Freeze It, Don’t Toss It

Your mother will be proud of you. Don’t let perfectly good produce go to waste, just because it’s ripe, but you’re not ready to eat it.

Here’s how to save fragile produce for when you’re ready.

Avocados
Puree with a little lime juice and place in a tightly sealed bag with all the air squeezed out, then freeze. Guacamole ready.

Bananas
Peel then freeze. Won’t be suitable to top your cereal, but perfect for making banana bread.

Berries (Blue, Raspberry, etc.)
Rinse and dry on paper towels. Freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then once frozen, transfer to freezer bag.

Grapes
Rinse and freeze just like berries. Kids love these frozen snacks.

Herbs
Cilantro, basil and parsley can all be pureed or finely diced and then frozen. Not pretty enough for a garnish, but fine in a cooked dish.

Mangos
Dice or puree, then freeze. Makes a yummy smoothie without adding ice.

Melons
Scoop into melon balls and freeze. Best served frozen, like grapes.

Mushrooms
Sautee first, then freeze. They’ll lose some texture, but they’re fine for soups or sauces.

Tomatoes
You don’t have to can tomato sauce if that’s intimidating. You can put cooled tomato sauce into the freezer instead. Or even easier, roast halved tomatoes, then freeze and they’ll be ready for chili or sauce all winter.

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