Did you go apple picking and now have more Honeycrisps than you know what to do with? Or maybe you bought a bag of McIntoshes and want to salvage them before they go mealy. Whatever the case, yes, you can freeze apples — and the great news is they will last for several months!

The frozen apples will be ideal for blending into smoothies or baking in apple desserts (hello, pies and tarte tatin!) or for cooking into sauces, breakfasts and sides. They won’t, however, be crisp enough for snacking on raw because the freezing process softens the apple’s texture.

How to freeze apples, step by step

Prep, freeze and store following the directions below:

Step 1: Peel and cut your apples

Technically, you could freeze apples whole, but they will be tricky to chop and use when frozen. The better route is to cut your apples before freezing, preferably, in the shape you’ll cook with them afterward. Most recipes will call for the fruit to be chopped for applesauce, cut into wedges for pie or thin slices for galettes and tarts.

OXO Good Grips Apple Corer

Good Grips Apple Corer

Step 2: Add lemon juice

Once cut, apples turn brown in a flash. To prevent that from happening, toss your apples with lemon juice then pat dry.

Step 3: Flash-freeze pieces

Don’t be tempted to stash the apple pieces into a bag and freeze them immediately. They’ll glom into a huge iceberg-like mass, which will be nigh impossible to break apart and portion later. Instead, space the pieces apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze just until they’re solid, 1 to 2 hours.

Step 4: Store frozen apples in freezer

Now, you can transfer the apple pieces to resealable bags or freezer-safe food storage containers and keep in the freezer up to nine months.

How to cook with frozen apples

You can cook and bake with frozen apples right from the freezer — no need to thaw in advance. Depending on the recipe, you may need to increase the cook time to get the frozen apples to the right texture and temperature. Cooking the apples longer will help to evaporate any excess moisture.