Fruit

• Wash fruits that you plan to juice to remove surface dirt and pesticide residue, even those that have a peel, such as oranges, lemons and melons. Wash and rinse them repeatedly in clean water, but do not submerge them for extended periods of time; soaking removes valuable vitamins and minerals.

Juice Extraction and Preparation

• Extract juice from fruit by hand with a reamer or with an electric juice extractor. Some fruits and fruit juices become dark or turn slightly brown when frozen. To prevent this, mix a small amount of ascorbic acid with your fruit juice according to the instructions on the ascorbic acid package. If you plan to freeze store-bought juice, read the nutritional information on the bottle or carton; it might have been treated with ascorbic acid. Some juices, such as peach, pear and apple, will turn brown even after being treated with ascorbic acid, but the color change is not an indication of a change in flavor.

Containers

• Pour juice into freezer-safe containers allowing 1 to 2 inches for expansion. Freeze lemon or lime juice in ice cube trays for later use in cocktails and food preparation. Don't use glass jars; even though they are designed to withstand the freezer, juice expands when it freezes and could cause the jars to crack.

Frozen Treats

• Make frozen treats by pouring either fresh or store bought juice into ice pop containers. Mix ice cream or yogurt with juice before pouring into ice pop receptacles for creamier ice pops. The freezing point will be lower because of the higher solid content in the juice.