How to Flash-Freeze Blackberries & Strawberries
Fresh blackberries and strawberries make a delicious, healthy treat. They are also great to top cereal or yogurts with and make excellent desserts. However, it is not always easy to find fresh berries year-round. This is where flash freezing comes in handy. Flash freezing is quick and easy and allows each berry to freeze on its own, preventing clumped frozen messes. When berries are flash frozen, it just as easy to scoop out one or two berries as it is a handful, allowing you the convenience of fresh berries, even in the off season. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Fresh blackberries and strawberries
- Large bowl
- Colander
- Baking sheet
- Freezer bags
- Permanent marker
Instructions
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1
Gather the freshest berries you can find. Look for colorful berries that appear to be in the peak of ripeness.
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2
Gently rinse the berries in a bowl of cold water. As the berries float in the water, comb through them with your fingers, looking for damaged or overripe berries, stems or leaves. Sort these items out and discard.
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3
Drain the berries using a colander. Do not shake the berries around as you may run the risk of damaging the berries in the process.
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4
Spread the clean berries onto the baking sheet, keeping them in a single layer.
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Place the baking sheet in the freezer overnight. This will allow the berries to freeze individually and not stick together when you bag them for storage.
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The next morning remove the berries from the freezer. Place the berries into the freezer bag. Double bag each package of berries to extend the storage life of your berries.
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7
Mark each bag with the date frozen, using a permanent marker. Store your flash-frozen frozen blackberries and strawberries flat in your freezer.
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Tips & Warnings
Frozen berries last up to a year.
Do not freeze over ripe berries.
