Can Freeze Nectarines? – Here’s How Freezing Nectarines Whole or Cut: A Comprehensive Guide

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Can Freeze Nectarines? How do you freeze nectarines?: If you have excess nectarines in your hand, and if you are worried about what to do with these nectarines? we have a solution to your problem of freezing nectarines without blanching, this is the best method to preserve this healthy and lovely summer fruit.

Freezing this summer stone fruit is not that difficult, just do a little work and enjoy the reward with a blast of summer flavor in any season by using these frozen nectarines in your smoothies and desserts.

As frozen nectarines are perfect for smoothies, baked goods, and cooking recipes. just scroll down to look into the article to learn about how can I freeze nectarines, how to defrost, tips & tricks, and many more are discussed below. Read on to Know more!!

Can You Freeze Nectarines

Can You Freeze Nectarines? How Long Can Nectarines Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze nectarines, and the nectarines freeze well if you have made proper preparations. These nectarines will stay in the freezer for upto one year. You do not need to defrost the nectarines if you are using them for smoothies. But if you leave them in the freezer for a long time, there will be a change in quality.

Anyways, try to use the frozen nectarines without defrosting them. Freezing nectarines helps you to enjoy the fruit all year long. If the frozen nectarines want to taste like fresh nectarine, use them for 6 months.

How To Choose Ripe Nectarines For Freezing?

Many do not know whether the nectarines are ripe or not. Sometimes, we bring unripe nectarines and freeze them thinking that they are ripe. But we fail in freezing. So, not to avoid such types of problems, we have given you some points to note whether nectarines are ripe and fresh or not.

  • If the nectarines are ripe, you will see the nectarines in bright red blush color with undertones of light orange.
  • If the undertones are green, they are not ripe and they are not ready to eat.
  • When you touch the nectarines, if they are ripe, they will be soft.
  • If it is hard, dont buy them as they are unripe.
  • If you dont want to eat them immediately, choose the nectarines which are firm, and you can ripe them at home.
  • Buy the nectarines which are medium to large size. So that they will be juicy and sweet.
  • Extra large nectarines will not be sweet.

How To Freeze Nectarines Without Sugar?

Freezing this summer ripe stone fruit has a little work to do. We have different types of freezing these stone fruit, as you can just freeze the whole and you can freeze cut/sliced nectarines. We will look into the steps for both of them.

Freezing Whole Ripened Nectarines

Storing nectarine fruit as a whole is simple and quick. By doing this we can extend the shelf life of the fruit. Below you can see the simple guide on how the freeze the nectarines whole.

  • To store the nectarines as a whole you should not wash the fruit. And make sure the fruit is ripe. Once you freeze them due to cool conditions they will not ripe.
  • Just take the fruit that was bought from the store or garden.
  • Place them in plastic bags or containers.
  • Label the bag or container with the name and date.
  • Then, keep it in the freezer.

Freezing Cut/Sliced Nectarines

When you want to freeze the cut or sliced nectarines, we have some steps to follow. Loo into the steps that are given below.

Prepping the Nectarines

  • Wash the fruit neatly, and dry them on a paper towel.
  • Then remove the pit from the fruit, by cutting the fruit into slices or halves.
  • If you like to remove the peels, you can peel them or you can cut them unpeeled.
  • To peel the fruit, just put some cuts in the bottom of the fruit and place them in boiling water for 30 seconds. So that you can easily peel the fruit.

Procedure for Freezing

  • Now, after prepping the nectarines, just take a tray and line it up with a baking sheet or parchment paper.
  • Place the nectarine slices on it in a single layer without touching each other.
  • Stick the tray to the freezer and leave it in the freezer for 4-5 hours, until the fruit slices are frozen solid.
  • Once the frozen nectarines are frozen, transfer the slices to the freezer bags or freezer-safe air-tight containers.
  • Seal it tightly by removing the excess air from the bags or with an airtight sealer for the containers.
  • Label the bag or container with the name and date.
  • Stick the bags or containers in the freezer.

Freezing Sugar Syrup Nectarines

You can also store the nectarines in the freezer by adding sugar syrup to the nectarines. We have given a step-by-step process below.

