The Top Tip To Remember Before Freezing Strawberries

Just because peak strawberry season is coming to an end doesn't mean you can't preserve and savor their sweet taste to enjoy in months to come and make a strawberry pie in October. That's because strawberries are one of the absolute best fruits to freeze. Still, because of their high water content, a novice might not know the top tip for prepping them for their chilly hibernation so that they are perfect when you are ready to use them. And that is, if you plan to freeze strawberries, you want to flash freeze them.

Flash freezing is a rapid-freeze technique used to prevent ice crystals from forming on your produce. It also ensures foods don't stick together in big clumps once they are frozen. Using this method helps to keep those icy crystals at bay and mitigates soggy issues that can arise when your beautiful berries thaw. It does take a little more time to flash-freeze strawberries, but the payoff is worth it.  

Flash freezing starts with strawberries that have been washed, dried, and stems removed. It's also a good idea to have a general idea of how you plan to use them before you put them in the freezer. This will influence whether or not you want to cut them up or leave them whole. For most uses, you will probably want to cut them up. If you plan to use them for a pie or cake, slice them up as you would normally do. Whole, frozen strawberries become like ice cubes once they've been in the freezer for a day, which can wreak havoc on your blender if you plan to use them for smoothies.

Once you know how you plan on using them and have sliced them up, line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the strawberries, cut side down, on the pan in a single layer. Then, place the pan in the freezer for between two and six hours. You want your strawberries to be hard before you transfer them to a freezer-safe container, ensuring you remove any excess air before sealing it up.

Temperatures in a freezer are bound to fluctuate by a few degrees either way, depending on how hot and humid your kitchen gets and how frequently you and the kids open its door. For this reason, remember not to store your strawberries in the freezer door as it tends to get the brunt of the temperature change. However, to level set expectations, frozen strawberries, once thawed, won't have the same glorious bite as a fresh strawberry. 

Thawed strawberries will still be sweet and juicy and perfect for recipes that are a little more forgiving, like sangria. But because their rigidity will have softened, don't plan on using them for a dinner party strawberry shortcake. If you want to use them to create a dessert, consider making strawberry ice cream or strawberry cobbler, both of which work well when made with frozen strawberries. Whatever's on the menu, your frozen fruit will be good to use for between eight and 12 months after freezing.