Capture the luscious summer sweetness of fruit by freezing it now and enjoying it on a rainy day this winter! You can easily DIY this summer’s bounty with the following tips:

Pick: Capture peak sweetness and nutrition by selecting perfectly ripe fruit (not too mushy and not too firm). Vitamins such as A (as beta carotene) and C are at their peak and “weather” well in frozen fruit. Berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.), peaches, nectarines and apricots all freeze well. Highly watery fruits, like melons, are a bit trickier due to their high water content than when frozen, breaks the fruit’s cell walls, making it mushy when thawed.

Clean: Wash fruit and clean the skin of blemishes or bruises. To prevent browning of sliced fruit such as peaches and nectarines, dip very briefly in a “lemon bath” (2 cups water with 1 tablespoon lemon juice) and let dry before freezing.

Freeze: Quick-freezing is best for all fruits, so arrange in a single layer on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Please in freezer for a few hours and then transfer to a freezer bag and push out all the air before sealing.

Label: Don’t forget to mark the bag with the contents and date! You can store frozen fruit for up to12 months, though much longer in the deep freeze and fruits start to loose their texture when thawed.

Enjoy: Use frozen fruit in smoothies, to top hot cereal or for fruit salads to create a bit of summer anytime of year!