How To Freeze Strawberries

Whether just picked from the garden, bought at your local farmers' market, or selected from the supermarket, one thing is true about fresh strawberries: They have a short shelf life. Even when stored in the refrigerator, they last only three to four days before they wrinkle or turn moldy. The best way to preserve extra strawberries before they go bad is to freeze them. But you can't just toss them into a bag and call it a day. That will result in a large, icy, boulder-like cluster of berries.

Instead, flash freeze the berries to lock in their peak season taste and keep them from sticking together so you can more easily use them later. Flash freezing also prevents those pesky ice crystals from forming and turning your berries into flavorless ice cubes. Here's how to freeze fresh strawberries and what to make with frozen strawberries once you have them.

What You Need

• Colander
• Two tea towels or paper towels
• Paring knife or strawberry huller
• Large baking sheet(s)
• Parchment paper
• Zip-top silicone or plastic bags
• Permanent marker

How To Freeze Strawberries

Here are some things you might need to help freeze strawberries in a way that preserves their seasonal flavors and keeps them fresh, and the steps to follow.

Step 1: Wash And Dry The Fruit

Place the berries in a colander in a sink, and clean the strawberries under cold running water. Discard any berries that are already mushy or showing signs of mold. These will not freeze well.

Once washed, spread the berries onto tea or paper towels and dry each berry individually with another towel. Let them air dry for 30 to 60 minutes.

Ensure the berries are as dry as possible before moving to the next steps. Excess water will make them more squishy and distort the flavor when thawed.

Step 2: Hull The Berries

Once the berries are dry, remove the green tops and white centers. You can use a strawberry huller for this. If you don't have one, a small paring knife will work, too. Insert it into the top of the strawberry's shoulder, just beside the stem. Carefully cut along the stem in a circular motion, and pop out the hull.

You can leave the berries whole or cut them into halves or quarters. Large berries are hard to cut when frozen, and large berries are difficult to break down in a blender. Cutting them at this step is ideal if you know what size you want.

Step 3: Prepare To Freeze

Once hulled, place the strawberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet that will fit into your freezer. Spread the strawberries out so that they do not touch. If the berries touch, they will freeze into a large block that is difficult to break apart.

If you have many berries, use multiple baking sheets, and repeat the process for each baking sheet of berries.

Step 4: Freeze Until Solid

Depending on the size and shape of the berries, this could take two to four hours. For larger batches, freeze overnight.

Step 5: Transfer To A Freezer Bag

Remove the frozen berries from the parchment-lined baking tray, and place them in a plastic or silicone zip-top freezer-safe bag. Label the bag with the food and the date you froze them. Squeeze out as much air as possible, or use a food sealer.

Leave the strawberries in the freezer until you are ready to use them. If you have a chest freezer or deep upright freezer, keep the berries in them for better quality in long-term storage. Do not store the bags in a freezer door—this exposes them to warmer temperatures when the freezer opens, and they will quickly degrade.

Tips For Freezing Strawberries

Here are some additional tips for freezing fruit:

Don't Wash Too Early

Strawberries can carry various bacteria and germs from the farm, packaging, and shipping. Even if the berries are from your backyard, they may have residue from any pesticides you use, soil, and even bugs. So wash the berries before you freeze them, but not too early. Strawberries will absorb water after being washed or soaked, then begin to break down and turn mushy. Because washing accelerates their decomposition, wash strawberries just before you eat, cook, or freeze them.

Only Freeze The Best Berries

Fresh, firm, in-season fruit will make for better thawed, once-frozen berries. Discard any strawberries that look shriveled or mushy. They'll water out when thawed, leaving you with a sad pile of strawberry goo.

Wash Your Hands

Keep bacteria and germs from the kitchen or garden off your berries. Wash your hands before you wash, hull, and arrange strawberries to freeze. While freezing can kill some bacteria that cause foodborne illness, not all bacteria will die.

How Long Can You Freeze Strawberries?

Frozen strawberries will last up to one year if they remain frozen. Use within six months for the best flavor.

How To Thaw Frozen Strawberries

The best way to thaw strawberries depends on how quickly you need them. Use this guide:

• I need them now: Place the number of strawberries you need in a microwave-safe bowl, and use the defrost function on your microwave, cooking in one-minute increments until the berries thaw, but are still cool.
• I need them in a bit: Don't thaw your berries at room temperature as this can allow bacteria to multiply. If you need the whole bag thawed, fill a bowl with cool water, and place the bag directly into the water. Otherwise, remove what you need and place in a clean bag and seal. Gently massage the bag every 15 minutes to help the berries thaw. Berries can take 30 minutes to an hour. Drain off any liquids after thawing, unless a recipe specifies otherwise.
• I need them tomorrow: Move the bag of berries to the refrigerator, and let them thaw overnight or for six to eight hours.

How To Use Frozen Strawberries

Once thawed, previously frozen berries will not be as vibrant as their former selves. They'll be darker and softer, and they will leak moisture. But don't count them out for flavor. They're still as tasty as the day you picked them. There are many ways to utilize this fruit in fresh and juicy strawberry recipes.

The differences in texture will change how you use frozen strawberries, so use them in the types of recipes described below.

Pies, Cobblers, And Crisps

Use frozen berries as you would fresh, tossing them in sugar or cornstarch before adding them to batters or pans. The berries will thaw as the dish cooks, and excess moisture will mostly evaporate. Try a Cakey Strawberry Cobbler using frozen strawberries for a dessert that assembles in just 10 minutes.

Cakes Or Quick Bread

Cut any large frozen berries into smaller slices or quarters. Then fold the frozen berries into the batter. The cake can absorb any moisture from the berries as they thaw. Real pros might toss the frozen berries in flour before folding them into the batter so the strawberries don't slip to the bottom of the cake. The flour helps the berries "grip" the batter.

Smoothies, Shakes, Or Frozen Drinks

Leave them frozen and pop them into the blender for Frozen Strawberry Lemonade and other cool drinks. If you left the berries whole when you froze them, consider cutting them into smaller pieces before blending because some blenders have difficulty with the extra-large frozen berries.

Cocktails Or Mocktails

Once-frozen berries won't make good garnishes, but you can thaw the frozen berries and mash or muddle them as you would fresh ones. They work especially well in strawberry daiquiris and strawberry margaritas.