Stewed apples are delicious served with custard or cream. You can put them in a pie or a crumble or even add them to a cake.
However, perhaps you have apple trees and they’re all ready for eating or cooking within a couple of weeks. What do you do then? The answer is simple. You can stew them and then put them in the freezer so you can enjoy them over the next few months.
They freeze really well, and in this article, we will tell you how to freeze and how to defrost them.
How To Freeze Stewed Apples
1. Stew your apples using your favorite recipe.
It’s a good idea to add flavor with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
2. Cool down the stewed apples.
You shouldn’t leave food out at room temperature for longer than two hours as then bacteria can start to develop. To speed up the process, remove the stewed apples from the hot pan and put them in a cold bowl.
Make sure that they have completely cooled down before freezing them because if you put them in the freezer while they are still warm, it can bring up the temperature of the freezer.
Other food may then start to defrost and when they refreeze, bacteria can develop. In addition, if you put the stewed apples in the freezer while they are still warm, they probably won’t freeze as well (See also Freezing Apple Crumble).
3. Put the stewed apples in freezer bags.
Divide the stewed apples into meal-size portions and put them into freezer bags. By doing this you will only defrost as much as you need and avoid wastage. Squeeze out as much air as possible from the bags so that freezer burn doesn’t occur.
If it does, the stewed apples will lose taste and texture. Don’t fill the bags right up to the top of the bags as the apples will expand when put in the freezer.
It is a good idea to lay down the freezer bags and spread out the stewed apples so that you get a slab rather than a clump at the bottom of the bag. Put labels on the bags with the date you put them in the freezer. You don’t want to keep them in the freezer for longer than their use-by date.
4. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Stewed Apples
- Divide the stewed apples into meal-size portions to avoid wastage.
- Squeeze out the air from the freezer bags to avoid freezer burn.
- Use airtight containers instead of freezer bags if you wish.
- Choose different flavorings for your stewed apples. Cinnamon is the most popular but you can try cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, or vanilla. Honey and lemon is an unusual flavoring. Maple syrup can be used in the stewing process instead of sugar.
For How Long Can You Freeze Stewed Apples For?
You can keep stewed apples in the freezer for up to six months (see also Can You Freeze Cooked Apples?) although they always taste better the sooner you eat them. The great thing about stewed fruit is that it is soft and mushy so the texture doesn’t change that much. If you freeze apple or pear slices or any other sort of fruit, they do have a tendency to lose their crispness and can even go mushy. You don’t have to worry about this with stewed fruit as it is already mushy!
How Do You Defrost Stewed Apples?
There are two ways in which you can defrost stewed apples. The best way to defrost them is slowly in the fridge. It will take about twelve hours to defrost them, so you have to plan ahead. If you forget to defrost them in advance, you can place the freezer bag or airtight container in a sink containing room temperature water. If you do this, you should use the stewed apples straight away, otherwise, bacteria may start to develop.
Can You Refreeze Stewed Apples?
Yes, you can but the texture will change a little. Stewed apples are mushy but they do go a little mushier when they are defrosted. If you freeze and defrost a second time, the texture will change more. However, does that really matter? They are mushy anyway so a little more won’t make much of a difference. Chances are that you are going to use them in a pie or crumble or as a topping for breakfast yogurt. The texture won’t really make that much difference. However, if you are concerned about the texture, don’t refreeze. If you split the stewed apples into meal-size portions, there won’t be any need for refreezing.
Is It a Good Idea To Freeze Stewed Apples?
Yes, it’s a great idea to freeze stewed apples. They freeze remarkably well. They freeze for up to six months so if you have a glut of apples, just stew them and fill up your freezer. You will be able to have lovely hot desserts during the long cold winter ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing stewed apples but in case you are still curious, we have answered some questions here.
Can I stew and freeze other fruits?
Yes, you can stew many different fruits and freeze them as well. Try pears, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apricots, plums, rhubarb, or strawberries. To freeze them, just use the same instructions we have given you for freezing stewed apples.
What can I do with defrosted stewed apples?
You can heat them up and serve them with custard, cream, or ice cream. They’re good at breakfast time on top of yogurt or cereal. You can make them into an apple pie or apple crumble. Make a cake, add them to a steamed pudding, or put them in dumplings.
Can you freeze apple pie?
Yes, you can, and it keeps in the freezer for up to six months. You need to wrap it in a couple of layers of cling film and then in foil to prevent freezer burn and then put it in the freezer. However, if you don’t think you are going to eat the pie within a few days, the time it will last in the fridge, cut it into slices and wrap the slices individually.
