Freezing foods is simple and quick. Fruits may be frozen in syrup, in dry sugar, or left unsweetened. Most vegetables are blanched briefly in water before they are frozen. Before freezing, package the food in packaging materials that are designed for freezer storage.

The quality of frozen fruits and vegetables is greatly improved by a fast freezing rate. The size and temperature of the freezer and the amount of food placed in the freezer in a single day determines how fast the food will be frozen.

Freezing stops the growth of spoilage organisms but may not kill them. Once frozen foods thaw, surviving organisms will grow even more rapidly than on fresh food. Bulletins that contain instructions for freezing fruits and vegetables, meats, and mixed dishes are available from theWSU Bulletin Office.