Can You Freeze Apricots?

4 minutes

Learning how to freeze fruits like apricots can save you lots of money, as you can buy them in bulk and preserve them for later. You can take them out when you’re ready to add them to your favourite recipe or if you wish to enjoy them in a smoothie or fruit salad.

But can you freeze fresh apricots with success or should it be avoided?

How to Freeze Apricots

Freezing apricots is straightforward. You can freeze them with or without the skin, so whether you peel them in advance is up to you. It shouldn’t affect the taste or texture either way, so peel or don’t peel; the choice is yours!

Below are the steps you need to follow to freeze apricots. 

1. Wash and Dry
   It’s important that you wash your apricot before you freeze it. Rinse it under cold water for a few seconds before dabbing it dry with a paper towel. 
2. Split Your Apricot and Remove the Pit
   Once washed, grab a sharp knife and split your apricot in half. You should then be able to remove the pit effortlessly from the centre. 
3. Line the Halves on a Tray
   Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on a tray, and place your apricot halves on the tray. You should place them, so they’re not touching one another, as they will freeze together if you do this. 
4. Freeze Initially
   Place the baking tray with the apricots in the freezer for one or two hours. You can remove the tray when the apricots are frozen solid. 
5. Place In a Freezer Safe Bag
   When your apricots are frozen solid, you don’t need to worry about them sticking together. Remove them from the tray and slide them into a freezer-safe bag. 
6. Label and Freeze
   The final step is to note the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag. Remember, you can freeze apricots for around four months. 

3 Tips for Freezing Apricots

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing apricots to have the best results:

Remove the Air
When you’re ready to transfer your apricot halves to a freezer-safe bag, be sure to press out as much air as possible to save the fruit from going brown. 

Add to Dishes From the Freezer
Apricots are a fantastic source of vitamins A and C and also contain a high level of fibre, which helps you feel full for longer. They’re the perfect addition to smoothies, salads, cereals, and desserts and can be enjoyed straight from the freezer. 

Avoid Freezing Whole
Technically, it’s perfectly safe to freeze an apricot whole without slicing and removing the pit. However, they’re much easier to enjoy when sliced and de-pitted, but go ahead and freeze them however you see fit!

How Long Can You Freeze Apricots?

You can freeze apricots for around four months. 

You will need to be careful not to damage the skin of your apricots during the freezing process, as they’re fairly delicate. This is why we encourage you to freeze them initially on a tray before transferring them to a bag.

When solid, you don’t need to worry so much about where you place them in the freezer. 

You Can Freeze Apricots for up to 4 Months

How Do You Defrost Apricots?

For certain uses like smoothies and juices, you don’t need to defrost apricots. Simply take them out of the freezer and place them straight into your juicer or blender, and away you go.

However, if you want to enjoy your apricots at room temperature, defrosting them is simple enough. Remove the pieces you would like to eat from the freezer, and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator.

After a few hours, they will be ready for you to enjoy.

Can You Refreeze Apricots?

We advise you against refreezing apricots, as you can’t be sure of how the texture will be.

You might find yourself with a mushy mess, which is far from ideal. If you’re particularly conscious about wastage, think about separating your apricot halves into smaller portion sizes.

That way, you can take out only the apricots you think you need at any given time, reducing the likelihood of wasting fruit that you don’t actually need.

Do Apricots Freeze Well?

Apricots are an excellent fruit to prepare and preserve in the freezer. As long as you don’t cut any corners and freeze them initially on a tray, you should have absolutely no issues when it comes to defrosting your apricots.

However, if you place them straight into a bag, you might find they’re all frozen together and difficult to separate, making it hard to remove only what you need from the freezer at one time. 

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing apricots or apricots in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Apricots To Make Jam Later?

You can freeze apricots in a certain way so that they are ready for you to make a jam at a later date. Cook your apricots down with some sugar then allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled bag it up and freeze.

You now have the mix ready to make jam with. 

Can You Freeze Dried Apricots?

Dried apricots can last 6 to 12 months in the cupboard and even longer in the fridge so there’s simply no point in freezing them as you won’t extend their life much further. 

The exception to this is if you have cooked them into a dish then they are safe to freeze in this way.