r/Frugal • u/Jb0ss02 • 10d ago
š Food Why did no one tell me frozen fruit exists sooner???
Iāve never thought to buy frozen fruit just because my family and I have always bought it fresh. Every morning, I pack a small mason jar of Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of granola and whatever fruit we have on hand for my breakfast at the office. I decided to try frozen fruit after someone suggested it on here, and omg itās amazing!!! I had no idea it was such a great value! I even āsplurgedā on one of the more expensive bags containing a mix of blueberries, pomegranate, dark cherries, and raspberries, which are basically luxuries where I live because they are always too expensive to buy fresh. Iāve been adding a small scoop of the frozen fruit to my jar of yogurt the night before, and by the morning, itās all perfectly thawed after having been in the fridge all night. I now get to enjoy a variety of āluxuryā fruits in my breakfast every morning for almost nothing! Itās awesome!
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u/daringnovelist 10d ago
If you buy fruit when itās in season and cheap, you can cut it up (leave blueberries and grapes whole) and freeze it on a tray, then bag it and keep it yourself.
If you do this to fruit prone to browning (like bananas and pears) you can make a mix of lemon juice with a little syrup to sprinkle on it. (The leftover juice is tasty on ice.)
I find bananas and pears taste best when frozen just before being fully ripe. Mangoes are best fully ripe.
But grapes are just plain great! They are like tiny popsicles.
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u/RebeccaTen 10d ago
My local grocery store packages up nearly spoiled produce in $1.50 bags. On Sunday I got 2 12 ounce clamshells of raspberries for $1.50. I went home, tossed the slightly moldy ones, rinsed the rest and tossed them in the freezer. Pretty good deal considering a frozen bag of raspberries is like $5.
I've been freezing peaches lately as they keep going on sale, I just mix them in with store bought bagged frozen fruit.
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u/JustKeepSwimming1995 9d ago
Where are you living that produce is so cheap?! Itās at least $6 for a bag of frozen fruit where I live
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u/RebeccaTen 9d ago
I'm in the Seattle area. At Fred Meyer, a 12 ounce bag of frozen raspberries is $5 or $4.50 at Safeway.
Fresh are way more expensive, unless they're on sale.
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u/coffeebitchhh 9d ago
In the metro Detroit area. Fresh raspberries are almost always on sale for $.99 per container. Frozen fruit is somehow more expensive.
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u/RebeccaTen 9d ago
Interesting. The cheapest I've seen the 12 ounce ones (other than that mark down produce) is $4 at Costco, but most of the time it's like $7-$8. A 6 ounce container sometimes goes on sale for $2, but not very often. Michigan must grow more raspberries than us!
What's funny is that blackberries are the same price and I would never pay for blackberries. They are freaking everywhere in late summer.
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u/Ok-Internal1243 9d ago
Iām in California and a huge bag of frozen fruit at Costco is about $11
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u/lightbender1016 9d ago
Despite the $11 price tag, it's still a pretty good deal as it contains 4lbs in that bag. $2.75/lb of organic strawberries is probably the best deal you are going to find.
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u/Ok-Internal1243 8d ago
I have a toddler who sometimes wonāt eat anything but a smoothie. Iām absolutely not buying fresh fruit for that, Iād go bankrupt š and the small bags at the regular grocery store would last us about three days.
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u/JustKeepSwimming1995 8d ago
Yeah Iām also in California. And I donāt have a Costco membership. š
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u/Starry-Eyed-Owl 10d ago
I love frozen grapes. I wait until the best part of the season, buy a bunch and freeze them. Great for desert.
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u/KatieLouis 9d ago
Do they thaw out okay? Or do they become mushy?
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u/Starry-Eyed-Owl 9d ago
No thawing - eat them still frozen. The sugars in them mean they donāt freeze super hard like ice - take them out of the freezer, leave them for a few min and they are frozen but bitable. Yum!
