How To Freeze Strawberries
Nothing beats a freshly picked strawberry, as they are delicious. But the strawberry season is too short, and strawberries will spoil quickly. Thankfully, strawberries are freezer-friendly so come along and learn how to freeze strawberries.
Strawberries are high in antioxidants and botanical extracts that may help with heart health and blood sugar regulation. Also, See How To Freeze Broccoli and How To Freeze Cauliflower.
Freezing the berries is a perfect way to enjoy the flavor of fresh strawberries long after the strawberry season has passed. They do become softer after freezing/thawing, and they retain their delicious flavor. Frozen strawberries are a perfect way for adding a taste of summer to those cold winters!
This article will provide you with all of the information you need to know about how to freeze strawberries?
Strawberries are high in antioxidants and botanical extracts that may help with heart health and blood sugar regulation.
How to freeze strawberries?
You can freeze the fresh strawberries in a variety of ways for later use. By freezing sliced or whole strawberries individually on a baking sheet, you can keep them from clumping. You can also freeze the Strawberries with sugar or syrup to use later in desserts, jams, or drinks for a sweeter edition. Let’s discuss them in detail.
How To Freeze Fresh Strawberries
You can freeze the strawberries easily by following these 7 simple steps:
Hull Strawberries
Step 1. Wash the strawberries with cold water in a strainer to remove all of the dirt, pesticides, or chemicals before hulling or slicing. Let the water drain completely. Make sure never soak the strawberries because this will lose their flavor and quality quickly.
You can either air dry the strawberries in the strainer or pat dry by placing them on a clean towel and spreading them out gently.
Step 2. Remove the leafy stem from the strawberries by hulling them. Cut off the leafy stems of the strawberries and discard them with a small paring knife.
You can also cut the hull with a straw. Insert a straw via the top small part of the strawberry. Press the straw well through the strawberry, so the hull falls off on the other side.
Repeat with the remaining strawberries until they are all hulled.
Cut Strawberries For Freezing
Step 3. If you want small frozen strawberries, cut them in half or thirds. If you prefer the strawberries to be pre-cut, or you are going to use them in a recipe that needs to be sliced the berries, slice them into your desired size with a sharp knife.
You can skip this stage if you want to freeze the “strawberries” whole.
Step 4. After washing, hulling, and slicing or leaving them whole, transfer the strawberries to a baking sheet and spread evenly as far as possible so that none of them touch. This way, you can prevent the strawberries from clumping together.
Step 5. Freeze the strawberries for 2 – 4 hours on the baking sheet or until all strawberries are fully solidly frozen. To prevent the strawberries from slipping together, place the baking tray in the freezer on a level surface.
Push tightly on one of the strawberries with your finger to see if it’s frozen solid. Freezing will be done when the strawberry holds its shape when pressed.
Step 6. Remove the baking tray from the freezer once the strawberries have completely frozen solid. Transfer the strawberries to plastic freezer bags as soon as possible to prevent them from melting. Seal the freezer bags and store them in the freezer for later use.
Label the date on bags so you know how long the frozen strawberries will last.
Step 7. Keep the frozen strawberries in the freezer for up to 6 months. Before using your frozen strawberries, check the date you wrote on your freezer bags. After six months, you should throw away frozen strawberries. Use your frozen strawberries within 6 months to make a delicious Strawberry Smoothie or a fast and simple ice-cream top.
Freeze strawberries in syrup
Step 1. Mix water with organic cane sugar or coconut sugar in a pot to make the syrup. When the mixture is brought to a boil, then lower the heat. Let the mixture cook for three to five minutes and stir continuously with a whisk or spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the flame and remove the wok from the heat. Set aside and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2. When the sugar syrup has completely cooled at room temperature, chill it in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
Step 3. Wash the strawberries by following the same process discussed earlier.
Step 4. Hull the strawberries according to the procedure mentioned earlier in freezing plain strawberries.
Step 5. Cut them into halves, quarters, or finely sliced with a sharp knife. If you need a more consistent type of jam, put strawberries into a bowl and crush strawberries with a spoon or a potato masher. You can also keep the strawberries whole if you want and skip this step.
