Prepping foods for smoothies?

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kountrygrl27
kountrygrl27 Posts: 107 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been purchasing foods for my smoothies and buying in bulk when I find at a great deal....my problem is I find that when I prep and freeze they freeze in chunks and can't get apart.any suggestions in a better way do everything isn't a solid chunk?

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  • Wombat468
    Wombat468 Posts: 191 Member
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    I buy the prefrozen fruits in bags from supermarkets.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Put a piece of parchment or wax paper or nonstick aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Placed your prepped items on it, spread out, let them freeze for a few hours, and then put them in a zipper bag.
  • scubakat67
    scubakat67 Posts: 485 Member
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    I usually buy frozen fruit for my smoothies (Costco), but when I wanted to try adding a little banana, it would go bad before I finished it (not a big banana fan). First attempt at freezing a sliced-up banana was a complete failure. When I have fresh fruit that I need to freeze, instead of putting it into ziplock baggies for freezing, I spread the pieces out on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Let them freeze for a while (couple hours - don't have to be frozen solid, just enough that they're water content has started to freeze) then put them in my ziplock bags.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
    edited April 2016
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Put a piece of parchment or wax paper or nonstick aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Placed your prepped items on it, spread out, let them freeze for a few hours, and then put them in a zipper bag.

    Yep this. Most meal prep websites I have seen recommend this method for frozen items. Works very well
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Put a piece of parchment or wax paper or nonstick aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Placed your prepped items on it, spread out, let them freeze for a few hours, and then put them in a zipper bag.

    That reminds me, time to transfer my bananas from the cookie sheet that I put in the freezer this AM to the ziplock bag.
  • hobbeskastiel
    hobbeskastiel Posts: 221 Member
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    Buy snack size bags and separate by serving size.
  • hobbeskastiel
    hobbeskastiel Posts: 221 Member
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    scubakat67 wrote: »
    I usually buy frozen fruit for my smoothies (Costco), but when I wanted to try adding a little banana, it would go bad before I finished it (not a big banana fan). First attempt at freezing a sliced-up banana was a complete failure. When I have fresh fruit that I need to freeze, instead of putting it into ziplock baggies for freezing, I spread the pieces out on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Let them freeze for a while (couple hours - don't have to be frozen solid, just enough that they're water content has started to freeze) then put them in my ziplock bags.

    That's a good idea but it won't wok for those of us that have side by side refrigerators. That only works if the freezer's at the top or bottom. :(
  • kountrygrl27
    kountrygrl27 Posts: 107 Member
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    I thought about laying them out and prefreezing.... So I was thinking in the right direction lol thanks everyone for the feed back!!
  • helenrosec1
    helenrosec1 Posts: 82 Member
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    I portion out my fruit then put into bags so I have them all ready for when I want one.
  • texmex39
    texmex39 Posts: 14 Member
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    Another way to freeze spinach, kale etc is to liquidize it and then put it in a muffin pan in the freezer. Once frozen you can put it in freezer bags.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    hobbeskastiel wrote: »
    scubakat67 wrote: »
    I usually buy frozen fruit for my smoothies (Costco), but when I wanted to try adding a little banana, it would go bad before I finished it (not a big banana fan). First attempt at freezing a sliced-up banana was a complete failure. When I have fresh fruit that I need to freeze, instead of putting it into ziplock baggies for freezing, I spread the pieces out on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Let them freeze for a while (couple hours - don't have to be frozen solid, just enough that they're water content has started to freeze) then put them in my ziplock bags.

    That's a good idea but it won't wok for those of us that have side by side refrigerators. That only works if the freezer's at the top or bottom. :(

    Toaster oven trays are smaller than cookie sheets :)
  • OnAllFours
    OnAllFours Posts: 170 Member
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    A meat mallet works wonders. No matter what you choose, prep before freezing or prep before blending. Time is needed.
  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
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    I like when all of my bananas freeze into a chunk, I throw it on the floor (in the bag) a few times >:D great for after-work stress relief.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    My fruit for smoothies does not tend to freeze in a solid chunk. Perhaps it's just your freezer? If they do freeze in a chunk I just drop the bag on the tile floor to break them up. :)
  • scubakat67
    scubakat67 Posts: 485 Member
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    @hobbeskastiel - cookie sheet just fits in my side-by-side but I have to put it on top of one of the baskets. I like @kshama2001 idea of a toaster oven tray, too, for smaller quantities. Going to have to check out the other ideas here - getting myself in the mood for some smoothies!
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    I also had the problem that my frozen fruit was too hard for my blender, so now I take it out of the freezer at night and put it in the refrigerator. By morning it has softened enough that I can use it.

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