If you have a lot of plums this summer, by freezing them, you can store them for up to twelve months, until you can enjoy them until the next harvest. Cool, sweet plums straight out of the freezer are delicious, or you can use them to make pies or plum cakes. Read on to learn how to freeze sliced plums, freeze plums in syrup, and freeze whole plums.
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Method 1 of 3: Freezing Plum Slices
Step 1. Pick or buy ripe plums
Look for plums that are in good shape, free of blemishes, wrinkles and spots. Plums should be frozen when they are at their peak of ripeness, sweet and delicious. Do not freeze plums that are slightly green or overripe, as they will have a poor taste and texture when thawed.
- Taste test before freezing a bunch of plums. Bite one of the plums. If the purplish-red juices run down your chin, and the plums are sweet and rich in flavor, other fruits may be fine to freeze. If the taste is too sour or too grainy, you may not want to freeze this bunch of plums.
- If the plums are a little firm, you can leave them at room temperature for a few days to ripen. Freeze when it's cooked.
Step 2. Wash the plums
Wash it off with cold water and use your fingers to gently rub the skin of the plum. Then rinse off any dirt.
Step 3. Slice the plums into triangles
Use a sharp knife to slice the plums to a thickness of 2.5 cm, removing seeds and stems. Continue slicing until all the plums are sliced.
Step 4. Place the plum slices on a baking sheet
Spread them out in a single layer, not overlapping or piling up, so they won't stick together when frozen. Cover the pan with plastic wrap.
Step 5. Freeze the plum slices until firm
Place the entire tray of plums in the freezer and leave until the plums are firm and dry, and no longer sticky. It takes about an hour to reach such a state.
Step 6. Place the plum slices in a storage bag in the freezer and freeze
Fill the bag up to 2.5 cm from the top, and blow out as much air as possible (or use a vacuum sealer to suck the air out). You can use a straw to suck the air out and close the bag tightly. The air trapped in the bag will cause the plums to freeze faster.
- Freeze-dried plum slices can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To make the prunes last longer than 6 months, you should store them in a syrup that prevents the plums from freezing.
Step 7. Rearrange the plums
Frozen plum slices are perfect for adding to smoothies or using in pies and other desserts. Slices of plum are also a cute garnish when added to cocktails or fruit drinks instead of ice cubes.
Method 2 of 3: Storing Plums in Syrup
Step 1. Wash the ripe plums
Choose ripe plums that are free of blemishes, wrinkles and spots. Choose one of the plums to make sure the plums are perfectly ripe, and not too green or overripe. Rinse the plums to get rid of any adhering dirt.
If the plums are still a little green, ripen them on the counter for a few days before freezing
Step 2. Peel the plums
Storing prunes in syrup and freezing them, then rearranging them causes the skin to lose its delicious texture and become slightly flabby. You can skip this step if you prefer the plums unpeeled, but your peeling efforts will pay off in the long run. You can peel plums using the technique used for peeling tomatoes:
- Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Use a knife to make an "x" at the top of the skin of each plum.
- Put the prunes in boiling water and boil briefly for 30 seconds.
- Remove the plums from the boiling water and plunge them into the ice water for 30 seconds.
- Remove from the ice water and pull the skin to peel the plums. Boiling prunes loosens the skin, making them easy to peel.
Step 3. Slice two plums and remove the piji
Use a sharp knife to slice the plum in half, removing the seeds. Separate the two pieces and remove the seeds. Continue until you have sliced and seeded all the plums.
- If desired, you can cut the plums into smaller slices. Plum texture will hold up well when cut in half.
- If you are worried about the plums turning dark in color in the freezer, you can coat the plums with lemon juice, coating the surface. Citric acid keeps the color. You can also buy a product that you can spray on to get the same effect.
- If you choose not to cut the plums in half, you will still need to remove the center. Purchase a plum or peach core remover, which easily removes the core or center without cutting the rest of the fruit.
Step 4. Mix the plums with the sugar solution
Preserving prunes in a sweet solution improves their taste and also keeps them fresh (up to 12 months). Put the plums in a bowl and pour in the liquid until the plums are completely covered. Here are some options that can be used as a sugar solution:
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Light syrup.
To make this, heat 3 cups of water, and put 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Stir the solution until the sugar dissolves, then cool the solution before pouring it over the plums.
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Thick syrup.
If you want a very sweet solution, heat 3 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves, cool the syrup, then pour it over the plums.
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Fruit juice.
Try plum juice, grape juice or apple juice. Does not need to be heated; just pour enough to cover the plums.
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Sugar.
Some people use sugar to get their plum juice out. It's delicious, but it's a very sweet and sugary option. To do this, pour the sugar into the bottom of the freezer container. Place a layer of plums. Sprinkle more sugar over the plums, continuing to coat the plums and sugar until the bowl is full.
Step 5. Place the plums in a freezer bag
Pour the prunes and sugar solution into freezer bags, filling each bag with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top. Use a vacuum sealer or a straw to remove air from the bag, then seal the bag tightly. Label and freeze bags. You can arrange them in the freezer for easy storage.
Step 6. Defrost the prunes when you are ready to use them, remove them from the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator or on the counter
Plums can be eaten immediately when removed from the bag. Plums stored in syrup are delicious as a topping for vanilla ice cream or eaten alone with whipped cream.
Method 3 of 3: Freezing Whole Plums
Step 1. Wash ripe plums
When you freeze whole plums, it is very important to choose fresh, ripe plums that are sweet and rich in juices. The better it tastes before freezing, the better it will taste when you look for it. Wash the plums in cold water to get rid of the dirt.
If the plums are still slightly green, let them ripen on the counter for a few days before freezing
Step 2. Place the plums in a storage bag
Place whole, fresh plums in a freezer storage bag, filling as close to the top of the bag as possible. Use a straw or vacuum sealer to get as much air out of the bag as possible. Label it and put it in the freezer.
Step 3. Eat frozen plums
When you want to eat something sweet, healthy and icy cold, take the prunes out of the freezer and eat right away. The texture of frozen plums is delicious, especially when the weather is hot. If you wish, you can thaw the prunes a few minutes before eating.