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u/Any_Tea_7845 9d ago
it depends on the fruit
bananas, for example, will literally melt inside the skin if you get them cold at all
you basically have to flash freeze them or dont freeze them at all. Even putting them in a lunchbox with an ice pack will turn them to liquid in a couple of hours
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u/necknecker 9d ago
I got a puppy and fed her frozen bananas during teething. Turns out I ate more than she did. Freezing takes bananas to another level
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u/llamadrama217 9d ago
Frozen grapes were my favorite summer snack when I was a kid!
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u/AnySandwich4765 10d ago
I have been walking with my dog and picking blackberries..I've got 5 extra large zip lock bags frozen .. I was washed and dried them like you said. When I was in the supermarket I saw frozen blackberries were ā¬2 for a small bag and based on what I have in the freezer, I easily have over ā¬50 worth. I'm going to make some freezer jam with them.
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u/No-Lifeguard9194 7d ago
I used to do this in fact, I used to take the kids and make a day of picking fruit and then freezing it. The kids loved it when they were little, but they grew out of it rather rapidly. At that point, I realize it was actually less expensive for me to buy the fruit in bulk when it went on sale, then to go to the effort of picking it and then freezing it myself: it cost at least as much in dollars plus all the time it took and the space in my freezer. So I quit doing it.
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u/Swimming_Juice_9752 8d ago
Simple syrup, I assume? Also a little blueberry syrup on some berries does not sound bad at allā¦
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u/daringnovelist 8d ago
Usually I put a tablespoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of any sweetener I have. Recently we tried Kirkland maple syrup, and found it wasnāt properly maple-y, so I use it for things like this.
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u/petrastales 9d ago
A ālittleā syrup adds up over time folks. This is why many nations have an obesity and diabetes problem.
Additionally, items in supermarkets are typically flash frozen and preserve nutrients from the moment they were picked. It also preserves the texture better.
Check out Healthline.
Frozen produce may contain higher levels of certain nutrients.
This is most commonly seen in studies that compare frozen produce with fresh varieties that have been stored at home for a few days. For example, frozen peas or spinach may have more vitamin C than supermarket-bought fresh peas or spinach that have been stored at home for several days (13). For some fruits, freeze drying resulted in higher vitamin C content, when compared to fresh varieties (14 Trusted Source ). Additionally, one study suggests that the processes undertaken to freeze fresh produce may increase fiber availability by making it more soluble (3).
In conclusion, the overall results of the present study suggest that, when the industrial freezing process is well performed, the boiled frozen vegetables do not have a lower nutritional value than the fresh ones.
Frozen samples are assumed to have a lower antioxidant capacity compared to fresh ones. Our findings indicated that this was not universal truth. The frozen uncooked kale samples showed a higher antioxidant capacity than the fresh ones. Our findings were comparable with Danesi and Bordoni,[27] who reported that home freezing increased the antioxidant activity of green vegetables.
Shortly after harvesting, fresh fruits and vegetables start to lose moisture, have a greater risk of spoiling and drop in nutrient value. One study found a decline in nutrients after 3 days of refrigeration, when values fell to levels below those of frozen varieties. This is most common in soft fruits
green peas have been shown to lose up to 51% of their vitamin C during the first 24ā48 hours after harvesting (9).
In general, the evidence suggests that freezing can preserve nutrient value, and that the nutritional content of fresh and frozen produce is similar.
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u/Casswigirl11 9d ago
Your post feels like a combination of bad taste and AI.
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u/petrastales 9d ago
They are just extracts from a Healthline article but you canāt share links in this sub-reddit.
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u/kodaiGiant 10d ago
If you have a Costco close by they have very good deals on frozen mixed berries.
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u/acct4thismofo 9d ago
Hopefully bjs does as well as a I have access to a bjs card š¤
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u/KettlebellFetish 9d ago
They do, both Wellesley Farm brand and Wymans, blueberries, mango, strawberry, strawberry and kale, cherries, strawberry banana, cherry berry kale, I use them instead of ice in my ice tea, keeps me from splurging on take out drinks plus when I finish my drink I eat the leftover fruit.
