Can You Freeze Apples?
If you’ve ever bought one too many apples at the grocery store or picked a bushel at your local orchard, you might look at your surplus of fruit and wonder: “Can you freeze apples?” Whether you’re an apple aficionado or you’re simply trying to eat one a day and keep the doctor away, nobody likes spending money on fruit only to have it go bad in the refrigerator.
Luckily, it’s possible and quite easy to freeze apples — you just have to know how. This guide to freezing apples will help you get the most out of your grocery budget and share with you how simple it can be to make fruit last.
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Can You Freeze Apples?
If you’ve stocked up on apples and realized that you might have too many hanging about, the good news is that apples can be frozen. Freezing them is an excellent way to ensure that your apples maintain their freshness and last longer.
One thing to note is that no matter what procedures you follow for freezing apples, they will lose some of their crisp, fresh texture. The apples will still be good to use and safe to eat, but they won’t feel or taste quite like a fresh apple. For this reason, many people prefer to freeze apples that they plan to use as ingredients in other recipes, such as in a delicious vegan apple crisp or a sweet apple crumble pie.
Can You Freeze Fresh Apples?
Yes, you can freeze fresh apples. In fact, one of the most common ways to freeze apples is to freeze them when they are fresh-bought from the store or fresh-picked from the orchard. As mentioned, freezing fresh apples is an excellent idea if you plan to use them later in baking recipes.
Can You Freeze Whole Apples With the Skin?
You might not realize it, but you can actually freeze apples whole without doing any peeling or slicing. All you need to do is wrap the apples in cling wrap or place them in a freezer bag and pop them into the freezer. That being said, freezing whole apples probably isn’t the most convenient method. When you actually need the apples, you’ll be met with frozen apples that aren’t as easy to work with, at least until they defrost.
Can You Freeze Apple Slices?
While freezing whole apples is an option, you might also be wondering: "Can you freeze apple slices?" Yes, you can freeze apple slices and taking whole apples and slicing them before freezing is actually a recommended method.
While this might take a bit more time, it is going to ensure that you’re able to use the frozen apples much more easily when the time comes to use them. If you freeze thinly sliced apples, they also make a great snack right out of the freezer. Eating them while they are still frozen will give you the closest sensation to eating a crisp, fresh apple slice.
Can You Freeze Chopped Apples?
If the recipe you’re hoping to make with frozen apples calls for chopped apples, you can also do that step before freezing to save some time later on. Simply slice or chop the apples into the correct size and freeze them that way. If you plan to bake them without the skin, it can be a good idea to peel them as well.
Can You Freeze Apple Butter?
Apple butter is a common apple product that can also be frozen to maintain freshness. Just be sure that you’ve packed the cooked and cooled apple butter into a freezer-safe container before storing it in the freezer. Frozen apple butter will last you from eight months up to a year.
Can You Freeze Apple Sauce?
If you or your children love applesauce, you can freeze that, too! One good thing about freezing applesauce is that it won’t lose any of its texture; it will be almost exactly the same in terms of taste and feel after being frozen and thawed.
Be sure that you store it in freezer-safe containers so that it doesn’t get freezer burn. Another clever idea for freezing applesauce is to freeze it in muffin tins or ice cube trays. Once the sauce is frozen, transfer the individual portions to a freezer bag. When you need a serving, simply pop one of the cubes out of the freezer and set it in a bowl to thaw.
Can You Freeze Apple Crisp?
If you’ve made your extra apples into an apple crisp, you can also freeze that without any negative effects. Simply place it in a freezer-safe tray or container and freeze. When it’s time to bake, you can let it thaw first or even bake from frozen. Just be sure you keep an eye on it in the oven and adjust your cooking times depending on how thawed or frozen the crisp is.
Can You Freeze Baked Apples?
You can freeze baked apples and even stewed apples by placing them in freezer bags and storing them flat in the freezer to maximize space. This makes cooking with your apples even easier because you can eliminate the baking or stewing step before adding to a dessert.
