foods raw and to keep your easily rotting foods wrapped and in the freezer when it needs to be. Did you know that if you make a sandwich with mayo on it and let it sit for days without eating it, bacteria will build-up at a very fast rate making it super harmful to put into your body? These kinds of things are good to know because when it comes to your health, you should consciously think about what you are putting into your body on a daily basis. Take old cheese for example. Even if you don't see mold, if it's old enough and you consume it, it could cause some lasting heath affects that are not pretty.
So why are fresher foods always better? Well for one, if you get a fresh fruit compared to frozen fruits they not only look relatively unchanged, but all their valuable nutrients are still intact, including fibers, which most people are lacking. Additionally, canned foods are known for being higher in salts, sugars, and additives. Think about it. Does it really make sense to eat something that could have been processed a full year before it got to your fridge? This simply cannot be nutritious for anyone. A lot of people have trouble understanding that the food they purchase at the grocery store has already been processed before they purchase it. Even fresh produce has to be handled properly by the time it gets to your dinner table. This is why there are so many food allergies today. Although there are many claims out there about why fresh food is good food, there are also several counter claims that state that frozen or canned produce can still be more nutritious. When you think about shipping, fresh fruits and vegetables are generally transported over long distances and stored on shelves until someone buys them. This time lapse can definitely cause a loss in nutritional value. Canned or frozen veggies on the other hand are usually packaged right after harvesting, when nutrition levels are at their highest. According to the FDA, canned food has relatively the same nutritional value as fresh foods. They also said that storing meets and poultries in the freezer does little to change a food's merit. Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutritionist who works with the Mayo Clinic, said canned food is an excellent source of many nutrients. He also said that, in some cases, canned food can be healthier than fresh food because it hasn't been sitting around for several days. For some people, the fact that fruits are frozen or vegetables come from just behind a wood patio set grown on a southern garden, doesn't matter. The taste value is often the same and the nutritional levels are almost identical according to the FDA. But in all reality, fresher foods are always better for your health. Cooking can create fatty greases, preservatives can cause an increase in sugars, and highly-processed foods can cause uncomfortable health conditions such as diabetes. Use your best judgment when it comes to food; just remember that fresh food is always good food. A large factor in whether or not my clients and readers are able to stay on task in getting in better shape, deals specifically with having the time to keep up with eating better.
If you think about it, society is constantly pushing back against you wanting to eat better foods. The least nutritious food choices among the whole are the ones which are more prevalent, faster, and often less expensive. If you add in our hurried lives, this makes the goal of fitness more difficult. Faster is always going to be an imperative in our modern existence. Eating right is often slower in shopping and preparation time invested than what you put in eating poorly with fast food. The obvious first step is one I have advocated to clients in person and in my writings: when you make something healthy, make enough for later on. However, the problem is you might get sick of what you made and want a totally new meal. We're only human right? Also, eating really healthy can be really pricey. The debate rages on with that one. You have some people who eat healthy regularly claim it is cheaper. This has not been my experience. I also believe the lower cost of more processed and less healthy foods is a big draw. So let's see if we can get the benefits of lower price and good health in an unlikely area: the frozen food aisle. 1. Dial yourself up the frozen fruit and vegetables without worry. To me they taste just as good. I'll venture you probably haven't tried them and might have it in your head they taste lousy. Try them and then decide. You have variety, good taste, good health, value, and no more worry about them spoiling. I like to throw carrots or broccoli in the steamer for 20 to 25 minutes for a yummy and healthy side dish. 2. Have some premium high-end ice cream on hand. You want the ones with the least ingredients. I am talking about sugar, real cream, and natural flavors. Here is a primer on healthy ice creams, but remember it's ice cream. It is always going to be in the 20% rather than the 80% of allowed foods. My rule is buy quality and this means fewer ingredients. You aren't going to through a carton in a week anyways. It's a treat so treat yourself well. 3. You can load up on the steaks. Fresh frozen t-bones, new york strips, and sirloins are now common in your frozen food section. They are tasty and easy to prepare. The ones I buy you simply bake them for about 15 or 20 minutes. The key here is savings. You can get 6 or 8 strips for $10 to $15. You can make 3 or 4 good meals for two people out of that. Good luck beating that in the fresh meats aisle. Also don't forget to check the internet. Cheryl Boswell is a writer and researcher on home fitness and health products. You can save time and money by getting FREE in depth news, features, and reviews on home exercise equipment, workout programs, health, and nutrition, including discounts and best prices at her blog. Check out a recent article here: Cheryl and her associates have been writing extensively on the "Three Desired Body Outcomes" and particular suggestions for people to reach the one they want. So check it out! April showers bring May flowers - which means more fruits and veggies! Between Earth Day, Garden Week, Zucchini Bread Day, Mushroom Day, and Garlic Day, April was jam packed with opportunities to make the most out of your produce and your health. And now that it's May, we can enjoy this season's abundant fruits and veggies. I have compiled below a list of your very own "Fruit and Veggies Do's and Don'ts."
