Fruits and Vegetables

Quality — Freeze only high quality fruits and vegetables. Always use garden-
fresh vegetables and freeze within a few hours of gathering.

Varieties — Choose varieties of fruits and vegetables that are recommended
for freezing. Some freeze better than others. Check with your Provincial Depart-
ment of Agriculture for suitable varieties.

Maturity — Select fruits and vegetables that are at the ideal stage of
maturity for good eating. Freeze fruits that are ripe but firm. Do not freeze any
fruit that is green, over-ripe, bruised or beginning to spoil. Freeze only vegetables
that are young and tender. Do not freeze any vegetable that is tough, starchy
or woody.

PREPARATION

In general, clean and cut up fruits and vegetables as for eating or cooking.
Prepare and pack quickly and carefully, working with only enough fruit or vege-
table to fill 3 or 4 containers at one time. (See pages 7 to 11 for details on
preparation.)

PACKAGING

Pack fruits and vegetables in cartons, bags or other containers made especially
for frozen foods. (See pages 20 and 21 for details on packaging. )

Use any of the following for fruits and vegetables:
(1) Rectangular freezer cartons with polyethylene inner bags.
(2) Plastic freezer bags — for dry pack.

(3) Heavily-waxed, cylindrical freezer cartons with slip-over or slip-in lids — for
any type of pack.

(4) Glass jars — for any type of pack.

(5) Freezer wrappings — for corn (on cob), asparagus, green pepper and rhubarb,
if desired.

(6) Flexible plastic containers.

STORAGE TIME

Frozen fruits, vegetables and herbs may be stored for 1 year.