In the duel between frozen and fresh fruit, the spirits are divided. While some believe that many nutrients are lost by freezing the fruit, others believe that vitamins are conserved rather than reduced.
What is certain is that both sides have good arguments and are somehow right.
In order to provide a little more clarity, you can find out here what role the time of harvest plays and what influence the respective fruit variety has on the vitamin content.
More nutrients through the right harvest
Frozen fruit is harvested when it reaches its peak of ripeness and then frozen within a few hours. At this time, the vitamin content of the fruit is at its highest.
Fresh fruit , on the other hand, is usually harvested before it is ripe . It matures further when transported to the supermarket and to our home. This means that fresh fruit has less time to develop its full nutrient content.
In fact, frozen fruit contains more nutrients than fresh fruit at the time of harvest. However, since we rarely eat the fruits directly after harvest, we rightly ask ourselves how the vitamin content changes on the way from the tree or shrub to the supermarket and onto our plates .
Frozen or fresh fruit – which contains more vitamins?
If we only start from the time of harvest , frozen fruit contains more vitamins than fresh ones. However, some people are concerned that vitamins are lost through the freezing process and believe that fresh fruit is more vitamin-rich. But what is true?
The answer is: it depends . In fact, this depends both on the type of fruit and on the nutrient.
Citrus fruits such as oranges, mandarins or grapefruits, for example, are considered to be particularly sensitive to cold . The same applies to exotic fruits such as bananas, pineapples, mangoes or papayas.
The colder these fruits are stored, the more their vitamin content decreases . Sensitive vitamin C is particularly affected . Even when stored in the refrigerator, a lot of valuable nutrients are lost. This vitamin loss is even greater when frozen.
It is best to store the southern fruits in a dark and cool cellar to prevent vitamin losses.
Other nutrients such as iron or fiber , on the other hand, are considered to be particularly cold-resistant .
Nutrient loss due to long storage
On the whole, it is not really possible to pin down a winner in the race for the highest nutrient content. The differences are usually so minimal that it has no effect on health .
What you should keep in mind, however, is that the longer you store fruit before eating it, the less vitamins it contains. This loss of nutrients can be observed with both fresh and frozen fruits.
No matter which variant you choose, you should consume your fruit as soon as possible after shopping.
Benefits of frozen fruit
If you cannot consume fresh fruit immediately after purchase and thus risk losing vitamins, frozen fruit is a good option.
Another advantage is that frozen foods have a longer shelf life , so you can prevent food waste.
In addition, by freezing, you can overwinter summer fruits such as cherries, apricots or berries and enjoy them even in the cold season .
It is important to ensure that the cold chain is not interrupted , otherwise the quality will suffer. It is best to always transport frozen food home from the supermarket in a cooler bag.
The benefits of frozen fruit definitely include the delicious recipes you can conjure up with it. An absolute highlight in summer, for example is nicecream, a healthy, fruit-based alternative to ice cream.
Vegan coconut ice cream with berries
Accessories
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Mixer (ideally a high-performance mixer)
Ingredients
- 3 frozen bananas
- 100 g frozen berries
- 100 ml plant milk
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp goji berries
- 1 Kiwi
Preparation
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You'll need frozen bananas for this recipe. It is best to freeze 3 bananas the day before. It is best to use brown bananas so that the nicecream is sweeter.
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Take your frozen bananas out of the freezer the next day and put them in the blender with the plant drink. First, mix the bananas well in the blender. If you don't have a high-performance blender, you can also let the bananas thaw easily beforehand.
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Next, add the frozen berries, maple syrup, coconut and almond sauce to the blender and mix until creamy.
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Then fill your nicecream into a bowl and add different toppings. We took shredded coconut, goji berries and a kiwi.
Benefits of Fresh Fruit
When buying frozen fruit , you should definitely check the packaging and read the list of ingredients, because sugar is often added to the supposedly healthy fruit . This cannot happen with the fresh version, provided you buy it in its natural form.
Those who are a little concerned with sustainability also opt for fresh and seasonal fruit from the region , because this is environmentally friendly . Not only are the transport routes shorter, you usually also save on packaging material.
In addition, nature gives us the right food at the right time. For example, apples harvested in autumn provide the necessary vitamins for the cold season. In spring, salads and green vegetables help us to detoxify and in summer, berries or watermelons provide us with additional liquid that we can use well due to the heat.
Fresh fruit is also very popular at breakfast . For example, fresh berries are among the best toppings for porridge and fresh apples are an important part of the original Bircher muesli recipe .
