Freeze Strawberries

If you have ever wanted to enjoy the delicious taste of early summer well after the season has ended, try freezing some ripe strawberries. You can freeze strawberries whole on trays or in freezer-safe plastic containers, or you can freeze sliced strawberries sprinkled with sugar or simple syrup to help preserve them longer. While there are many methods, some enable you to keep the strawberries longer than others, so you should consider your needs carefully before proceeding.

Ingredients

  • Strawberries (amount of choice) - not too hard, not too soft - avoid freezing any that display discoloration, blemishes, or moldy spots
  • Water, or syrup, or fine sugar, or lemonade (dependent on method chosen, amounts stated below)
  • Vanilla Ice Cream (Optional)

Steps

  1. Understand the process of freezing strawberries before choosing a method. Whichever method you choose, be aware that freezing doesn't sterilize strawberries; it preserves them. As such, be sure to only use the best quality strawberries and to ensure that they're well washed and dried first. Moreover, don't expect miracles from frozen strawberries. Upon thawing, they will be softer, sometimes quite mushy, and they will have darkened in color. They will also have a different taste Improve the Texture of Meringues or Whipped Egg Whites from fresh strawberries. Just be aware of this and be prepared to use them in ways befitting their condition upon thawing.
  2. Make sure the strawberries are mostly dry before freezing them, or the water will freeze on them and make them hard and unpleasant to eat.
  3. If you will be storing the frozen berries for a long time, make sure to remove as much air as possible from the plastic bags and seal them thoroughly. This will help to prevent freezer burn and keep the berries fresh.
    • You may wish to cut the strawberries into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This can be done before freezing to lessen the freezing time needed, or after they come out of the freezer.

Freezing Strawberries Whole

  1. Wash and hull the strawberries, leaving them intact. If you like, cut the green leaves off, along with a little of the top, leaving enough so that they can stand on the top as a base.
  2. There are two ways to freeze strawberries whole:
    • Pack into plastic containers or into plastic bags. They may, however, become stuck together.
    • Freeze whole on flat trays. This will prevent them from sticking together.
      • Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or paper towels. Stand the strawberries on their bases on the cookie tray, making sure that they don't touch.
      • Put the strawberries in the freezer.
      • Wait until they are frozen, then remove from the cookie tray and place in strong sealable plastic food bags to store.
  3. Use the strawberries within two months.

Dry Sugar Pack Method[1]

  1. Halve or slice the strawberries into a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of sugar over each quart (946g) of strawberries.
  3. Stir gently to allow the sugar to dissolve. It is important to take care not to bruise the strawberries.
  4. Pack into a freezer container. Seal the container tightly and freeze.

Light Syrup Method

  1. Boil together 1 part sugar to 4 parts water to make the syrup.
  2. Place the washed, hulled and drained strawberries into a plastic container and pour the syrup over the strawberries.
  3. Using this method, the strawberries can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Freezing Sugared Strawberries

  1. Wash, hull and drain the strawberries.
  2. Sprinkle with fine sugar (for example, Make Rosewater Biscuits/superfine sugar) and pack them into plastic containers or bags.
  3. Using this method, the strawberries can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Frozen Strawberries

  1. Wash and hull the strawberries.
  2. Purée using blender or mashing device.
  3. Pour the purée into plastic containers or individual Stop Ice Cube Trays Sticking on the Freezer Shelf squares.
  4. Using this method, the purée can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Ice Cube Method

  1. Wash and hull each strawberry. If you choose this method, make sure to select strawberries that fit the tray squares easily. Ideal for adding to drinks on hot days.
  2. Place a strawberry in each square of an ice cube tray and fill with water.
    • An alternative method for the ice cubes is to use commercial lemonade in place of water and give as sweet treats to children at a party. Do not use this method as a regular treat, however, as the lemonade is not healthy for growing teeth. If you want a healthier ice cream version, use puréed strawberries and bananas and freeze in an ice lolly/icy pole mold.
  3. Using this method, the strawberries can be frozen for up to 2 months.
  4. Done!

Dry Ice Method

  1. Wash and hull each strawberry.
  2. Crush a block of dry ice.
  3. Mix berries with dry ice in a metal bowl.
  4. Place in cooler with lid open a bare crack to allow pressure to escape. Leave for 20 minutes. You may want to put a folded towel under the bowl to protect your cooler. Dry ice can turn the plastic extremely fragile, or crack it, ruining the cooler.
  5. Place frozen berries in dated zipper bag and store in your freezer.
  6. Using this method, strawberries can be frozen for up to 6 months, and will not break down into mush when they thaw. (Commercially, this is called Individually Quick Frozen.)



Tips

  • Be sure to label and date the strawberries so that you only keep them as long as the storage times outlined above.
  • Frozen strawberries make a great addition to smoothies.
  • When thawed, strawberries are often very mushy. These strawberries can be used for making jam and as an addition to fruit salads or dessert sauces. They can also be used for making cakes, cheesecakes, sorbets and ice cream. When cooking with them, you may not even need to thaw them (follow the recipe's instructions).
  • Although unorthodox, using a liquid nitrogen bath will also produce very frozen strawberries. Make sure to allow strawberries to return to freezer-cold frozen before consuming, −196 °C (−321 °F) is too cold to eat!
  • You can serve frozen strawberries straight out of the freezer or partially thawed. Partially thawed makes them into a delicious ice treat for dessert on a hot day.

Warnings

  • Strawberries bruise easily; always wash gently either by placing the strawberries in a colander and dipping in water gently or using a soft faucet/tap spray.

Things You'll Need

  • Freezer
  • Plastic containers or bags
  • Strawberry huller
  • Soft spray of water or colander to clean strawberries
  • Ice cube tray
  • Cookie tray
  • Waxed paper or paper towels

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ This method adapted from http://www.strawberry-recipes.com/freeze_strawberries.html
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