How to Freeze Fresh Blackberries

Fresh blackberries picked at the peak of the season are a mouthwatering rite of summer. If you find that enjoying blackberries in the summer is not enough and you would like to have some available during other seasons, freezing fresh blackberries is a simple task that is well worth the effort. Once you have this abundance stored safely away in your freezer you have all of the makings for delicious pies, cobblers and muffins.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fresh Blackberries
• Zipper freezer bags (Gallon Size)
• Colander
• Cookie Sheet
• Permanent Marker
• Straw

1. Pick the berries and bring home the freshest and plumpest blackberries you can find.

2. Wash the blackberries thoroughly by placing them in a colander and running water over them while you work through them with your hands.

3. Allow the blackberries to sit and drain in the colander for at least 10 minutes after washing. Shake the colander several times to remove the excess water.

4. Spread the blackberries out in a single layer on the cookie sheet. This will allow them to freeze individually.

5. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer. Make sure the cookie sheet is level. Allow the blackberries to freeze for at least 6 hours. There is no need to cover them.

6. Remove the cookie sheet from the freezer and place the frozen blackberries into the plastic zipper freezer bag.

7. Remove as much excess air from the inside of the plastic bag as possible. One way to do this is by placing a straw inside the bag and zipping the bag closed as much as you can. Suck the excess air from the bag through the straw and quickly remove the straw and zip the bag closed. It is important to remove as much air as possible because the air will promote freezer burn of the blackberries.

8. Write "Blackberries" on the bag with a permanent marker and add the date.

9. Place the blackberries back into the freezer for future use.