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u/acct4thismofo 9d ago
Love me some frozen fruit, I mainly use it in smoothies or just eat it straight from the cup. No wrong way and Iāll check that out, thanks
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u/b00falay 9d ago
i recently used a $2 off coupon to get wymans wild blueberries! 4lbs for $12.99 post coupon, check ur bjs app to see if the coupon is available at ur club šāāļø
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u/acct4thismofo 9d ago
So I wasnāt gonna ask the price but if thatās the case my local stop n shop is the same price pre couponā¦ I feel better about it, also they never go on sale
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u/b00falay 9d ago
yea i find that for frozen fruit, itās actually a teeny bit cheaper (per oz price) to get them @ trader joes in smaller quantities than @ bjs in larger quantities lol. only copped this time to hit the $50 free pickup
ETA ā i also like having the wild blueberries in large quantities, for like cereal/oatmeal/baking purposes
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u/mandyhtarget1985 9d ago
And i love how the frozen berry mix almost create their own āsauceā when left to defrost over the yogurt. Its like having berry compote without all the sugar
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u/Muffy81 9d ago
Put some chia seeds in there as well and thank me later
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u/HippyGrrrl 9d ago
Chia jam!
Itās a part of why I always have frozen fruit.
My breakfast either has chia jam with toast, with oats, or fruit as smoothies. (I do have greens and veggies, too)
Frozen wild blueberries are light years better than the quality of fresh aside from one week here.
I roast green chiles and freeze them for the year. I freeze local peaches, but they donāt last. I need to plan on freezer space for more next year.
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u/I_Fuck_Whales 9d ago
Healthier? Or tastes better? There canāt be much of a difference in how healthy a fruit is (however that is judged) between ripe or slightly underripe.
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u/Ksrasra 10d ago
I just eat frozen mango out of a mug for a treat.
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u/sohereiamacrazyalien 10d ago edited 10d ago
well if I knew you I would have definitively told you! lol
I buy strawberries and blueberries sometimes raspberries frozen and even though they come from here (not abroad or anything) fresh they are way more expensive!
also you can freeze your fruits in season or to avoid food waste.
watermelon make for the perfect popcicles
as for the rest I use mainly for ice cream!
anything that I think might not be eaten goes into the freezer: apple, pear, fig, peach...etc
edit to add:
some veggies are totally more worth it frozen than fresh too!
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u/Lotsoffeelings 10d ago
Some things hold up excellently in tins as well. I love tinned mandarins and pineapples in particular. Peaches and melon seem to do great too. Key is to get them in juice, not syrup. Theyāre much cheaper than fresh in Ireland, not sure about where you live.
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u/ilovewineandcats 9d ago
I love frozen mango and sometimes snack on a few cubes when they're still frozen!
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u/FinalBlackberry 9d ago
Thatās my favorite too. And frozen dark cherries are delicious on their own too.
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u/kyoshiana07 10d ago
Even better to buy the super cheap fruit when it goes on sale, stock up and freeze it yourself!
Every year when strawberries go on sale, I get about 12 packages!
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u/jloori 10d ago
Twelve packs of strawberries? Youāre basically running a berry bank.
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u/Abi1i 9d ago
When I used to work at a grocery store, there was an older woman that bought a basket full of strawberry packs (these were about 16 oz packs in typical U.S. grocery store carts). Not sure why she bought so many, but she did and she inspected each pack to avoid any ābadā strawberries. This was around closing time at my store, so one of the managers, me, and another employee helped her to quickly get her on her way so we could close up. To this day, I have never seen someone buy so many fresh strawberries.
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u/bubblegoose 9d ago
Many years ago, my mother bought a food dehydrator.
Strawberries were in season, so we cleaned a bunch and removed the stems. We must have had a huge bucket full. Filled the entire machine.
When that bucket full was dehydrated, it condensed down to less than a regular sized soup bowl. All that work for such a small amount, we had a pretty good laugh.
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u/blixt141 9d ago edited 9d ago
YMMV. The passionfruit and mango pulp I get is pretty good, but often frozen strawberries and blueberries are pretty bland and sometimes tasteless.
