Brad’s Produce Recipe Blog

Sugar is added to some fruit to help retain color and to enhance taste.  You can either add sugar to the fruit and mix it in or you can mix sugar and water together to form a syrup and pour it over the fruit. 

Syrup Recipe

Light Syrup - Boil 2 cups sugar and 4 cups water = 5 cups syrup

Medium Syrup - Boil 3 cups sugar and 4 cups water = 5 1/2 cups syrup

Heavy Syrup - Boil 4 3/4 cups sugar and 4 cups water = 6 1/2 cups syrup

Apples

Peel, core and slice apples.  An ascorbic acid powder sold in supermarkets (Fruit Fresh) may be used to prevent darkening.  Follow package directions.  Fruit may also be soaked in a solution of water and lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon per quart of water).  Drain fruit and combine with syrup, pack into containers and freeze.  Fruit may also be packed dry or add 1/2 cup of sugar to fruit and pack into containers and freeze.

Applesauce

Wash and quarter apples.  Cook until tender with enough water to prevent apples from scorching.  Run apples through a food mill and sweeten to taste.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries

Remove stems, wash and drain.  Mix 3/4 cup sugar (optional) to 1 cup berries.  Pack into containers and freeze.  For pies and jam pack dry without sugar.

Melons

Cut up melons into cubes or balls.  Cover with sugar syrup using recipe above.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Peaches

Wash peaches.  Dip into boiling water until skins loosen (about 45 - 60 seconds).  Peel, remove pit and slice.  Treat with Fruit Fresh and drain.  Pack peaches into containers and freeze.  Peaches may be dry packed with 1/2 cup sugar or syrup may be added.

Rhubarb

Wash in cold water and cut into 1 inch lengths.  Pack into containers and freeze.  Sugar may be added to rhubarb for pies using 1 cup sugar to 4 cups rhubarb.

Strawberries

Wash, drain and remove stems.  Pack whole or sliced using 3/4 cup sugar to 1 quart of berries.  Put into containers and freeze.

Asparagus

Wash asparagus and cut off any tough ends.  Larger stalks may be peeled.  Blanch in boiling water, small stalks for 2 minutes and larger ones for 4 minutes.  Cool in ice water, drain and pack into containers by alternating tip and stem ends.

Beans, Green

Remove stems and break into 1-2 inch pieces.  Wash.  Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and cool in ice water.  Drain, pack and freeze in containers.

Beets

Trim beets, leaving 1 inch of their tops on.  This will prevent “bleeding” during cooking.  Wash and cook for 25 minutes.  Cool in ice water and peel beets.  The skins should easily slip off.  Cut into slices or cubes, pack and freeze.

Broccoli

Wash and trim stalks.  Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and cool in ice water.  Drain, pack into containers and freeze.

Carrots

Remove tops, wash and peel.  Small carrots may be left whole and larger carrots should be sliced.  Blanch whole carrots in boiling water for 3 minutes and sliced carrots for 2 minutes.  Cool in ice water and drain.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Corn

Husk ears and remove silk.  Blanch ears in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Cool in ice water and drain.  Cut kernels from the cob.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Corn-on-the-cob

Husk the ears and remove silk.  Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes,  Cool in ice water and drain.  Wrap each ear in plastic wrap and pack into containers and freeze.

Okra

Wash and cut off stem end.  Blanch in boiling water for 4 minutes.  Cool in ice water.  Leave whole or slice and pack into containers and freeze.

Onions

Wash and peel onions.  Chop, pack into containers and freeze.

Peas

Shell peas and wash to remove blossom ends and pod particles.  Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and cool in ice water.  Drain, pack into containers and freeze.

Sugar Snap Peas

Wash and blanch pods in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Cool in ice water.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Peppers

Wash, cut out seeds and chop.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Pumpkin

Peel pumpkin and cut into quarters.  Cook until soft.  Mash and cool pumpkin.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Spinach

Remove tough stems.  Wash and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Cool in ice water, drain, pack into containers and freeze.

Sweet Potatoes

Wash, peel and cut into quarters.  Cook until almost tender.  Cool and mash.  Pack into containers and freeze.

Tomatoes

Wash, remove stems.  Blanch in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes.  Cool in ice water and remove skins.  Quarter, halve or leave whole.  Pack into containers and freeze.