Do's: · Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables from the colors of the rainbow. Every color represents different vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health-so eat up! · Try to include dark, rich yellow, red, and orange colored fruits and vegetables to your daily meal plans. These are rich in antioxidants like carotenoids which are great for your eye health. · Aim for at least 5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day · Keep fruits and vegetables out in the open where you can see them. Cut up fruits and veggies and place in containers at eye level in your fridge. That way, colorful produce is the first thing you see when you reach for a snack and will gear you towards making healthier choices. · If you can't seem to get your daily 5 cups in, buy pre-cut or frozen fruits and veggies. Pre- cut vegetables may cost more, but frozen produce actually cost less. Frozen produce can also contain more nutrients because they're picked and flash frozen at peak ripeness! · Add fruits and vegetables to anything you can! Stuff them into your sandwiches and add them to your main dish, either steamed or raw! · Use fruits and vegetables as ingredients. Try unsweetened applesauce as a fat-free replacement for oil in baking recipes. Add pureed cooked vegetables to thicken soups or stews. Don'ts: · Fruit juices are not exactly the best way to quench your thirst. Juices are often loaded with sugars and artificial preservatives that don't give your body the boost it needs. Not to mention, juices are stripped of all the fruit fiber which is an important part of your health! It is better to eat the fruit itself and have some ice cold water to keep you hydrated. · Potato chips and French fries are not the best way to eat your potatoes. Chips and fries may have been made from potatoes but they are really just heavily processed, empty calories. They have been stripped of all their nutrients and prepared with high amounts of fat and salt. In recent years, many studies have been published that show the dangerous side effects that come from deep frying potatoes. Potatoes that have been deep fried at extreme temperatures generate the production of a carcinogen called acrylamide which has been proven to cause cancer. · Lastly, fruit bars aren't the way to go either. Even though fruit bars usually contain some fruit, they are low in fiber and contain high amounts of sugar and calories. They can even stick to your teeth and may cause dental caries as well. frozen fruits and frozen vegetables provide vitamins and minerals that are essential to health and fresh produce provide the most nutritional value. Incorporating fruits and vegetables into meals is an obstacle for many. Make small changes over time and see what tips and tricks work for your lifestyle. Bonnie R. Giller is the Founder of www.sinofrozenfoods.com. She helps chronic dieters break free from the pain of dieting and get the healthy body they love by giving them the 3 things they really need to succeed - a healthy mindset, caring support and nutrition education. ![]() Today you cannot go without hearing about how superb fresh food is, people telling you to go to your local open air market and buying locally. This is all well and good but what about those who do not have access to open air markets, or do not live near a body of water to get fresh fish? I am not denying that fresh food is good for us, but there are a few options when it comes to buying fresh or frozen foods. If you can and have the budget; by all means by fresh. If you have a garden that is even better as fresh picked fruit and vegetables can not be beat. If not, try to buy as much fresh produce as you can afford. But make sure you do not cut corners too much. Frozen or canned foods may have a great value but they are nowhere near as healthy as fresh. Buying canned foods such as fruits, vegetables and fish, to me is not a good idea. As the food is processed it loses its nutrient value immediately because of the canning process. Besides that it does not have much flavor and can ruin a good dish you have prepared. If you just cannot buy fresh then by all means buy frozen. The processing of the foods does not lose any flavor or nutrients and is a great way to prepare good healthy meals. Many believe that buying frozen foods are just as bad and canned but no that is not so. Fresh food needs to be eaten right away as with frozen foods you can pop them in the freezer for another day. Especially if there are just you and your spouse, it is economical as well. I'm a big fan of freezing fresh herbs. I find my herbs go bad really quickly so I buy them in bulk and freeze them. I can then use them all winter long without worrying. Personally I buy frozen vegetables and fruit because it is just my husband and I. I do not feel the need to buy fresh all the time and some will tell you frozen can be better than fresh. Take corn for instance, buying corn on the cob is good for grilling, but the minute it is picked it starts to turn to sugar, when freezing corn, they stop that process quicker than fresh. Buying fresh fish can be tricky, one that knows what to look for can tell if the 'fresh' has been frozen previously and the store is selling it as fresh. I would suggest investing in a freezer as it will help when buying frozen foods on sale and they come on sale quite often. Stock up on frozen fruit, although many fruits do not freeze well or taste kind of funky, those should be bought fresh such as apples, bananas, etc. Fruit is expensive, so when they are on sale, stock up. If you have a garden, buy from it. To save money, buy herbs from the grocery store and plant them in your garden to grow your own herbs. Summer time brings fresh ripe fruit at cheap seasonal prices. For the best quality frozen snacks, pick some of your favorites and freeze them with your vacuum food sealer for cool treats on those hot summer days. Some favorites are grapes, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, peaches and melons. Watermelon doesn't fair so good in the freezer but cantaloupe and honey dew melons work great. If you have ever bought the frozen bagged fruit from the store you know that their fruit was not picked and packaged at the peak of its ripeness. You will enjoy full flavor from the quality fruit you pick and freeze.
