One of the fruits enjoyed, as a snack by children and adults is an apple. There are approximately seven thousand varieties of apples. The origin of the apples is in Kazakhstan. Many varieties of apples are available throughout the year. The ones that are seasonal can be frozen for later consumption.

Apples can be used in various delicious recipes such as apple crumble, apple pie and so on. Cider made from apples is very popular in the US and it is one the main drink that is served at Halloween parties and on Thanksgiving Day. Cider vinegar is made from apples.

It is a fact apple will remain good in a cool and dry area but over a period of time the water content will be lost and the skin will wrinkle. If you have an apple tree in you back yard or if you happen to purchase large quantities of apples from a nearby original Farmers Market, you can freeze the apples. By freezing, the taste of the apples is retained to a certain extent and these could be used for many apple recipes.

Steps to Freeze Apples at Home

Select the apples: Choose good quality apples, which are ripe and naturally sweet. Some of the varieties that you can use for freezing are Fuji, Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady. You can either purchase them from the grocery store or from the Farmers Market.

Wash and peel: Wash the apples under a tap. The apple should be washed well and dried using a hand towel. The quickest way to peel the apples is by using an apple peeler. If the apples are over-ripe or mushy, the apple peelers may not work well. In such case use a hand peeler. Remove any brown spots on the apple.

Slicing the apples: The next step is to core and slice the apples. You can use either an apple corer/slicer or an ordinary knife. You have to remove the seeds, stems and the soft spots of the apples.

Decide the method of freezing: The method of freezing depends on how you intend to use the frozen apples later. There are basically three methods for freezing apples.

Sugar pack – Sugar pack is the method used if the apples are used to make apple pies. Sugar pack method prevents the apples from turning brown or having a freezer burn. Make a solution with ½ tsp ascorbic acid and 3 tsp water. Pour this over the sliced apples. You would require half cup sugar for every quarter cup of sliced apples. Sprinkle sugar and toss the apples so it is well coated.

Syrup pack – You have to make a syrup using sugar and ascorbic acid. For every 3 cups of water you would require 2 cups of sugar. In a thick-bottomed pan make the required quantity of syrup as per the quantity of sliced apples. Syrup pack prevents apples from browning.

Dry pack – In this method, wash, peel and core the apples. Mix them with a solution of ascorbic acid and water. Put them in freezer bags and immediately put the bags away in the freezer. Dry pack apples can be used for any type of cooking.

Packing and freezing: Once the sliced apples are processed, it is time to put them in freezer containers or bags. The apples should stay good if the freezer temperature is below 25 degrees F.

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