How to Freeze Berries the Right Way
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Additional Time: 1–2 hours for freezing
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes – 2 hours 15 minutes
How to Freeze Berries the Right Way
By Eugene Wong
As a parent of young boys, we go to a lot of farms. It’s just one of those things that works well with kids. They burn off energy and get fresh air; but more importantly, they get to learn about where their food comes from and the amount of effort it takes to harvest that food. Win-win.
But if you’ve ever gone berry picking with kids, you know how it ends. For us, we usually come home with too much and the fridge is super full. And the worst is when your kid magically doesn’t want to eat them anymore. lol. And then berries get soft, mould and die.
But there is a right way and a wrong way to freeze fruit.
Don’t do this:
Wash your berries. Toss them in a bag while they’re still wet. Throw them in the freezer. That’s how you get a solid block of fruit. It’ll be freezer burned and be hard to use later. And chances are they will stay in the abyse of your freezer for years.
Do this instead:
Wash and dry thoroughly.
submerged in cold water and gently wash. strain out Using a strainer. Spread the berries on a tray lined with paper towels. Let them dry fully. It’s important to get rid of as much excess water as possible. Water on the surface becomes ice. And its’ that ice that turns into freezer burnt berries and they will make them mushy and taste bad when you go to use them.
Flash freeze on a tray.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the berries out in a single layer. Freeze them uncovered until solid. This takes 1 to 2 hours. It keeps them from clumping when you transfer them into a freezer bag.
Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Press out as much air as possible before sealing. Less air means less freezer burn. Use resealable freezer bags like these:
Label with the name and date.
Sharpie the bag. Always.
Store bags flat.
It's always a good practice to freeze things flat. Whether it's fruit or meat or vegetable vegetables when you flea when you freeze your bags flat, it's just a lot easier to organize them.
Use within six months.
the general guideline for frozen fruit is about six months. Because you're supposed to use them up all up until the next season to pick more fruit. It's a general rule of thumb to freeze enough that you can have and enjoy through the off-season until you're ready to harvest them again.
Use straight from frozen.
Don’t thaw. Drop into smoothies. Mix into muffins. Simmer into sauces. Bake in crisps and pies.
If you’re a parent
Frozen berries are great for kid snacks.
Mix frozen blueberries into yogurt.
Add them to oatmeal.
Make smoothies with bananas and frozen strawberries.Make jams and composts
Make jams and composts
Here are tools that I use:
Pick the fruit. Freeze it right. Eat or cook it later. Done.
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Hi, I'm Eugene, but many of you might recognize me as "The_EugeFood". With over two decades working in diverse kitchens, I've come to cherish the genuine connections and shared experiences that cooking brings. For me, it's not about the high-pressure, competitive world you see on TV. It's about the joy of gathering around a table, the stories shared over simmering pots, and the laughter that follows a shared meal. I'm here to demystify the culinary world, to show you that if you can boil water for cup noodles, you're already on your way. Cooking isn't just a skill; it's a journey of discovery, and I invite you to join me on this adventure to becoming a better cook.