As an added bonus the frozen fruit make great garnishes or ice cubes for cool tropical summer drinks. For example, frozen grapes work great for keeping wine cool without diluting the drink. Find your favorite fruit from the store or stock up on whatever is on sale and tasty ripe each week. Wash the fruit and peel if necessary. Cut into bite size chunks or desired garnish shapes. Cookie cutters help to make some interesting theme shapes. As an example, melon can be cut into garnishes that look like flowers for floating in a punch bowl. Melon ball scoops work great for making the right bite size shapes also. Fruit that is ripe and firm are the best for food sealing whole for snacks or garnishes. If you find you have fruit that is mushy ripe or you have a lot of left over juices, don't be concerned. These can be blended and frozen in ice cube trays for either drink ice cubes or popsicles. If making popsicles cover the ice cube tray, after filling, tightly with plastic wrap and insert a toothpick into each cube section. The plastic wrap will keep the toothpicks upright for freezing. The ice cubes can then be removed from the trays after frozen and sealed in food sealer bags to keep fresh until you wish to enjoy. When freezing the fruit, you can either package each fruit separately or mix the fruit on a bag by bag basis. It is best to minimize any juice getting in the bags as this will cause the fruit to stick together and cause problems when sealing the bag. It is possible to put the fruit into regular plastic bags first and then put those plastic bags into one larger vacuum food sealer bag. However care must be taken to remove all air from the regular plastic bags or you could get freezer burn. Fill the food sealer bags to the desired quantity and seal. Note: it is best to try to vacuum seal the fruit in flat layers in the bag to better allow you to remove the desired quantity from the bag and reseal to put any remaining fruit back in the freezer if not using the entire bag at one time. These quality frozen fruit treats are perfect for kids and adults alike. You'll find that they're a fun addition to any party or gathering, and you can use them in different ways such as topping desserts or serving as an accompaniment to tea or coffee. This morning I was talking to a client about getting more fruit and vegetables into their diet. We agreed that one problem is that fresh food goes off so quickly. Even when you buy plenty of fresh produce all your good intentions can be wasted if it's all gone off by the time to get round to eating it.
I then came home from the session and started making my breakfast. I went to the freezer and got out the blueberries and the raspberries, defrosted them in the microwave and mixed them with my yoghurt and muesli.... perfect! At least one of my five a day eaten with breakfast with no worries of gone off fruit. Frozen fruit and vegetables offer us an incredible opportunity to get a good range of fruit and vegetables into our diets. Frozen fruit and vegetables are picked and frozen at their peak quality meaning many of the minerals and nutrients are preserved better than when they come from the supermarket shelf. We can also get an amazing variety of frozen products. Fruits as diverse as blackberries, raspberries, apples, blueberries, mango and mixed summer fruits. Vegetables ranging from peas, beans, spinach, carrots, peppers as well as stir fry and casserole mixes. You can even find herbs and spices down the freezer isle. We can eat fruit and vegetables that aren't currently in season without worrying how many air-miles they have travelled from the field to our plate. This also means that we can get a great range of colours onto our plates - which means a great range of vitamins and minerals. Did you know that 20,000 kg of peas can be frozen in just one hour? Meaning that farms can work round the clock through the 6-8 weeks of the pea harvest with very little waste. It can take up to 14 days for fresh fruit and vegetables to reach the shop floor once they have been harvested, transported, sorted and transported again to their point of sale. All this means that valuable minerals and nutrients are lost. Another benefit for the busy cook is that frozen fruit and vegetables require little or no preparation. You can also use as much or as little as you want, putting the bag back in the freezer for next time, which means very little is wasted. I wouldn't advocate a diet based solely around frozen produce - I am a big fan of eating fresh food that is in season - but at the same time don't forget the freezer in your efforts to consume your "five a day". Frozen can sometimes actually be fresher than fresh! You should make good use of your food waste. It's so easy to be wasteful in the kitchen, but rather than throwing away worthless food items, see if you can use them to make your cooking more interesting. Maggie Ayre is a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Adviser for Teenage Girls. Her goal is to get every teen girl active. Not only does fitness and good nutrition lead to a healthy body it also has been proven to increase self-confidence, self-esteem and even lead to better exam results! It is that time of year! Melons are in abundance and more importantly... cheap! Your first inclination is to buy the max amount the sale allows. After all, food is not getting cheaper in today's economy. But there is a problem. Your family won't eat all those frozen melons before they go bad. Plus, you want to have these melons available in the future. Not to worry! If you have freezer space, I have a solution for you: freezing.
