How to Freeze Strawberries and Other Berries

There's nothing better than having berries on hand ready to add to smoothies, pies, cereal or yogurt. By keeping a supply of frozen berries in the freezer, you'll never be without. If done right, freezing berries is easy, fun and economical.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh berries
• Water
• Colander
• Dish Towel
• Cookie sheet
• Zipper locking bags

1. Trim berries of any green leaves.

2. Rinse berries in COLD water to remove all dirt. Be careful not to bruise the fruit.

3. Cut into desired size.

4. Drain in colander and lay on a dish towel to allow the fruit to air dry.

5. Place the berries on the cookie sheet, not allowing them to touch.

6. Place cookie sheet with berries in the freezer.

7. After at least one hour, remove berries from the freezer and transfer to a plastic zipper-lock bag.

8. Label the bag with the date. The berries will keep in the freezer for up to six months.

Tips & Warnings

• This works great with small fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
• It also works well with sliced peaches.
• Be careful not to bruise the fruit while washing
• Be certain that the berries are frozen before transfering to the plastic bag. If they are not frozen, you will end up with a big clump of fruit.

[BFunkey]

on 10/2/2007 GREAT advice! That separation during freezing but before "clumping" (bagging) is THE key to success! Thanks for this...

[JohanM]

on 7/16/2007 I'm too lazy for this I'm afraid :) I just get the ready frozen berries from Trader Joe's, but I'll give it a try one of these days.