Recipe: Freezing Citrus Sections, Freezing Citrus Juices

Freezing Citrus Sections

Syrup Pack: Citrus can be frozen in its own juice or with a syrup made with 1 part water and 2 parts sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Chill syrup. Section oranges or grapefruit and pack into freezer jars or bags. Leave 1-inch headspace for expansion. Cover sections with cold syrup or juice. Seal, label, and date. Freeze at 0 . Storage period: About 4-6 months.

Dry Pack: Spread citrus sections on a flat pan. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Quickly freeze at 0 . Remove from pan and package in plastic freezer bags or other airtight containers. Seal, label, and date. Store at 0 . Citrus sections are excellent when eaten in a partially thawed state. Storage period: About 2 months.

Freezing Citrus Juices

To get the most juice from a fruit, roll it on a hard surface, pressing gently while rolling. Cut and squeeze out the juice. Do not press the oil from the rinds, as the oil will make the juice bitter.

Freezing citrus cubes: Orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime juice may be frozen in ice cube trays. Sweeten before freezing, if desired. Small cubes are easy to handle and may be added to punch or used instead of ice cubes in cold drinks. Storage period: 4-6 months.

Freezing orange juice: Although orange juice can be frozen, it takes up a lot of space and some varieties separate when frozen. Valencia oranges produce the best juice for freezing. After squeezing, fill clean freezer cartons or jars. Heavy gauge glass canning and freezer jars are best. Plastic jars tend to leave an "off flavor." Leave 1- inch headspace for expansion. Seal, label, date, and freeze at 0 for up to four months.

Freezing Grapefruit Juice: Squeeze juice from fruit. Add 8 Tablespoons of sugar and teaspoon crystalline ascorbic acid for each 4 quarts of juice, if desired. Leave 1-inch headspace, seal, label, date, and freeze for up to 4 months.