Before you start freezing, make sure you know how to purchase good melons. Cantaloupe - webbing should be course and look "three-dimensional", the background should be yellow not green, the melon should not slosh if you gently shake it, strive to get an oval melon not a round one, avoid bruises and discoloration Honeydew - velvet texture not slick, ivory or pale yellow color, avoid white or green melons, the melon should not slosh if you gently shake it, 6" in diameter Watermelon - smooth, not shiny, fully round (no flat ends), light green with dark green veins (These are not guarantees that the watermelon is good, but they help your chances. The only way to be definite is to buy cut watermelon.) Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon Good for up to one year, 8 months, 8 months Knife or Melon Baller Ziploc Bags or Air Tight Container Ice Cube Trays (if using Ziploc Bags) Orange or Pineapple Juice Air Tight Container
Ziploc Bags
Fruit that is frozen is usually available in grocery stores. You can also freeze fruit yourself if you want to have a supply ready to use when you need it. When you freeze fruit, you must use it before it is too old. Laura is an author, writer, consultant, photographer, homeschool mom, Mary Kay consultant and Army wife. Her passions in writing are in food/health, Christian persecution and children's curriculum. Laura loves to travel, volunteer, photograph, cook, and learn as much as she can about everything! ![]() Most of us crave ice cream in hot, steamy weather. Ice cream feels good on the tongue, cools you off, and comes in many flavors. The same could be said of granita, a frozen dessert from Italy. Granita has fewer calories than ice cream and the flavor variations are almost endless. Even better, you do not need an ice cream machine to make this dessert. A shallow pan, whisk or fork will do. Some recipes require a food processor. Kevin Weeks, a personal chef, describes his love of granita in a National Public Radio website article, "Granita by Any Name Would Taste as Sweet." He says granita is similar to sorbet, though sorbet always contains dairy products and granita does not. "Granitas can be made from any liquid and require careful but sporadic attention while freezing," he notes. Though granitas are simple, they can be gussied up with sweetened whipped cream, fresh fruit, mint, and sauce. Weeks likes to serve granita in a glass dish that shows the color and texture of the ice crystals. The Homemade Ice Cream Desserts website cites the advantages of granita and says its icy texture is "quite distinctive in the mouth." Since it is a homemade dessert, you may adjust the recipe to meet your needs. You may use half sugar and half sugar substitute, for example, or add pureed fruit and zest. Coffee is one of the most popular flavors, so popular in Italy that is is often served for breakfast. According to "The Healthy Cook" cookbook, this classic dessert resembles a snow cone more than tranditional ice cream. Soft fruit like strawberries and raspberries need little prep work. Heavier fruits -- menon, papaya, peaches, pears, etc. -- need more prep work and must be pureed before adding to the basic mixture. After the fruit has been prepared you add it to sugar syrup and another liquid: water, wine, liqueur, buttermilk, skim or condensed milk. Do not cover the granita while it is freezing. I think your family will enjoy this recipe for Frozen Honeydew Melon Granita with Lime. Most granita recipes ask you to stir the mixture with a whisk or fork as it freezes. But some ask you to freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, put frozen cubes in a processor, and pulse until they are slugh. You may do either one. This refrshing dessert tastes good and looks good. Ingredients 4 cups chopped honeydew melon 1 1/3 cups water 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest Puree melon in food processor. Turn into a large bowl. Add water, sugar, lime juice and zest. Pour into a 9-inch square metal pan and place in freezer. Every two hours stir the mixture with a whisk or fork. Just before serving, scrape the frozen mixture with a fork to fluff it. Serve in stem glasses. Garnish with candied ginger, fresh raspberries, or strawberries and blueberries. Makes 4-6 servings. Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for decades. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalists, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from https://www.sinofrozenfoods.com |
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