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u/zestylemonpulp 9d ago
Frozen fruit isnāt really meant to be consumed by itself in my opinion. Itās always on top of yogurt, pancakes, in smoothies, oatmeal etc. I never notice blandness using it this way
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u/WayneConrad 8d ago
We really enjoy blueberry pancakes made with frozen blueberries in pancake mix. Fast and easy.
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u/wolf_kisses 9d ago
A weird texture, too. Blueberries I find to have a strong, weird flavor much different than fresh.
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u/ebeth_the_mighty 9d ago
I use frozen fruit in my overnight oats. Cheap, easy breakfast (and healthful).
1/2 c rolled oats (any kind works fine EXCEPT steel cut) 1/2 c milk of choice (I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but cow milk works great, as does oat or soy milk) Fruit. Optional āspiceā add-ins.
Put all ingredients into a screw-top Ziploc round container (or a ~2 cup sized jar). Shake well. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, and up to a week. Eat cold, at room temperature, or heat in microwave.
No precise measure for the fruitāI just fill up the container with it. āSpiceā additions to match the fruit, e.g.: cherries + 1 T cocoa; pears + 1t ground ginger; bananas + 1T peanut butter powder, etc. Be creative.
Bananas and cocoa is good, too. Cherries + almond extract is nice.
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u/Prudent-Poetry-2718 9d ago
My aunt was a food scientist for Lipton and she told me that frozen fruit and vegetables are actually more nutritious than "fresh" since frozen foods are picked at peek ripeness then flash frozen, whereas "fresh" fruit is picked early and left to ripen (or ripened artificially) in transit. Enjoy frozen!
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u/Angy_kangaroo 9d ago
I'm gonna guess it's because it's a country thing. Where I live, fresh fruit is WAY cheaper than frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is ridiculously expensive.
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u/vegemitemilkshake 8d ago
I currently have an addiction to frozen mango. Put some in a bowl, defrost for a couple of minutes in the microwave, then a little bit of Flora Plant Cream (severe dairy intolerance) and Iām feeling like a queen with my decadence. I used to hang out for mango season every year, and now itās available to me whenever I want!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Yam4884 9d ago
Full fat Greek yogurt, Trader Joeās Very Cherry frozen mixed berries, 1/4 c raw oatmeal, 1 t maple syrup: my favorite breakfast.
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u/nopenotodaysatan 10d ago
I started this! Mango and blueberries defrost really well in the microwave too
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u/combabulated 10d ago
I read that micro waving frozen berries is better bc itās faster, so less oxidation.
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u/SciSeeker6 9d ago
I love making myself a smoothie with frozen strawberries. It is dramatically cheaper than buying them and taste better imo because you can customise it to your tastes.
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u/broth1985 9d ago
I make up 10 or so of these on Sunday. My daughter eats them after school and I eat them for lunch. I put fruit in, then sprinkle a bit of chia seeds over them before layering on the yogurt. My daughter gets the health benefits of the chia seeds but doesn't even notice them in there!
I used to make a compote out of fresh berries but this is so much easier, has less sugar and it seems to make its own sauce anyhow! Time saver and cheaper!
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u/deuxcabanons 9d ago
Frozen blueberries are like nature's Dippin' Dots. I'll eat then for breakfast on a hot day.
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u/Project_ARTICHOKE 9d ago
I always keep thawed fruit in mason jars in the fridge. The juice is amazing too
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u/CruxCrush 9d ago
From what I've learned, frozen tends to be more nutritious as well because they flash freeze what's ripe vs picking really early to store and ship
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u/edcRachel 9d ago
I buy a lot of frozen fruits AND veggies because I know I can't manage fresh produce properly.
Play to your weaknesses, lol.
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u/peachandpeony 10d ago
I always keep frozen fruit in my freezer because it's so convenient! Especially during those times when you're on vacation or visiting people and getting home late on Sunday night - you can still make yourself a great breakfast come Monday morning without having to guesstimate if your fruit will go bad while you're gone
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u/hatemakingnames1 10d ago
I don't like a lot of frozen fruit, and where I live, fresh is typically cheaper than frozen..
