Love to eat pears and prefer to buy them in large quantities at once? So that the quality and taste of pears do not change throughout the year, please freeze them in the freezer. However, to keep the color and texture from changing while freezing, don't forget to peel the pears first and soak them in the vitamin C solution. Then, the pears can be frozen in sugar syrup or frozen dry. Whichever method you choose, the quality of the pears will remain fresh for months to come!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Selecting and Processing Pears
Step 1. Choose ripe pears
To find out how ripe a pear is, try pressing the flesh around the stem. The flesh of a ripe pear should feel a little soft when pressed. If the texture is still very firm, look for another pear.
Avoid pears that are too soft on the inside because they are likely to be overripe and mushy, making them unsuitable for freezing
Do you know?
Most pear varieties, such as Anjou, Bosc, Comice, and Seckel, will not change color once ripe. If what you're looking for is a Bartlett pear variety, it's likely to change color from green to yellow as it ripens.
Step 2. Wash the pears thoroughly, then peel the skin
Wash the pears under running tap water to remove any dust, dirt, and other residue adhering to their surface. Then, use a fruit peeler to separate the pear flesh from the skin. Pear skins can be removed or if desired, reprocessed into liquor flavoring.
If the pears are too soft when peeled, they are most likely too ripe and not suitable for freezing
Step 3. Cut the pear and remove the seeds
Use a very sharp knife to slice the pear lengthwise, then use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds. If desired, pear stems can also be pulled or cut. Do the same process for each pear to be frozen.
Try to minimize the amount of flesh that gets cut off when the pear seeds are removed
Tip:
After peeling and removing the seeds, pears can be cut into shapes and sizes according to taste.
Step 4. Soak the pears in the vitamin C solution to keep the color from changing
Prepare a container that is large enough, then add 1 tsp. ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder into it. Then, pour 4 liters of cold water into the container and stir the water until the vitamin C is completely dissolved. After that, soak the peeled pears in the solution.
- Keep the pears submerged while you prepare the sugar syrup solution. If the pears won't be frozen in the syrup, feel free to let them sit in the vitamin C solution for about 10 minutes.
- If you have trouble finding powdered ascorbic acid, please use 6 tablets of 500 grams of vitamin C which are finely ground.
Method 2 of 3: Freezing Pears in Sugar Syrup
Step 1. Put the pears in a pot of water and sugar
Place all the pears you want to freeze in a large saucepan and pour the syrup over the top. Please adjust the level of sweetness and consistency of the syrup to your taste. Here's a sugar syrup solution recipe that you can practice at home:
- Light sugar syrup: mix 300 grams of sugar and 480 ml of water
- Medium textured sugar syrup: mix 500 grams of granulated sugar and 480 ml of water
- Thick textured sugar syrup: mix 800 grams of brown sugar and 480 ml of water
Step 2. Boil pears in sugar syrup solution for 1-2 minutes
Turn on the stove over medium heat, then gently stir all the ingredients until the sugar is completely dissolved. The sugar should be completely dissolved when the water boils. Then, boil the pears in the sugar syrup solution for 1-2 minutes.
If you want, you can take the foam that floats on the surface of the water while you boil the pears
Step 3. Leave the pears in the sugar syrup solution until they cool down
Turn off the stove and place the pot of pears in the refrigerator. To help the pears cool faster, try transferring them to another container before placing them in the refrigerator. Leave the pot or container in the refrigerator until the pears and sugar syrup have cooled completely.
Step 4. Place the pears and the cooled sugar syrup in another bowl, leaving 1.5-2.5 cm of free space between the surface of the pear and the mouth of the container
Transfer the cooled pears to a special container for storing food in the freezer, then pour in enough sugar syrup to cover the surface of the fruit. If the container used is wide enough, leave 1.5-2.5 cm of free space between the surface of the pear and the mouth of the container. However, if the container used is quite narrow, you should leave an empty space of 2-4 cm.
Don't forget to clean the edges of the container from the sugar syrup solution before closing it tightly
Tip:
Ideally, use about 120-160 ml of sugar syrup solution for every 450 grams of pears.
Step 5. Put the freezing date on the pear package, then freeze the pears in the freezer for 10 to 12 months
Use a permanent marker to include the contents of the package and the freezing date of the pears, then place the pears in the freezer for 10 to 12 months.
When going to be consumed or processed, please leave the pears overnight in the refrigerator until the texture softens
Method 3 of 3: Freezing Dried Pears
Step 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Prepare a flat pan that is not too large so that it can be stored in the freezer. Then, also prepare a sheet of parchment paper that can later be used to line the baking sheet. The silicon content in the parchment paper will prevent the pears from sticking to the bottom of the pan when frozen.
Don't have parchment paper? Please use a silicone baking sheet
Step 2. Drain and arrange pear pieces on a baking sheet
If you don't have too many pears to freeze, use a slotted spoon to drain the pear pieces from the vitamin C solution. However, if you have a large number of pears to freeze, try draining them through a slotted basket placed in the sink. Then, arrange the pears on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, with a distance of about 0.6 cm between each pear slice.
Make sure the pear pieces don't touch each other while freezing. Remember, pear pieces that stick together when frozen are very difficult to separate
Variation:
If you want to sweeten the taste of pears, mix 100 grams of sugar into 1 liter of drained pears.
Step 3. Freeze the pears on a baking sheet until they have a firm texture
Place the baking sheet in the freezer and wait for the pears to completely freeze and harden. Generally, this process takes about 1-2 hours, although the exact duration will depend on the size of the pear slice.
If you want, you can leave the pear pan in the fridge overnight
Step 4. Put the frozen pears in a plastic clip bag
Use any plastic bag that can be tightly closed and airtight. Then, fill the bag with frozen pears, then remove as much air as possible from the bag before closing and freezing it.
If the pear will be processed into a variety of different dishes, try dividing it into several bags of different sizes. For example, if you are going to make a pear into a smoothie, try dividing it into several bags assuming the amount in one bag is enough to make one smoothie glass
Step 5. Put the freezing date on the pear package, then freeze the pears in the freezer for 10 to 12 months
Use a permanent marker to include the contents of the package and the freezing date of the pears, then place the pears in the freezer. Remember, pears should only be stored for 10 to 12 months so they don't lose their quality and freshness.
Pears can be served frozen right away or after softening overnight in the refrigerator
Tips
- You should be able to freeze about 1 to 1.5 kg of pears in 1 liter of sugar syrup solution.
- Don't freeze pears whole, as they will feel mushy when softened.
