Things You'll Need:
- Fresh, ripe strawberries Sheet pans for freezing (optional) Containers (freezer bags, canning jars, air-tight plastic containers) Sugar (optional) Pectin (optional) Paraffin (optional)
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Step 1
Freeze whole, perfect strawberries. They will lose some of their firm texture but none of their flavor. Wash the perfect berries and remove their stems and hulls. Dry well, then place them on your sheet pan in a single layer. Place the sheet pan in the freezer and leave it until the berries are frozen solid, at least 24 hours. Place the frozen berries in plastic freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, then keep them frozen in their bags.
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Step 2
Frozen, sliced StrawberriesFreeze berries in plain sugar or sugar syrup. Cut out any damaged parts of your berries. Cover berries with sugar syrup or whole, plain, white sugar. Stir the syrup or sugar gently through your berries to combine. Pack whole or sliced berries in plastic freezer containers. Allow 1/2 inch of head space in each container. Seal and freeze.
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Step 3
Freeze crushed, sweetened strawberries. Cut out any damaged parts of your berries. Crush and sweeten the not-quite-perfect berries. Pack the crushed berries in plastic freezer bags or plastic freezer containers. Allow 1/2 inch of head space in containers and remove as much air as possible from plastic bags. Freeze bags flat and stacked for easier storage.
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Step 4
Strawberry PreservesFreeze strawberry preserves. Pectin packages have good recipes for cooked or freezer preserves. Package your cooked preserves in plastic freezer containers. Allow 1/2 inch of head space. Follow instructions for making and packaging your freezer preserves. Keep them in the freezer and enjoy your preserves all year long.
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Step 5
Make the strawberry preserves from Step 4, but use traditional jelly or canning jars. Canning preserves isn't difficult and doesn't require canning equipment. Make sure your preserves are boiling hot and that your jars, lids and equipment are immaculately clean. Use melted paraffin to seal your jars, 1/3 inch of paraffin to top each jar, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Top with your canning lids and let your preserves cool at room temperature. Store in a cool spot in your pantry.
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Step 6
Dry some strawberries. Drying is easy to do and is the most dependable way to preserve many foods. The most important thing is to get your fruit perfectly dry, as quickly and gently as possible. The optimum way to guarantee uniform results is to slice your berries to a uniform thickness before you dry them. Don't try to use heat to hurry the process, unless it's the heat of the sun. The most artificial heat you want to apply to your strawberries is the pilot light of an oven, or the light bulb of a dehydrator. Choose your method, remembering that you need to protect any sun-dried food from curious critters. A good way to do that is to sandwich your fruit between paired window screens. Allow plenty of room for air to circulate, and bring your racks in if it is going to be a dewy or damp night. That's it! Put your perfectly dried strawberries into plastic storage bags or jars. Monitor for signs of moisture and enjoy them.
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Step 7
Strawberry Fruit LeatherMake strawberry fruit leather. Puree 1 pint of cleaned, trimmed strawberries in the blender. Spread your puree onto a parchment sheet, large piece of plastic wrap, brown paper or waxed paper. Make your layer of puree no thicker than 1/8 inch in the center and no more than twice that at the edges. Use any of the methods in Step 6 for drying your leather. Peel it off when it is shiny and not sticky, and roll it and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
