Tip of the Day: how to Easily Freeze Plums

One of the glories of summer is a plum tree, heavy with luscious fruit. But what do you do when the bounty exceeds your ability to use it fresh ? Today’s tip: how to freeze plums easily. This process allows you to enjoy this delicious treat year-round and ensures that not a single piece goes to waste.

Selecting Plums Suitable for Freezing

Optimal Ripeness and Quality

The first step in freezing plums is choosing the right ones. Ideal candidates are those that are smooth, without spots or wrinkles, and ripe enough to offer good flavor. Reject any fruit that is overripe, damaged, or shows signs of mold.

The Right Variety

While most types of plums freeze well, some varieties hold up better than others. For example, european varieties tend to be firmer and thus withstand freezing and thawing better than their softer Japanese counterparts.

With our appropriate fruit selected, let’s move on to preparing them for freezing.

Preparing the Plums before Freezing

Cleaning and Drying

Rinsing the plums thoroughly under cool water will remove any dirt or insects. Following this, pat them dry using a clean cloth; too much moisture can lead to freezer burn over time.

Packing Plums for Freezing

Distribute the prepared plums on a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper before refrigerating overnight. This preliminary flash-freezing keeps them from sticking together in storage. Now comes an important decision: whether to freeze your bounty with or without pits.

To Pit or Not To Pit: deciding Whether to Freeze With or Without Stone

Benefits of Pitting

Pitting plums before freezing can make them easier to use in certain recipes, like plum pies. However, it’s worth noting that this does add an extra step to the process.

Keeping the Stone

In contrast, freezing plums with their stone intact is a preferable option for plum clafoutis or similar dishes. Moreover, some believe that keeping the stone in place helps retain more of the fruit’s natural flavor during freezing.

Once this decision is made, we can look at different methods of freezing.

Methods for Freezing Whole Plums

Flash-Freezing Technique

As mentioned earlier, flash-freezing involves spreading out the plums on a lined tray and leaving them in the refrigerator overnight. This method prevents the fruits from sticking together which makes it easier to grab just a few at a time from your freezer stash.

Packing into Freezer Containers

The next day, transfer your plums into freezer bags or boxes. To minimize ice crystal formation, try to remove as much air as possible before sealing. Moving on from whole fruits, let’s explore how you can also freeze plum compote and even entire plum pies !

Storing Plum Compote in the Freezer

Making and Freezing Plum Compote

If you’d prefer to store already prepared food rather than whole fruits, consider making a large batch of plum compote and freezing it. Ensure you let it cool completely before packing into containers for freezing.

Tips for Freezing a Plum Pie

Preparing Pie for Freezing

If baking is more your style, why not prepare some delicious plum pies and freeze them ? You can then enjoy homemade pie at a moment’s notice, simply by thawing and reheating.

Having covered all the ways to freeze plums, let’s now look at how best to defrost them.

The Thawing Process for Plums

Slow Defrosting

Your frozen plums will maintain their quality better if you allow them to thaw slowly in the refrigerator. This means planning ahead if you want to use them in your cooking or baking.

How Long Can You Keep Plums in The Freezer ?

You can keep whole plums, whether pitted or unpitted, in your freezer for up to 10-12 months while maintaining optimal quality. Prepared foods like compote or pie have a shorter shelf life but still offer a significant time saving benefit.

We’ve journeyed through the selection of prime plums, preparation before freezing, pondered pitting, probed possibilities for preserving pies and compote, unveiled unfreezing understandings and completed the cycle considering storage lifespan. Here’s hoping your plum experiences are always fruitful ones !