Description
Freezing fresh strawberries is an excellent way to preserve them for extended use and allows you to buy them at peak freshness, then use them throughout the year. Here our are tips and tricks to washing, slicing, and freezing strawberries!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Remove any rotten, moldy, or soft strawberries and discard. For best results, use only strawberries that are firm and bright red– any berries that are softening or turning a deeper red/purple color may be extra mushy after defrosting, use those fresh as soon as possible instead.
- Place strawberries into a colander or fine-mesh strainer and rinse well to remove any dust or debris.
- After rinsing strawberries, cut and remove the green leaves. You can also cut the strawberries prior to freezing them instead of freezing them whole. Whole strawberries take longer to defrost and are harder for blenders to process so if you plan to use strawberries in smoothies, quarter or slice them prior to freezing. **We usually quarter strawberries prior to freezing.
- Lay strawberries on a kitchen towel to air dry or use a towel to pat the strawberries dry. Ensure the strawberries are fully dry and remove as much water as possible prior to freezing as this helps prevent freezer-burned strawberries and reduces the amount of liquid shed when defrosting strawberries.
- Once fully dry, place on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer, preferably not touching. Leave in the freezer 4-6 hours until frozen solid.
- Once frozen, remove the baking sheet and store in a plastic bag or freezer-safe container until you need them!
Notes
**For using frozen strawberries in baking:
Protip: For every 1 cup of frozen strawberries, toss with 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour. This will help thicken the juices released by the strawberries!
Also, don’t defrost the strawberries prior to adding them to your dough or batter. Add frozen strawberries directly into the batter and into the oven! If you let them defrost first, liquid they shed can throw off the dry to wet ratios in the recipe.
Keywords: How to freeze strawberries