Frozen fruit is a convenient and versatile ingredient that allows you to enjoy your favorite fruits year-round. Whether you’re making smoothies, baking, or adding a healthy snack to your day, frozen fruit is an easy addition to any kitchen. But how exactly is frozen fruit made? Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
Step 1: Picking the Perfect Fruit
Timing is key when it comes to frozen fruit. For fresh fruit, like strawberries, the fruit is often picked before it’s fully ripe to prevent spoilage during transportation. However, when the fruit is destined for the freezer, it’s harvested at its peak ripeness. For strawberries, this means the berries are picked when they’re fully ripe, and that state of perfection is locked in by freezing them within 36 hours of harvest.
Farm workers carefully handpick the fruit and trim them in the field using sharp stainless steel blades. The fruit is then on its way to the processing plant in refrigerated trucks.
Step 2: Cleaning and Sorting
Once the fruit arrives at the processing plant, it goes through several stages of cleaning and sorting. For strawberries, the first stop is a bath in fresh water to remove any dirt or debris. Then, the fruit gets a shower of clean rinse water followed by a final spray rinse using highly chlorinated water to sanitize the berries.
Next, workers carefully inspect the fruit, removing any bruised or under-ripe berries. After the final rinse, the strawberries are ready for the freezing process.
Step 3: Freezing the Fruit
Frozen fruit must be quickly frozen to maintain its flavor and texture. The berries are sent through a freezing tunnel where the air is cooled to a temperature of -34°F using liquid ammonia, a refrigerant commonly used for industrial freezing. The cold air circulates at high speed, freezing the berries in about 20 minutes. This rapid freezing process ensures that the fruit retains its natural flavor and nutrients.
After freezing, the fruit goes through a sorting machine. Smaller berries drop through narrower gaps, while medium-sized ones pass through wider gaps, and the larger berries continue on to the bottom.
Step 4: Preparing Other Fruits, Like Peaches
The process for other fruits, such as peaches, follows a similar procedure. The peaches are handpicked when ripe, cleaned, and sanitized just like the strawberries. Once sorted by size, the peaches are sent to a pitting machine, which removes the pit by cutting the peach in half and twisting the two halves in opposite directions. The pitted peaches then pass through conveyors to be sliced into pieces, depending on the size requested by the customer.
Peach slices, like strawberries, are frozen in a cooling tunnel for about 25 minutes to lock in their freshness and flavor.
Step 5: Packaging and Shipping
Once frozen, the fruit is ready for packaging. In a temperature-controlled packaging area (39°F), an automated scale weighs out the correct amount of fruit for each package. The fruit is then placed in retail bags, which are heat-sealed to ensure freshness.
The packaged fruit is then moved to a pre-shipping freezer, where it is stored until it’s ready for distribution. From the moment the fruit is picked in the field to the time it’s frozen and packaged, only about 24 hours have passed, ensuring the fruit stays as fresh as possible.
Conclusion
Making frozen fruit involves careful attention to timing, cleanliness, and freezing technology to lock in the peak ripeness and flavor of the fruit. The process ensures that frozen fruit can be enjoyed any time of the year, whether for smoothies, baking, or a healthy snack. With the right techniques, frozen fruit retains much of the nutrition and flavor of its fresh counterpart, all while offering the convenience of year-round availability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does it take for fruit to freeze?
Most fruits, like strawberries and peaches, take about 20 to 25 minutes to freeze in the freezing tunnel. The quick freezing process helps preserve the fruit’s flavor and nutrients.
2. What happens to the fruit before it’s frozen?
Before freezing, fruit is cleaned thoroughly, sorted by size, and sanitized. Any bruised or under-ripe fruit is removed to ensure only the best quality fruit is frozen.
3. How soon after harvest is fruit frozen?
Frozen fruit is typically harvested at peak ripeness and frozen within 36 hours of picking, ensuring that the fruit retains its natural taste and nutritional value.