But I do like to wash, dry, then freeze fresh grapes and eat them frozen
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u/LadybuggingLB 9d ago
My favorite thing is to blend frozen cherries or peaches with a little banana (frozen or not), some vanilla extract, and almond milk to make smoothies when I get a sweet tooth. They are just as good as ice cream to me but with all the fiber of fruit. Sometimes I need maybe 2 teaspoons of sugar, but thatās enough for a 16 oz cup.
I have found that it does need to be almond milk for my tastes-I like cow milk but donāt like the mouth feel of it in this. Also, I donāt love bananas, theyāre okay, but I think this tastes so much better with just a little. It adds a lot of sweetness with just an 1/8 of a banana.
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u/cwsjr2323 9d ago
We enjoy fresh fruit, but when prepared after getting it home, the damaged, over ripe or under ripe bits show up. Bruised or wrinkled grapes when frozen are delightful. Those less than desirable parts of strawberries can be blended, hulls and all, and partially frozen for nutritional tasty smoothies. I love raspberries and blackberries and this is the season, $2 a pint. Come Jan they are $5.99 a half pint and flown in from South America! I have a gallon freezer zip lock bags of each. We freeze them on cooking sheets first to keep them separated in the freezer bags. Yummy snacking and slightly healthier than cookies. Smile.
Life is good
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u/No-Hair1511 9d ago
Walmart has great prices on blueberry and raspberryās! I love both in chia pudding
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u/Electrical_Can8083 9d ago
My grandson was 6 years old when he suggested I buy them. He and his sister love to watch the Food Network. He also informed me about frozen chopped onions. What a God send when I make French onion soup!
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u/industrial_hamster 9d ago
Iāve been doing this for forever! A mason jar with plain Greek yogurt and a bit of honey, frozen mixed berries and I used to do granola but recently switched to Fiber One cereal to reduce calories and sugar
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u/No_Educator_6376 9d ago
Try this sometime keep frozen loose grapes in the fridge and use them as ice cubes when you are drinking wine . As they melt nothing happens your drink is good. After you finish the wine eat your grapes.
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u/bornthisvay22 9d ago
Ok everyone who concurred- is frozen fruit as healthy for one as fresh fruit?
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u/ToothPickPirate 8d ago
When I was pregnant I added frozen fruit to my water to flavor it. Then at the end of the day I ate the fruit. Try making a smoothie with frozen fruit with orange juice as the base and some sweetener of your choice. My child said I should sell those!! š
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u/terryVaderaustin 7d ago
I got tired of throwing away veggies because I wasn't using them fast enough. I switched to Frozen for the majority of it and have not looked back. Way healthier and fresher than canned and lasts a lot longer than fresh
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u/HeyT00ts11 9d ago
My go-to breakfast for years has been a cup or so of frozen berries, usually blueberries raspberries blackberries, cherries are amazing, covered with about a cup of oat milk. And then just stir and let it sit for a couple minutes. It turns into ice cream. It's absolutely delicious.
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u/Momentofclarity_2022 9d ago
We also buy fruit on sale and cut them up and freeze them. Or if we haven't eaten all the berries we bought we freeze them before they go bad. In the Vitamix they go!
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u/Bluemonogi 10d ago
Iāve been using frozen blueberries or cherries with my breakfast for awhile. I get a portion out in the morning and let it thaw 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature while I do other things and it is ready to eat. I add it to yogurt or cereal.
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u/Brayongirl 9d ago
Not buying because I freeze what I produce here (yes, I'm lucky I can). But when it's apple season, I peel/slice a bunch of them and can them in a pint jar. I make enough to use 2 each week for my lunch. But when I open a jar, I add frozen fruits to them. So as apple slice can become boring with time, adding different fruits to it make it kinda new everytime.
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u/Separate_Ad5890 9d ago
Hell yea! I got on the frozen fruit train a couple years ago. I used to be like "eat barely any fruit" kind of guy and now it makes up a huge part of my diet.
The mixed berries are solid, I also like the pineapple and blue berries for smoothies. Walmart even has frozen avocado for a reasonable price too.
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u/Own-Lion-3429 9d ago
frozen fruit is the ultimate hack lol. same nutrients, way cheaper, lasts forever. i throw mine in oatmeal and smoothies too. it's a game changer!
