My sister has a recipe for a wonderful layered salad. Cooked blueberries still have some health benefits but, say, blueberries baked into pancakes won’t have all of the nutritional flavor or nutritional benefits of the raw fruit. How much, I know frozen vegetables and fruitsalmost completely retain their useful properties. The only way to be absolutely sure is to cook frozen berries, bring them to a boil, then cool and refreeze. If you are a long-time fresh fruit supporter, don’t be offended. Want to read about more snacks?How To Prevent CancerSave Money, Calories, and the Environment with this Yogurt A Dip that Won't Kill You. Washing frozen berries will not remove the risk. Certainly, we’ve heard of frozen berries for smoothies, desserts, and stuff like that. Or you can add berries to your favorite foods. can i eat canned fruit while pregnant if i drain off the syrup and rinse it real good? Whether you are eating the frozen or the fresh variety, the following will be exactly the same. Piggy-backing on the first exposed truth, the frozen fruit industry has highly advanced freezing technology, which now allows fresh fruit to be frozen quickly and delicately without damaging any part of the fruit. We add 2 T cocoa add any fruit, freeze. I tried frozen berries for the first time the other day, and wow, I have found a snack forever, frozen berries - including, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and redcurrants with chocolate sauce! A ripe blueberry bursts with juicy sweetness and easily replaces sugary, unhealthy snacks. They are loaded nutritionally (lots of vitamins) and they … I'm thinking of eating the mousse with strawberries for lower calories. I heat it up at work after my workout and add 1/4 frozen blueberries YUM!~. You can replace a whole bowl of ice-cream for 100 calories. I eat frozen fruit, I also like to take some, but it in a blender add some yogurt or ice cream and you get a milkshake or smoothie. An example is wild blueberries. Eat blueberries raw. sometimes you can just put them in the microwave for like 8 seconds and they would probably be good to bite into then. Otherwise, you can let then thaw overnight. Berries have natural sweeteners and they taste great. Photo courtesy of vanillaextract.me. This has long been the mantra for healthy eaters everywhere. These berries are traditionally sweetened and cooked or sweetened and dried to reduce some of their tartness. I learned about the price of berries, when my baby girl decided that she loved the taste of fresh blueberries. Water soluble vitamins like the Bs and C will drop slightly, but not entirely. I add all types of frozen fruit to plain yogurt. You can replace a whole bowl of ice-cream for 100 calories. Truth #4 Frozen berries stay young and nutritious. No need to wait for the next harvest. Check in five minutes. Frozen blueberries are delicious in this. It will actually freeze the yogurt and make it like ice cream. Try frozen berries. Always check the labels to be sure that you are getting nothing more than fruit. You just can't miss. Truth #6 Frozen berries are cost effective. If you want to make them more luxurious add a teaspoon of sugar, maple syrup, or chocolate sauce for a great snack. The 8 Healthiest Berries You Can Eat Written by Ruairi Robertson, PhD — Updated on August 19, 2020 Berries are small, soft, round fruit of various colors — mainly blue, red, or purple. Clean and remove the green leaves and stems of strawberries and freeze for several hours. Frozen berries hold their shape far better than fresh, and they can be used in just about any recipe that calls for fresh. Here are seven truths about frozen berries that will help you see frozen in a whole new light, and allow you to enjoy all of their amazing health benefits no matter the season! If you don’t have access to fresh blueberries, a handful of frozen berries makes a delicious treat as well. The frozen berries give the shake a much better consistency. It's satisfying and healthy. Place the berries in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. I'm Snack Girl and my website is devoted to becoming healthier. Take only the amount of fruit you need to thaw from the freezer. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often side by side in the supermarket so people assume the vegetables are OK to consume frozen. Frozen mixed or blueberries, 1/2 a banana, 1/2 c skim milk, 1 T wheat germ and a Yoplait Fiber One vanilla yogurt in the blender. The convenience of frozen blueberries allows you to enjoy the antioxidant-rich fruit any time of year. The obvious answer is berries, but the fresh ones are pretty pricey. My husband eats frozen mango plain in place of ice cream. Please share below. No need to wait for the next harvest. Those strawberries are frozen hard. Here are 11 good reasons to include berries in your diet. Frozen fruit is not boiled or blanched prior to being processed. You can ensure that the berries are safe to eat by boiling for one minute. Place the fruit in the refrigerator in a bowl or on a plate to avoid dripping. Why add frozen berries? Fresh fruit picked from your own garden and eaten immediately is going to be even more nutritious. ... "Frozen peas, corn, beans, berries and small pieces of fish like shrimp and scallops should not be a solid block of food," said Stack. It makes a slushee like texture. This integrity is measured by IQF (Integrity of Delicate Foods), which means that individual fruit maintains its individual identity; they don’t glob together in ice. They are loaded nutritionally (lots of vitamins) and they are low in calorie. Freezing a cup-size is really convenient for any use, and there will be no surprises when you open the bag – the fruit looks and tastes great. (5) Not Suitable For Individuals With Stone Fruits Allergy COUNTERTOP DEFROSTING. If the berries are still frozen, drain and add fresh cold water. Berry and fruit muffins. Add a large cake chunk to the bottom of the cup. However, old school ideas about frozen fruit are being challenged by what some are calling a “new frozen,” aided by advanced quick freezing technology. Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat. Do you pass by the frozen fruit section because you think that frozen is not up to par? I chop it up while still frozen and add it to an equal weight cottage cheese with a squeeze of Mio. Frozen fruit is great, especially in the winter months where there isn't much variety of fresh fruit available. Suck the air out of the bag, pinch the straw shut where it enters the bag, pull it out quickly and zip the rest of the way. Make your own vacuum sealer bag for your fresh berries. We are lucky enough to live in a place where you can pick your own berries. They make the milk icy cold - and I love the taste (especially with Special K). Why? As long ago as 1998, the FDA told us that frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same essential nutrients as fresh. My cousin snacks on them straight from the freezer. If you go to one of the smoothie shops you occasionally see about, they'll use things straight from frozen. 4. When unopened and refrigerated, yogurt will last two to three weeks past the date on the container. If you plan to eat them whole or use as a garnish, thaw them for four to six hours so they are still partially frozen and firm. That also resulted in them having lower antioxidant content. They get a bit more mushy after they are defrosted but the taste of the berries is preserved. The fact that you can purchase them in bulk packaging makes them even more valuable. For a refreshing beverage, throw frozen blueberries in sparkling water or lemonade and they act as tasty little ice-cubes. Is there a food out there that can explode with taste and also fight cancer? Of course, frozen fruit lasts for a shorter period of time if it is not stored properly. Both animal studies and human trials demonstrate a strong link between berry consumption, reduced inflammation and improved cognitive function. otherwise let em thaw out for 20 mins and then eat. Professor and author Graham Bonwich from the University of Chester notes that once fresh berries hit your refrigerator, they begin to lose their nutritional value. Truth # 7 You can enjoy frozen berries all year. No spoiling equates to no waste, which is also better on the wallet. 4. Once the berries are frozen, transfer them to zip-top bags. Berries have natural sweeteners and they taste great. Place the berries in a bowl and cover with cold water. More Info, Privacy Policy, Save Money, Calories, and the Environment with this Yogurt, Subscribe to Snack Girl's Free Newsletter, Delicious & Easy Healthy Recipes (with Points Values!! They tend to retain their nutritional value longer than fresh, because they are preserved at their peak of freshness. This is good news when garden season ends in your region. You don’t want any additives, especially sugar. I lived near a Trader Joe's which had a big bag of frozen, wild blueberries for about $3. Once one side is cooked, sprinkle the uncooked side with frozen berries and leave a few moments before turning. Experiment with different types of berries and other fruit. I drink more water now and it is healthy! Choices might include using blueberries for muffins, mixed berries or bananas for a smoothie … Whether you grow your own and freeze them or purchase frozen from your local grocer, you can enjoy the fresh taste of berries all season long when you use frozen. I freeze raspberries in season, and then crumble 8-10 of them onto cold cereal and milk. Fresh or frozen, wild blueberries are the #1 antioxidant fruit. Love it, I would definitely recommend trying!! Can you thaw and refreeze meat? This is what microbiologist Benjamin Chapman does, just to … So is dried strawberries. Consumers who are interested in the best quality and competitive prices are now starting to realize that frozen is really quite cool, indeed. Furthermore, they maintain this integrity for up to 2 years. But remember that frozen fruit, like a lot of other fruit, usually has a best by date and not a use by date or expiration date. You can just eat a bowl of frozen berries. Join over 20,000 subscribers who get the latest from Snack Girl - healthy & EASY recipes, supportive weight loss advice, packaged food buying tips, and more! What a disappointment. Interestingly enough, when frozen blueberries are added to warm oatmeal the rich pigment (representing the bioflavonoids) is visible. Fruit Cubes. Many fresh foods, including fruit, are often picked before their peak so that they don’t fall apart during shipping and storage. Place the bags of fruit in the freezer. While the freezing process does have some marked effects, there are certain things that do not change at all. Have you been told that frozen is a waste of money and that you should never buy it, or that it is the ultimate compromise during the dead of winter? I add a little splenda to the raspberries usually. Add a layer a layer of vanilla