Step 6. Pour the chilled sugar syrup on the strawberries. Use 1 cup of syrup for every 4 cups of strawberries or as required for the strawberries to dipped in the syrup completely.
Step 7. Save the syrup strawberries in freezer-safe containers and tightly seal them. Strawberries with syrup can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Take the strawberries from the freezer and thaw them at room temperature on the kitchen counter for 4 hours if you plan to use these syrup frozen strawberries.
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Freeze strawberries with sugar or stevia
Step 1. Wash the strawberries according to the procedure mentioned earlier.
Step 2. Hull the strawberries by following the same process discussed earlier in freezing plain strawberries and freezing strawberries with syrup.
Step 3. After washing and hulling the strawberries, cut them into half quarters or finely slice them with a sharp knife. If you want a more consistent type of jam, transfer strawberries into a bowl and crush strawberries with the help of a spoon or a potato masher.
You can also keep the strawberries whole, but they will not require as much sugar as they will if they are sliced or crushed.
If you want to freeze them for cake filling or spread, you may want to crush the strawberries.
Step 4. On top of the strawberries, sprinkle sugar. For every 4 cups (950 mL) of strawberries, add about 12 cups (120 mL) of sugar. Depending on your taste, you can reduce or increase the quantity of sugar or substitute sugar with stevia.
Step 5. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes with the help of a spoon. Keep on mixing until the strawberries start absorbing sugar and sugar becomes barely visible.
Step 6. Transfer sugar-coated strawberries to a freezer bag. Tightly seal the bag and place the bag for later use in the freezer. You don’t need to freeze the strawberries separately because the sugar coating will keep them from clumping together. Label the date on the freezer sack before putting the frozen sugar strawberries in the freezer, so you know how long it takes.
Step 7. The frozen sugar strawberries can be stored in the freezer for up to six months. Strawberries frozen in sugar are best for baking a cake. Because sugar strawberries have less liquid, unlike strawberries frozen in plain syrup, and will not make the cake mixture watery.
Precautions in freezing the strawberries
If you follow these few simple rules, you can help the strawberries maintain their shape and avoid mushiness.
- Use strawberries that aren’t too ripe. They’ll be mushy when you defrost them if they’re dark red and already super soft before going into the freezer.
- Before transferring your strawberries to containers, freeze them in one layer on a baking tray. Large clumps of frozen berries can defrost unevenly, resulting in mush.
- Before freezing your strawberries, make sure they’re clean. This will eliminate any bacteria or germ that might hasten the breakdown of your strawberries.
- Do not wash the strawberries with hot water. Always use cold water.
- Avoid putting them in the freezer door, where the temperature can fluctuate, causing frozen berries iced crystals to change from slightly frozen to completely frozen and back.
- For optimum and delicious taste, use the frozen strawberries within 6 months.
How to use frozen strawberries?
In the long haul, freezing your own locally picked strawberries is much cheaper than buying them frozen from the local shop in the dead of winter.
Oh, and of course, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to reach into your freezer and pull out just what you need to make any of these delectable treats:
- Strawberry Smoothies
- Desserts like strawberry muffins and cheesecake
- Jams
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Ice cream
- Vegan Strawberry Pie
Freezing strawberries retain the beautiful red color and the consistency and taste of the delicate strawberries when done correctly.
So if you have come back home from the spring farmers’ market with bushels of fresh and sweet strawberries with a little bit more than you planned for, why not freeze them?
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How To Freeze Strawberries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2- pounds strawberries
- Ice
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries with cold water in a colander to remove all of the dirt, pesticides, or chemicals before hulling or slicing.
- Gently pat the strawberries with a clean towel or air dry.
- Hull the strawberries, using a paring knife to cut, in a circular motion, around the leafy top of the strawberry and in the pale flesh directly below.
- Place strawberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.
- Freeze the strawberries for 2 – 4 hours on the baking sheet or until all strawberries are fully solidly frozen.
- Transfer frozen strawberries to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for a year.
thank you for the through information it was very helpful
Worth reading! Thanks for sharing
You are welcome Fabeeha. Thank you.
Amazing! I’m gonna try this tomorrow. Thanks for sharing
You are welcome Ava, have fun.
informative
Thank you Hussain.