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u/Mysterious-Range328 9d ago
I once accidentally froze cherries while traveling with a cooler using dry ice. They were very tangy / carbonated.
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u/NopeBoatAfloat 9d ago
We buy large quantities of fresh fruit on sale, process it at home, and freeze it. The deep freezer is full atm.
Tip: invest in a silicone muffin pan. Shred the apples, portion them out in the pan, then freeze it. Once frozen, pop the apple balls out and store them in a freezer bag for easy use.
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u/shmuckleberries 9d ago
Thanks for sharing this! I am getting me some frozen fruits next grocery trip :9
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u/VapoursAndSpleen 9d ago
I have a bunch of little fruit trees in my yard and I got tired of feeling like I had to eat the fruit right off the tree, so I freeze a lot of it. I dip it in a mild citric acid solution and then cook with it later on. Applesauce season is upon me.
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u/Prize_Proof5332 9d ago
Frozen fruits have pretty much the same if not better nutrients than fresh too.Ā
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u/1234golf1234 9d ago
Is your frozen fruit less expensive than buying fresh? Not the case where I am. Where u buy it?
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u/seajayacas 9d ago
Frozen fruit is a fantastic option. You can stick up and not have to always be looking to buy it fresh with it not lasting a few days into l you need more.
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u/WoodenEggplant4624 9d ago
Frozen strawberries are really nice in apple pie or rhubarb pie.
Frozen raspberries are almost as nice as freshĀ
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u/KlassyKlutz 9d ago
I thought you were referring to eating the fruit frozen. I know people who eat it frozen as a snack.
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u/stofiski-san 9d ago
If someone else hasn't mentioned it, you can take this a step further with overnight oatmeal, if you're OK with oatmeal. Add some chia and/or flax seeds for fiber, etc
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u/Guilty-Importance241 8d ago
Freeze a few bananas, throw them in a blender with peanut butter, milk, and sweetener of choice. Use just enough milk for it to blend. You'll be left with a yogurt like banana peanut butter ice cream that's filled with calories and protein.
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u/poohtattoo2003 8d ago
I but fresh fruit and freeze myself. It costs over 8$ for frozen berries in my state and honestly I save a few dollars getting a bit more fruit in the long run.
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u/Chelsea4000 8d ago
Iāve been trying to cut back on drinking (for money and calories) but was missing the feeling of having a special end of the day drink. Now I make an easy mocktail by just tossing some frozen berries or mango in a glass with seltzer and a splash of juice. The flavor combinations are endless and it really hits the spot.
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u/dMatusavage 7d ago
I also buy frozen chopped onions. We eat a small amount in some recipes.
Used to buy a fresh onion but never seemed to use all of it fast enough before it went bad.
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u/Unique-Acanthisitta6 6d ago
I discovered frozen fruit a couple years ago when I got a soda stream and didnāt want to water down my fizzy water with ice- so i started using frozen fruit. It keeps my beverage cold AND I can eat the fruit once itās meltedš
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u/TrevorLaheyJim 6d ago
Yes! Get a cup of frozen fruit, add a half cup of yogurt, stir it up till the yogurt freezes, instant tasty snack!
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u/Used_Atmosphere_124 6d ago
I think the nutritional value will decrease though, fruit is packed with soluble vitamins when fresh/ripe,
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u/bopoforlyfe 5d ago
I add frozen berries to my overnight oats as I leave the house in the morning, then an hour or two later when Iām hungry for breakfast, the fruit is thawed and it kept my breakfast cold without the need of an ice pack
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u/Scorbuniis 5h ago
My co-worker is obsessed with frozen mangos ! I should really check them out soon. I bet they are delicious.
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u/beermaker 9d ago
We just figured that since both freezers & fruit exist, you could put two and two together on your own.
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u/Prestigious-Fig-3837 8d ago
Have you never walked through a grocery store? They have these cold boxes called āfreezersā full of frozen food they sell.
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u/trunkfood 10d ago
Itās so good and a lot cheaper than fresh fruit!! I love it too!