yogurt and top off with of berries. We will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. Do not refreeze berries that have thawed; this becomes rather messy. She buys a pint of fresh blueberries and … Frozen fruits generally offer quite a value over in-season fresh fruit. It is really easy to extract single servings from a large bag of frozen berries and keep them frozen and ready-to-use. Remove the excess air from a Ziplock bag, place a straw in the bag and zip closed as tightly as possible. As there is still a lot of vitamins. Studies done on strawberries and raspberries found that there was no difference statistically in the antioxidant levels of fresh and frozen. Pull out the fruit that has been frozen the longest, to make sure it gets used before spoilage. Eat By Date advises that unopened packages of frozen fruit and frozen vegetables can both keep for eight to 10 months past their printed date. Why add frozen berries? You could blend the avocado really thin to make it more of a sauce. A yummy combo. I tried fresh berries & the price and consistency sent me running back to frozen! There goes her college fund. Because of this distinction, you may safely use frozen fruit to compliment your favorite meals even after the best by date has lapsed. or guess I could just double boiler melt some fair trade organic dark chocolate. It can be an idea to halve the berries and so-on before freezing them and another tip is to put them into individual portion containers rather than a large one where they freeze into a solid block. "Many people eat frozen peas from the bag, for example. I make steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot, for both my husband and myself---a week's worth at a time. Frozen fruit is picked when it’s ripe and frozen immediately, keeping the majority of the vitamins safe inside the fruit. You can eat your veggies cooked, raw, frozen or at room temperature. i know fresh fruit is better, but right now i want some fruit. There are so many reasons why you should be eating Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit. To freeze your own fresh berries at home, spread rinsed and dry berries on a single layer baking sheet and place the sheet in your freezer. If you live a long way from the grocery store, bring along an ice pack or cooler bag to keep your berries frozen for the ride. 2-3 bananas in the blender with just enough almond or coconut milk to make it ultra creamy. Frozen berries are excellent for smoothies and actually contain less water than fresh, making them a great choice for baked goods such as pancakes, wholesome muffins and other natural treats. I have given my toddler/child puree made from frozen berries, should I be worried? A study out of Rice University and the University of California at Davis discovered that the fluorescent light in supermarkets and dark refrigerators mess with the circadian clocks of fresh produce, so that they excrete fewer cancer-fighting compounds. When cooking with frozen berries, do not let them thaw first – just throw them in frozen. We all know that eating plenty of fruits and veggies is an integral part of overall health and disease prevention. Problem solved! The fruit holds both its shape and texture well with such freezing. Truth # 7 You can enjoy frozen berries all year. How many times have you gotten to the bottom of your fresh berry container to find mold growing or the berries crushed? If you don’t have a chance to get into the city, they also have frozen fruit bars that you can find in supermarkets all over. Frozen foods such as wild blueberries can actually be better than fresh for a few reasons. Since then, we add frozen berries to many foods that we love. Decide what fruit you want to use. Dr. Jeff Livingston … Tips for Shopping for and Using Frozen Berries. Because unfortunately, the kind sold most places are conventional blueberries. Whether you grow your own and freeze them or purchase frozen from your local grocer, you can enjoy the fresh taste of berries all season long when you use frozen. A small box of organic blueberries set me back $3.50 (and she ate two in one day!). I don't wait for them to thaw out all the way, just icy good. Science Says: Do This For 15 Minutes a Day to Decrease the Age of... 11 Reasons To Eat More Pumpkin And How To Do It, 7 Raw Honey Fixes That Work (Ladies love # 4). Do you have a favorite food with frozen berries? My wife does it too. Fruit should not be refrozen, so any leftover thawed fruit will go to waste if not used. Truth # 5 Cooking with frozen berries is easy. The Food and Drug Administration is being cautious about frozen, edible, colorful fruits.. d'you have a healthful chocolate sauce recipe? Allow them to thaw for about 10 minutes prior to serving. you cna easily use the frozen fruits in smoothies or shakes as the blender can mash em frozen! The easiest way to eat frozen blueberries is the same as how you eat fresh blueberries: by the handful! http://thecookersblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/valentine-health…, Frozen berries are the greatest! But this is a game changer. You can either freeze your own or purchase frozen organic from your local grocer without being worried about nutrient quality. :-). Dr. Josh Levitt, The Alternative Daily health expert explains below. There is a growing body of research supporting the consumption of berry fruits on longevity and health. ), Food product reviews to help you decide what is healthiest, Support and encouragement for losing weight, fitness goals, and feeling good. Freezing fruit does not inactivate the hepatitis A virus, which remains stable and able to cause human infections when consumed. I use frozen berries in my breakfast smoothies every morning. No, there is no need to stop buying frozen berries. 