Can You Freeze Apples for Pies?
Another common way to use apples that have been frozen is in a pie. You can even take your pie prep a step further by preparing the apples with their spices and freezing in the pie dish you plan to bake the pie in.
Simply prepare your apples and line your pie tin with aluminum foil. Add the apple and spice mixture and freeze. When it’s frozen, remove from the pie tin and cover in foil or cling film. You’ll have a perfectly portioned pie ready to add to a crust next time you want some warm, gooey apple pie.
Can You Freeze Apples for Smoothies?
Adding an apple to your favorite fruit smoothie recipe or even making an apple smoothie is a great way to get extra nutrients. If you’re planning to use frozen apples for this purpose, the only thing to consider is that you should prepare the apples for how you’ll need to use them. For smoothies, it’s probably best to have your apples finely sliced to make blending easier.
How To Freeze Apples
How do you freeze apples? If you’re freezing them whole, just give them a good wash and then pop them into the freezer — there’s nothing else to do!However, if you’re freezing sliced apples or apples for any other reasons, there are a few other steps to follow that will make the apples look nicer and last longer, such as adding lemon juice to them before freezing.
How To Freeze Apple Slices
If you are freezing apple slices, it’s best to wash the apples, then peel them and quarter them. From there, be sure to remove the core and seeds before slicing. At this point in the process, you have a few options. If you want to keep the apples from browning, you can dip them in a mixture of water and lemon juice.
Once that is done, lay them flat on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Be sure the apple slices aren’t touching. Freeze for one to two hours until they are completely frozen, then transfer to gallon bags and remove as much excess air as possible.
How To Freeze Apples for Apple Pie
Freezing apples to use later in a pie isn’t too complicated. First, peel and slice the apples in the way you will need them for the pie. Next, you can simply place them in freezer-safe bags and put them in the freezer. You can also add some lemon to them, but keep in mind how this could affect your apple pie recipe.
Another option is to freeze them with your apple pie spice mix already added. As mentioned above, you can also freeze the apples with cinnamon and any other spice you use in a pie dish. Then, just add sugar and a pie crust on top and bake.
Can You Freeze Apples Without Lemon Juice?
If you’d like to keep your frozen apple slices from browning in the freezer, you can certainly use a lemon juice and water mixture to do so, but there is another way. You can freeze apples without lemon juice and still keep them from browning by blanching the apple slices before freezing them.
Blanching involves cooking the apple slices in boiling water for about thirty seconds, then removing them and immediately placing them in a bowl of ice water. This will keep the apples from turning an unsightly brown color in the freezer.
If neither lemon juice nor blanching appeals to you, there are specially-made products on the market that will keep your apples from browning. Most of these products contain ascorbic acid, which is a form of vitamin C. You can find these at your local grocery store or online.
How Long Can You Freeze Apples?
Different experts and websites will give you differing time frames for how long frozen apples keep, but the safest recommended time frame is around six months. As mentioned earlier, all frozen apples will lose a bit of their signature texture, but after six months you may also start to notice variations in taste.
How To Use Frozen Apples
Freezing apples really is a wonderful way to keep fruit lasting longer and allows you to always have it on hand for different recipes. You can use frozen apples in smoothies or bake them in apple pies or crumbles and other sweet treats like an apple crumble cake or baked apple oatmeal. Be sure to check the recipe you plan to use in order to see if you can use the apples straight from the freezer or if you should let them thaw first before adding them to your other ingredients.
How To Thaw Frozen Apples
Once it’s time to use your frozen fruit, you might be wondering how to defrost frozen apples. Defrosting your apples is as easy as pulling them out of the freezer and placing them on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge to thaw. If you’re using the apples in a baked recipe or a smoothie, you can also typically use them straight from the freezer, no defrosting necessary.
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We hope this guide to freezing apples is helpful to you. No matter how you choose to freeze or use your frozen apples, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the taste of a delicious apple all year round.
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