Q: Can you freeze cantaloupe?
Q: Can you make jam without turning on the stove?
Q: Can you seize this delicious moment for summer fruit, and make it last all year long?
A: Yes, yes and yes. All you need is your freezer, your sheet pan, and your imagination.
But first, here’s how to freeze fresh fruit.
Step 1: Prep it. Wash and dry your fruit, and slice up larger fruits like nectarines, peaches and citrus fruits—berries are good to go as they are. Remove cores, stems, leaves, seeds, and any parts you wouldn’t want to find on your spoon or in your smoothie.
Step 2: Give it space. Place your fruit in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet liner.
Step 3: Freeze it. Pop your sheet pan into the freezer until fruit is fully frozen—about 2-3 hours. This way the fruit won’t stick together when you pack it for storage.
Step 4: Pack it up. Once it’s frozen, transfer your fruit into freezer-safe bags or containers, removing as much air as possible. (We love reusable silicone Stasher bags for this.)
IDEA: Freezer Jam
Sometimes you want to preserve all that flavorful summer fruit, but it’s too hot to make jam over a stove burner, right? Freezer Jam to the rescue (view our full recipe here). Just make any jam recipe you like but do it at room temperature. It’s almost too easy:
1. Mix sugar and pectin in a bowl.
2. Add fruit and stir for three minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into clean containers, leaving ½ inch of space at the top.
4. Let it stand for 30 minutes, then store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to a year.
COOL TIP: homemade freezer jam makes a great host/hostess gift for summer gatherings. Just make sure the recipient keeps it cold.
IDEA: Flowers On The Rocks
What’s more appealing than an ice-cold drink on a hot summer day? How about one decorated with edible garden flowers? Just wash and air-dry your favorite blooms or petals, and place them in ice cube trays with water. Think pansies, marigolds, nasturtiums, bachelor’s buttons, sunflowers, hibiscus, rosebuds…most edible flowers will add a nice touch of sweetness or spice to your drink, too. Treat your guests or yourself to these gorgeous cubes, and let the colors, shapes and flavors of summer flowers elevate every sip.
IDEA: Melon Shave Ice (The Frozen Dessert You Didn’t Know You Needed)
Remember the joy of having a refreshing snow cone on a summer afternoon? If so, you’ll love this healthy, hydrating, Southeast Asian-influenced take on that ice cream truck classic. Just cut a melon into pieces (or purchase it pre-cut) and grate it. Then spread the grated melon on a sheet pan, and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Scoop the melon into a bowl, pour a little coconut cream on top, and enjoy!
Sorbets. Smoothies. Ice pops. Granitas. What you can do with frozen summer fruit is only limited by your imagination and your recipe search skills. Your future self will be thanking you for keeping the summer going, long after the season is over.