7 Ways To Save $500 A Month (And Improve Your Health), Here is a Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner Without the Guilt, Sipping Lemon Water First Thing In The Morning Is Good For You: Here’s Why, Weird Facts About your Belly Button you Probably Didn’t Know, Cavities are Contagious: Here’s How it Happens, Get Your Hot Chocolate Fix and Smash Chronic Inflammation at the Same Time, 32 Signs Fungus Might Be Taking Over Your Body. Freezing keeps your berries young and preserves all of their health-promoting compounds. You can serve thawed, warm berries over the top of pancakes with vanilla-flavoured yoghurt. She would happily eat a whole bowl of frozen berries. Truth #1 Frozen berries are just as nutritious as fresh. This is especially true of frozen berries. Even in July and August when they’re in-season, we still often times prefer to eat frozen. As with many foods, you will obtain the greatest health benefits from blueberries if you eat them raw. Because eating frozen blueberries too quickly can cause discomfort, snacking on them this way can help you with portion control. This is due to how plant cells react to oxygen and exposure to artificial dark-light cycles. I love frozen raspberries and often eat them with frozen dark red cherries. The conclusion for the raspberry study was, “that freshly picked, fresh commercial, and frozen raspberries all contain similar levels of phytochemicals per serving.”, Truth # 2 Frozen berries are not just a glob of ice. Remember, frozen berries are just fresh fruit frozen, nothing more (that is, as long as you buy whole, no-sugar added berries). I bought an infuser bottle and put frozen raspberries, blackberries (have to mush these a bi), peaches, etc in my water daily. Obviously, fresh is great, and fresh and organic is even better. But you do the right thing by eating them. You can just eat a bowl of frozen berries. In addition, berries contain bioflavonoids, plant-based compounds that have potent antioxidant properties. Or you can add berries to your favorite foods. We froze a bunch of them and are still enjoying our labors. Heat can kill the virus, however the berries … Some of my favorite foods to add berries to: In these dark winter months, berries are a great reminder of Summer. Eating berries may help to prevent age-related neurodegeneration and motor function decline, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Cranberries are bitter-tasting berries that are full of powerful phytochemicals that protect your body from illness. But, consuming too many blueberries is bad as it can also decrease our blood sugar level to a dangerously low level. They’re delicious, nutritious, and provide a number of impressive health benefits. Of course fresh berries are delicious, but freezing doesn't alter the nutritional benefit of the berries. One of the layers is a box of frozen peas. Add any frozen berries to your favourite muffin recipe. Eat the Fruit. If you want to make them more luxurious add a teaspoon of sugar, maple syrup, or chocolate sauce for a great snack. Whole foods such as fruits and vegetables are the best way to maintain and improve health while building a strong immune system. They top the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity; developed by the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore) chart of 40 tested foods. 3 years ago. Of course a frozen product is not as usefulas well as fresh. But… what does this mean? Yes, of course they can. :-) I just purchased a 6-pound bag from the bulk foods store yesterday, actually... :-) We love them in smoothies with a banana and plain fat free yogurt - hooray for speedy, healthy breakfasts on the go! If you are suffering from diabetes then it is better to first consult your doctor and eat blueberries as per the advice of the doctor. You can make frozen berries safe to eat by either: bringing them to the boil, or cooking them at 85 degrees Celsius for at least 1 minute. Frozen berries are less likely to spoil and are often less expensive than fresh. adspeed_zones.push({zoneid:82564,numofads:1,div:'vik_82564_1',wrapper:'0'}); adspeed_zones.push({zoneid:91093,numofads:6,div:'ad91093',wrapper:'adspeedsection-sidebar'}); Original Cheerios No Longer Contain GMO Ingredients – But are They Healthy? So you can safely prepare fruit and berries for freezing in the summer for the winter. I don't know about a chocolate sauce, but a chocolate mousse.... Avacado, cocoa powder & splenda. So long as you let them thaw naturally, they are still regarded as a raw food. Do not thaw … Well known for their powerful antioxidant capabilities, berries have been found to have direct impacts on the brain. These were cultivated over the generations to look big, plump, and pretty. 'But when berries aren't in season, you can buy them frozen and they will be just as good for you.' You can also freeze blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can eat cranberries in their raw state, … I create recipes, review food products, and support those on a healthy journey. You don’t have that problem with frozen, as it literally comes from the vine right to the deep freeze when the nutrient levels are at their highest.