Freezing extra fruit after a harvest is a good way to plan ahead and not be wasteful. To start, make sure you have enough space in your freezer. Don’t wash your fruit. Washing will increase the water content within the fruit and make it more vulnerable to freezer burn. Remove any fruit that is rotting or isn’t fully ripened. Bruised fruit is fine to freeze as long as it isn’t moldy. Place all of your fruit into a plastic sealable bag and try to get as much air out as possible -- this will reduce the risk of contamination and freezer burn. Then simply toss your fruit into the freezer until you need it.
How To Increase Juice Extraction For Fruit Wine
There are also other positive benefits to using frozen fruit in fruit winemaking. Freezing fruit before it’s pressed can maximize the amount of juice you’re able to extract for fruit wine. The cell walls within the fruit will break down or often rupture when frozen. As the fruit is brought back to room temperature it becomes softer and is much easier to press into juice.
What Causes Freezer Burn?
Fruit will store very well in the freezer, but be watchful of freezer burn. All frozen foods are at risk for freezer burn, but poorly sealed packages are most vulnerable. Oxygen will manipulate water molecules stored inside the fruit and convert them from a solid to a gas. The gas will attempt to leave the fruit and create crystals of ice in the wake of its escape. This will give the surface of your fruit that burned, leathery or shriveled texture when defrosted. While fruit affected by freezer burn is still safe to eat, it is not ideal for wine. Freezer burn will give the juice extracted from the fruit an off-flavor and may ruin the wine.