  • Follow the same prepping process that we have shown above in cut/slice freezing.
  • Then, chill them in the fridge.
  • Now, take 3 cups of sugar and dissolve it in 4 cups of water which is lukewarm.
  • Add a half teaspoon of ascorbic acid to prevent oxidation while you freeze them.
  • If you get the syrup thick, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Once the syrup is chilled and now remove those cut nectarines from the fridge.
  • Take an air-tight plastic container place the nectarines in it and then pour the syrup.
  • Make sure that the pieces are dipped in the syrup.
  • Label the container with the date and name. And then seal it tightly.
  • Put the container in the freezer.

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How To Defrost Frozen Nectarines?

If you are using the nectarines only for smoothies, you do not need to defrost them, you can use frozen nectarines directly so that the smoothie will be cool and tasty. To thaw the nectarines, you just transfer the nectarine bags from the freezer to the refrigerator and then leave them overnight. And use it in the freezer. These nectarines are not advised to store in the freezer.

How To Use Frozen Nectarines?

Frozen nectarines are used in many ways. These frozen nectarines are perfect for smoothies. You can add them into the blender directly which gives you a cool drink. And also these nectarines which are frozen will work best for baked or cooked recipes. But the texture and taste will be different once the frozen nectarines are thawed.

Can You Refreeze Nectarines?

Refreezing Nectarines is not advised as after thawing the frozen nectarines the taste and texture will change. They will be mushy and soft. If you again refreeze them there will not be any taste and flavor. Consume them immediately, or throw them after defrosting them once.

To avoid wastage of these frozen nectarines, just make the nectarines into portions based on your usage and store them in the freezer.

Can You Freeze Nectarines

Does Nectarines Freeze Well?

Yes, nectarines will freeze really well. If you follow all the conditions and instructions well. And you need to keep the temperature settings the same as you kept them in the starting when you freeze nectarines. And nectarines are the one fruit among the fruits which will freeze for a longer time.

Complete the frozen nectarines within 6 months to enjoy the taste of fresh fruit. You can eat the frozen nectarine directly by taking it out of the freezer.

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FAQs on Can You Freeze Nectarine Slices?

1. Is It Ok to freeze nectarine stone fruit?

Nectarine fruit has delicate flesh once it is fully ripened as it is a stone fruit. You have to eat the fruit very quickly otherwise it will go bad. So, by freezing the nectarines you can preserve them for a long. You can also enjoy the frozen nectarines as fresh ones.

2. Do you need to blanch nectarines before freezing?

Yes, blanching before freezing will help you maintain a smooth, crispy, and delicious taste even after freezing. To blanch the fruit, just boil the water and put the nectarines into that boiling water then keep it for 5-10 minutes and remove them.

3. Can you freeze nectarine puree?

Yes, you can also freeze the nectarine puree. For that just blanch the nectarines whole and remove the skin and pits and then make them puree and then pour it into an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are solid, pop them out and freeze them in freezer bags.

4. Can you freeze baked nectarines?

No, baked nectarines are not advisable to freeze as they become mushy after the baking process. So it is not good to freeze.

5. What to do with excess nectarines?

You can prepare many varieties of dishes with excess nectarines such as:

  • Nectarine & pistachio crunch layers
  • Baked nectarines & raspberries with almonds & honey
  • Nectarine & strawberry pots
  • Almond crêpes with avocado & nectarines
  • Nectarines in red wine.Grilled nectarine & burrata salad
  • Baked nectarines with almonds and marsala
  • Nectarine & raspberry gratin

In a Nutshell

If you follow the step-by-step guide to freezing methods well, you can enjoy nectarines all year long. Hope this article on can you freeze nectarines helped you to freeze nectarines properly in an easy way. Do you have any suggestions or doubts about the articles? Just comment to us in the below comment section.

Still interested in checking our articles on how can you freeze fruits and vegetables like can you freeze plums, can you freeze peaches, and many others. Check out our canyoupreserve.com website. If you have any tips & tricks of your own to freeze nectarines, it would be lovely to hear from you. Feel free to share this article with your loved ones.

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