Learn all the tips and tricks on how to freeze strawberries for use all year long! It’s SO easy and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare before it goes into the freezer.
I don’t usually like to show favoritism towards certain fruits, but right now, I’m a little in love with strawberries.
Okay, a lot in love with strawberries.
Ever since I shared that strawberry piña colada smoothie recipe a while back, I’ve been quite obsessed. And when I went strawberry picking with my aunt, I knew I HAD to freeze a ton of them to be used for that smoothie later on this year when organic, local strawberries won’t be available.
It’s so easy to freeze strawberries, so I thought I’d put a little tutorial up so you could learn some of my tips for freezing them properly.
Start with fresh strawberries. I like to wash them first to remove any dirt and debris, but if you do that, you’re going to have to make sure they dry before you start cutting them.
Then, follow the instructions on the graphic below. Cut along the dotted lines illustrated.
You can halve or quarter the strawberries, depending on your preferences. You could even dice them if you wanted, but that might be a little harder to freeze.
You can put parchment paper down on the cookie sheet if you’d like, but I usually don’t bother.
Make sure none of the strawberries are touching each other.
This process is called “flash freezing.” Rather than just dumping all of the strawberries halves into a bag and tossing it in the freezer, this individually freezes the strawberries, so you’re not trying to blend a clump of frozen strawberries for you smoothies.
Freeze the berries for 3-4 hours, and then pour all of the berries into a freezer bag. You might have to use a spatula to unstick the strawberries from the baking sheet.
Here’s some printable instructions:
- fresh strawberries
- Wash the strawberries to remove any dirt or debris. Let dry completely or thoroughly pat dry with a paper towel.
- Halve the strawberries (or cut them to your liking) and place them on a baking sheet. Make sure none of the strawberries are touching each other, otherwise they might stick together.
- Place the pan in the freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours. Pour all of the berries into a freezer bag and return to the freezer until you're ready to use them. Be sure to date and label the bag so you know what it is and how old it is in the future.
What do you use frozen strawberries for?
These look super yummy!! I love love LOVE frozen strawberries! They actually taste sweeter to me! (kinda like frozen grapes!) Great post! Thanks for the tips girl!!
Thanks so much Cailee!
That is a great idea to separate and freeze the strawberries first, before packing them in a bunch. If it is a hot day I like to eat them frozen like an ice-block. Thanks for bringing lovely strawberries to #HomeMattersParty we love your ideas.
Kathleen
I do this with all my fruit from the summer! It stinks to have to buy frozen fruit from the store:( I already have my blueberries done and I just canned 15 gallons of tomatoes! Can’t wait to start getting some good strawberries!
Thanks for sharing these simple to understand steps to freezing strawberries!
I would recommend using a tomato shark to de-stem the berries. Less waste then using a knife.