Friday, May 28, 2010

Preserving: Freezing Strawberries

There are two ways (that I know of) to freeze strawberries.  The first option is to freeze them whole.  Hull the berries (by cutting off the leafy top), rinse them well with water, drain them well, place them on a cookie sheet (not touching each other) and then put the cookie sheets in the freezer.  Once frozen, take the strawberries off the sheets and put them into containers to be kept in the freezer until you're ready to use them.

 

I tried this method the first year we had enough strawberries to squirrel some away.  I didn't like it.  As the berries thaw they get mushy and don't retain their vibrant color well.  To be honest, I didn't know how to use them.  I guess I thought I would make pies, but I'm spoiled and prefer fresh strawberry pie, so the thought of making pie out of these soft, dull-looking berries did not appeal to me one bit.  (Now, if you have had great experience freezing your strawberries whole, I welcome your input in the comments section below.) 

I head-over-heels prefer the second option- freezing crushed strawberries.  There are countless uses for the crushed version and while some people may suggest adding lemon juice (to prevent browning) and/or sugar (for flavor), I use neither.  The color remains vibrant, even after thawing, and sugar?  Strawberries do not need sugar.  At least that's what I think.

Putting them up this way is a cinch to do and is a great way to get your kids involved in preserving.  Later in the summer when so much is done over a hot stove and canner, you may not want your little ones close by.  Get them involved wherever you can- this is a great place to start.

Freezing Crushed Strawberries

Start by hulling the fresh, ripe strawberries.  Also trim out any bad spots.

I like to then place them in a colander in my sink.  Once your colander is full, rinse the berries really well, shaking them around a bit, so they all get a good washing.  Don't worry about bruising them- you're going to crush them, remember?


Place the washed, hulled strawberries in a large bowl.  Using a potato masher, or a fork, crush those berries.  It's up to you how much crushing you (or a little person- here's where you bring in the kids!) will do.  You can choose to crush them just a bit, leaving large pieces of strawberry, or crush them to smithereens which will lead to more of a strawberry sauce.


Ladle the crushed strawberries into containers, making sure to leave 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of head space (room at the top), so when they freeze they won't heave the lids off.  Cover with lids and freeze.

We wear our aprons high in this family.


To use, simply thaw and spoon over plain baked oatmeal, granola, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, Strawberry Brunch Souffle, etc.  Or add to Tishy Fuloo, smoothies/popsicles, Strawberry Frozen Yogurt, or Strawberry Bars.

One more thing.  Don't forget to reserve some of the loveliest berries for eating fresh.

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15 comments:

  1. My mouth always waters when I read your food posts! Now I want to make some oatmeal and put crushed strawberries on top to mix in :)

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  2. I freeze a few whole berries just for making strawberry rhubarb tapioca. The frozen strawberries help to cool down the cooked rhubarb and thickens the whole mess up faster. Then, I like the kind of mushy texture the whole berries give in the tapioca.

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  3. How perfect. I came to check your blog this morning with the sole purpose of seeing how you put up your strawberries! I have three BIG bowls that I am washing & hulling today! I will definately be freezing some crushed berries for the first time this year. Also want to freeze some sliced & do a few batches of jelly. We are SO enjoying these beauties!

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  4. You are truly amazing! Just wanted to let you know that I mentioned your blog in my latest post about "Blog Envy" as one of my favorite blogs ever! I know you are a private person and only gave out blog info (which is all I know anyway!) So I hope you don't mind...thank you for your amazing contributions to my life:)
    Have a great weekend!
    ~Mary

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  5. I freeze a couple gallon bags whole to use year round in our smoothies. Since they are frozen, I don't have to add any ice to the mixture. The frozen berries add the perfect consistency.

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  6. You are right... REAL strawberries (farm or garden fresh) do not need sugar... I simply slice and freeze mine and they last about a year in the freezer... although this year they only made it 10 months because we ate them all :) I'll be freezing more this year. Love ya, have a great weekend!

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  7. I saw something once on the food network - I think it was on "Good Eats" about freezing strawberries whole by using dry ice. Apparently it is the slower speed at which they freeze in a normal freezer that creates the crystals inside the cells that then break down when they thaw . . . or something like that. (It's been a while since I saw this episode.) So if you freeze them with dry ice, those crystals don't form and the thawed berries are very similar to the fresh. I will try to look it up and post a link if I can find it. I've never tried it myself, but it's something to consider, at any rate!

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  8. Okay - here is a link:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/frozen-strawberries-recipe/index.html

    Not terribly complicated, but . . . at least you now have the source to go to!! :-)

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  9. So glad I stopped by to see this - I made jam today, but wanted to freeze some too. I did freeze some whole berries last year and they were fine to fill in a rhubarb crisp this spring, but I like you're crushed plan better. And I can't wait to eat baked oatmeal with strawberries in, oh, January.

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  10. Okay - here's a link to the actual good eats episode where he describes the whole process as well as some other things to do with strawberries:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TStJZ3yToO8

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  11. Just today I canned seven quarts. The strawberries aren't anything to write home about in fact they are rather washed out looking. But the resulting juice......Oh my! It's delicious as a drink, thicken it and pour it over fresh or frozen strawberries for a great pie filling, or use instead of milk on your cereal or granola. The possibilities are endless.

    Aunt V.

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  12. Aunt V.
    Please tell us how you can the juice. Pretty please?:-)

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  13. It's so simple it makes me laugh.

    I like to use smaller ones for this. Just fill the jar with berries, pour in 1/4 cup sugar (you can adjust that to taste), fill to the full line with water. Cap and process at a gentle boil til the strawberries begin to leave the bottom of the jar. Do not boil furiously as the juice will boil out all over the place.

    There you have it. Simple and delicious!

    Aunt V.

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  14. OK so some things don't come out sounding the way they were meant to be. I didn't mean that I was laughing at your question. I was laughing for joy at how easy and fast the process is. So much quicker than the bushels of spinach that are picked and washed and waiting, as I sit here, to be deveined, blanched and frozen.

    Aunt V.

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