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Freezing Strawberries {How to Freeze Strawberries}

posted May 4, 2021 by Sarah // 2 Comments »

Learn all the tips and tricks for freezing strawberries to extend the harvest. Freezing fresh strawberries is a great way to preserve this wonderful summer fruit without needing to know any special kitchen skills (like canning).

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True strawberry season, where local berries are ripe, juicy, and amazing, is so very short. They’re not the sad berries that come in plastic from your grocery store. I’m talking about the berries that taste like summer.

Local berries are to be celebrated, enjoyed, and savored. But when you can’t eat one more fresh berry (blasphemy!), have already made Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Strawberry Puree, Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam, Strawberry Syrup, and Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, it’s time to learn how to freeze strawberries!

This post has a kitchen hack in it that you won’t find anywhere else! It cuts down on time and helps you freeze more berries at once, and is perfect for anyone with a small freezer.

If you love the idea of preserving your own produce, check out these posts on Freezing Peaches, Freezing Blackberries, Freezing Cherries, Freezing Blueberries, and Freezing Peas. Check out my complete guide on how to freeze fresh produce.

How Do You Prepare Strawberries For Freezing?

This is the best part – there is nothing special you need to do! Unlike fruits that brown (apples, apricots, etc.), freezing fresh strawberries is very straightforward.

Rinse (don’t submerge in water)
Remove tops
Leave whole, cut into halves, or slices

Some people choose to use a bit of sugar with their frozen berries. It’s totally optional but unnecessary.

How to Use Frozen Strawberries

Frozen strawberries truly shine when you need their flavor but not appearance. When frozen strawberries thaw, they will be soft, a bit mushy, and definitely darker than their “fresh” color.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t use them for anything where appearance matters, like a cake or candies. I love to use frozen strawberries in things like:

Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Smoothies like this Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Jam. Like this Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe or Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups
Frozen Strawberries in Syrup

How to Freeze Strawberries

Rinse your strawberries in a colander/strainer. You don’t want to submerge them in water because it can cause them to become waterlogged, which makes them more challenging to work with.

Remove the tops either with a strawberry corer, this multipurpose tool, or a sharp paring knife. I generally just use a knife because it’s faster and my backyard chickens LOVE strawberry tops!

Decide how you want to use your frozen berries – whole, halved, sliced, or macerated.

Place a piece of parchment on a rimmed baking sheet and lay strawberries cut-side down on the tray. Use the space efficiently, but try not to let them touch too much.

Now, here is the best freezing strawberries kitchen hack ever! Lay another piece of parchment on top of the berries and top with an additional layer of berries. You can do up to three layers of berries on the same baking sheet before it becomes precarious. Pre-berrious?

This trick works so well because you don’t need to find space for multiple trays of berries in your freezer. And, you don’t have to wait for a single layer of berries to freeze before you can start your next batch.

Allow the strawberries to freeze through (about 3 hours, but if you’re like me, you’ll forget about them and leave them overnight…) and then transfer them to freezer-proof storage containers. See list below for great storage options!

If you’re using Ziploc-style bags, removing additional air from the bag will keep your berries safe from freezer burn.

Place a straw in the corner of a freezer bag and close the bag as tightly as possible. Suck the air out through the straw 1-2 times and quickly remove the straw and seal the bag. It will take you a few times to get the hang of it, but it’s solid gold once you master this FREE technique.

How to Store Frozen Strawberries

Freezer-safe plastic bags
freezer-proof storage container
Wide-mouth canning jars:
- 8 oz jam jars = 1 cup berries
- 16 oz pint jars = 2 cups berries
- 32 oz quart jars = 4 cups berries
Freezer-safe reusable snap-tight containers
Souper Cubes for premeasured portions of frozen strawberries.

If zero waste is your jam, check out this post on Zero Waste Food Storage on how to green your kitchen.

How Long Can You Freeze Strawberries?

Strawberries will last for 6-12 months in the freezer. If you have a deep freeze, storing your frozen berries in there would be most effective and they will last longer than in a fridge/freezer combo.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Strawberries?

It depends on how you want to use them. For things like jam or overnight oats, or yogurt cups, it’s great to allow them to thaw in their own juices.

For quick thawing – place the (sealed) freezer bag in a large mixing bowl filled with warm water. Replace the water every 20 minutes when it cools.

For basic thawing – place the freezer bag in a large mixing bowl and allow it to sit at room temperature or in the fridge. For a 1 gallon bag of strawberries, it will take up to 24 hours in the fridge, or 12 hours at room temperature to completely thaw.

Pro tip: no matter how well you sealed the bag, some juice will likely leak out during the thawing process. Always place the freezer bag in a bowl, or on a deep plate to prevent a mess.

If any recipe calls for the juices to be drained from the frozen berries, reserve and add to sparkling water for a refreshing drink. Or, mix with a little honey simple syrup, and frozen mint cubes and create a strawberry mojito! You could also refreeze in ice cube trays to add to drinks.

More Kitchen Tricks Like Freezing Strawberries:

A strainer full of fresh strawberries and a cutting board

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