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Strawberry season means it’s time to stock up and learning how to freeze strawberries is the perfect way to preserve fresh berries. Warmer temperatures bring on the cool season fruits and vegetables and this week I’ve gotten my hands on some fresh strawberries.
The local schools were selling strawberry flats as a fundraiser and since I currently don’t have my own plants, I purchased fresh berries from them.
We’ve always purchased frozen fruits from the local big box store. Some day we will be growing our own strawberries. Until then, it’s great to be able to support our local schools.
Step by Step- How to Freeze Strawberries
Strawberries are probably one of the easiest fruits to put in the freezer. Today since I’m in the process of doing so, I thought you might like to learn how.
Strawberries come in these cute little bowls that are 1 quart each. Each container weighs about 1.5 – 2 lbs. or 4 cups of berries, depending on their size. Many of these berries today are pretty large, but this doesn’t matter when freezing.
RELATED: Quick Start Guide to Freezing Foods at Home
Preparing strawberries for freezing
The very first thing you need to do is gently pour the berries into a strainer and wash them. Let them drain for about 10 minutes or so. I put my strainer inside my sink and use the sprayer. If you don’t have a sprayer, just run cool water over them to wash them. Make sure to get any dirt or trash off them.
How to Keep Frozen Strawberries from Becoming Mushy
Never soak your berries in a pool of water. They quickly become soggy and will immediately lose their flavor.
Once they’ve drained for a few minutes, use a knife to remove the green stems and any blemishes on the berry. The stems make a great addition to your compost pile too.
After removing the stem, if it’s a large berry, I’ll slice it into halves or quarters. The smaller ones, I leave whole and just toss them onto a cookie sheet or a dehydrator tray or any flat surface that fits in the freezer.
How to Keep Frozen Strawberries from Sticking Together?
Be sure to lay them out individually. Don’t allow them to stack or touch each other. The idea is to freeze them individually – also known as flash freezing. After you have filled your flat container, slide it into the freezer and leave them 2-3 hours to allow them to freeze.
If you like the idea of flash freezing, broccoli freezes this way easily as well.
Doesn’t Matter if Strawberries are Sliced or Whole when Freezing
You can see from the picture some are sliced and others are left whole. We like them small so we can grab them out of the freezer easily. No matter if we put them in a smoothie or shakes, they are small and in bite-size pieces. This choice is up to you.
After they’ve been in the freezer for a couple of hours, remove the pan and work quickly to toss them into a freezer bag. I use Ziploc quart size bags this size just works well for us.
A couple of hints, 1) use a sharpie and write the date and item in the bag. So 6 months from now you will know what it is, don’t trust your memory. 2) Be sure to remove as much air as possible from your bag. Air is the enemy in the freezer.
Fill the bag and place it into the freezer for long-term storage.
They will store for up to 2 years safely. How do you freeze your strawberries?
More Easy Preserving Tips:
- Best Way to Freeze Broccoli
- 4 Ways to Dry Fresh Basil
- 5 Easy Ways to Freeze Fresh Basil
- How to Freeze Peppers
- 4 Easy Ways to Preserve Peppers
- Water Glassing Eggs, Preserving Fresh Eggs For Long-Term Shelf-Life
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