Get the Most from Your LemonI love a fresh lemon slice in my iced tea but the lemon usually spoils before I can use the whole thing. I'd slice it up and put it in the fridge but, by the end of the week, it's slimy and spoiled. Until I thought of this trick.
Freeze BananasEvery so often, we end up with more bananas than we can use before they go bad. That's when I'll take those extra ripe bananas that as you can see are perfectly good inside and I'll freeze them for later use. As long as you freeze them with the peel off, in freezer safe ziplocs, they'll stay good frozen for up to 6 to 8 months.
Freezing FigsWhen I was growing up, I spent a lot of time over at Grandma's house which was across the road and up a long lane. In August, you could find me up the fig tree munching on some of the best brown figs I have ever tasted. I would eat and eat until my belly was full. I still love figs.
Freeze Mashed BananasI love making banana bread. It is one of my favorites. I thought I would share what I do with my ripened bananas.
Freezing Fresh BlueberriesThe farmer's market had a great deal on blueberries recently, so we bought a flat of them. There were too many to use right away so I decided to freeze some for later.
Freezing MangoesIf you find them on sale and want to preserve them, freezing is a great option. Just cut them up in either chunks or dice, or you can puree them and freeze them in ice cube trays.
Freezing FigsI love fresh figs, but when there are too many to eat, a rare occurrence, I peel them, and cook down until I have a fruit syrup. Then I freeze it for future cooking/baking uses.
Freeze Green GrapesJust wash and freeze green grapes. They taste fantastic and - clearly - this makes them last longer too!
Freezing Zest in Wax PaperMy good friend visited a few days and showed me how she freezes lemon or orange zest and juice from one fruit. She uses a zester or fine grater on waxed paper, then folds it over several times and lays it flat.
Freeze Homegrown CherriesPit them as you begin to harvest them, put in a freezer bag and freeze. Tastes great months later!
Freezing BerriesEvery summer we pick u-pick berries at a local farm. Along with making jam and syrup, I mash up some of the berries and freeze them in ice cube trays. The berry cubes are the perfect size to toss in yogurt or a bowl of oatmeal.
Freezing BananasWhen the banana skins start to get brown, I peel the bananas and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Once I have them all wrapped, I place them in a freezer zip bag and store them in the door of my kitchen freezer.
Freeze Bananas in SkinsFreeze medium ripe, skin-on, bananas in freezer bags. To use, allow bananas to partially thaw at room temperature, 5-10 minutes so skins can be easily removed. These bananas are excellent and handy for baking.
Frozen Bananas TreatI eat a banana every day, not only because it's delicious, but they are good for you. On these hot days, it's so refreshing to sit in the swing on the porch and eat a frozen banana.
Frozen Grapes for a Sweet TreatThis summer I wanted to cut down on sugar consumption when grandkids visited. I put assorted colored grapes on wooden skewers and froze the individual skewers. Voila! Grapesicles!
Freeze Lemon Juice As Ice CubesSqueeze fresh lemons and put the juice in ice cube trays. Freeze them, and then store in a plastic bag in the freezer. Want a glass of ice water? Just throw a couple in a glass of water, and voila!
Freezing Lemon and Lime JuiceMy husband and I are big on being frugal. It began out of necessity, but now it is like second nature to us. To save a few cents (and every cent helps) in the kitchen, we buy lemons and limes when they are marked down.
Freeze Bananas in Their PeelWhen the last bananas in a bunch get over ripe, I just put them in the freezer "as is" to save for when I want to make banana bread. The bananas get horrid looking when they are frozen; black and wrinkly, but the insides stay perfectly good.
Freeze Cut Lemon for DrinksI enjoy having cut up lemon in my Coke, lemonade, water, etc. However, often before I get the whole lemon used up, it becomes brown and soft.
Freeze Berries on a Baking PanI have found that the berries keep better and do not stick together in a big lump by first spraying a baking pan with cooking spray, then placing the berries in a single layer on the pan, and freezing until firm.
Freezing GrapesI take whatever seedless grape is on sale, take them off the "vine" and rinse and dry them. I put them in quart sized Ziplock and freeze them.
Freeze Your Fresh CherriesI found myself with many cherries last week. After washing, I put them into snack size bags, and placed them into the freezer. Whenever anyone wanted cherries, they pulled a bag out, either waiting about 10 minutes, or slightly taking off the chill in the microwave.
Freezing Blended FruitMy granddaughter and I love fruit. We really miss it in the winter time. I don't like fruit after it has been frozen so I tried experimenting with strawberries and found a delicious way to have them all year.
Freeze Grapes as a SnackI am sure some already do this. When grapes are on sale, buy them and freeze them. They make a great frozen snack. Be sure and wash them good before eating.
Freezing GrapesI've been freezing red, seedless grapes for years. I buy 10-15 lbs. at a time. I separate the grapes from the stems, place in a large colander, rinse well and then place them in another collander in layers with paper towels in between to absorb all the moisture.
Buying Fresh Produce in BulkBuying Bulk in Fresh Products. This can still be done and not have it go bad. For example, large bulk carrots, apples, bananas, strawberries, pears, peaches almost any fruit can be frozen for later. Grocery stores will have last day sales with fresh products. . .
Freezing ApplesauceApplesauce can be frozen in plastic freezer bags and rigid plastic or glass containers that are airtight and provide a moisture/vapor barrier. Leave at least 1/2 of headroom for pints and 1 inch for quarts.
Freezing GrapesI can never seem to finish a whole bag of grapes before they go bad. So, out of curiosity, I put them into a blender, pureed them, and froze the puree in small plastic containers. I didn't need to add anything else.
Freezing GrapesWhen seedless grapes are on sale, I buy a large quantity, keep out what I guess will be eaten and flash freeze the rest of them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Freezing Fruit for PiesI take the fruit I grow and make pie filling as if I was going to bake a pie and freeze it in a freezer bag. I put a pies worth of filling in a freezer bag so that I can quickly put together a pie when I am ready to do some baking.
Jan
Saving Lemons Before They Go BadIf you bought lemons in bulk and they are close to going "bad", squeeze all the juice into a bowl, remove all seeds, and pour into empty ice cube trays. Freeze and voila, when you need fresh lemon juice take the tray out and pop a cube.
