Frozen Fruit and Vegies

dynamiccoach

Hi Friends- I am wondering if there is a consensus on using frozen fruit and veggies from time to time. I am often unable to find fresh ripe organic fruit and I have used frozen. I only buy Organic frozen but I am curious about the nutrition and enzyme content of frozen fruit. Also, I have used frozen corn when it is out of season.

Thanks All!

pianissima

i think there are people here who don’t use frozen AT ALL. it’s true, enzymes are destroyed and it’s not “fresh” so it’s not optimal. however, i don’t personally have a problem with the slight damage that happens when you freeze veggies and fruits (as long as it’s not making up the bulk of your diet of course). i do have a problem with blanching, which is what happens to store-bought frozen fruits and veggies.

frozen corn, strawberries, blueberries (etc…) have been boiled before freezing. this definitely make them un-raw!

can you buy in season and freeze and dehydrate your own left-overs?

Rawsiki

You know what I think? I think a good guide to tell if your fruits & veggies are still nutritious with their enzymes intact is to compare the color of frozen with fresh. If the colors match, they both have the same amount of nutrients. I find that frozen peas always are a really healthy green, just like fresh ones, so I DO eat them. I would buy fresh and then store anything uneaten within a week in the freezer so you don’t waste the food. Frozen veggies look nothing like cooked, which is dull in color, faded, and sad. I believe freezing fruits and veggies helps retain their nutrients. The evidence is in the color.

pianissima

rawsiki—that’s a good test to see if fruits and veggies still have nutrients in them, but not to see if they have ALL of them (or are “in tact”). if you very lightly steam broccoli, or carrots, or peas the color actually gets enhanced. when you OVER-cook them they get grey and disgusting looking. the purpose of blanching veggies is actually to safeguard their color (correct me i’m wrong). they are dipped in boiling water then ice to stop the cooking. i used to do this when making “crudite” platters… it makes all the veggies look a lot prettier.

there are some companies that don’t blanch. i’d recommend calling up the one you buy from and asking. in my experience companies are more than happy to answer questions about their products.

Luna blu

If you can get a brand called Europes Best, I am pretty sure the fruit is not boiled. Even after thawing the fruit is still quite firm and plump. The veggis, I have never tried as I would assume they are parpoiled.

Get a good quality fro. fruit and it shouldn’t be boiled. if you thaw it and it turns to mush, it’s a good bet it was boiled. That boggels my mind. Why boil fruit before freezing?

i think the colour thing makes sense too! The Europes Best fruit pretty much is identical in colour to their fresh counterparts. i always get the mango, as mangos in Canada suck most of the time!!

pianissima

great photo luna blu!

bitt

I have been using up to a cup a day of frozen fruit in my smoothies. But berry season is coming in a few months and then I will stock up. Blueberries freeze very well so stock up when they are in season. I have been buying a local kind which do not seem to be boiled but I suppose I could call the company to ask.

dynamiccoach

Thanks Everyone! I am going to stock up this summer and freeze as much as I can. This way I will know for sure that the fruits and vegies are organic and not treated. XXXOOO