An easy, step by step guide for freezing strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more.
My family has gone berry picking every summer. It’s become quite the tradition, and we love using the fresh berries in all sorts of recipes! Smoothies, muffins, and salads are just a few of my favorites. However, berry season can only last so long. We’ve become so accustomed to always using fresh berries, I’ve come up with an easy, fool-proof method for freezing berries of all kinds. That way, you can use your picked produce in the middle of winter! Without further ado, here is my easy guide of How to Freeze Berries.
how to Freeze Berries
Freezing berries at home may take some time, but it’s easy and just 4 simple steps:
- Gently wash or rinse all of your berries.
- If freezing strawberries, destem all of the berries. If freezing blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, you can skip this step!
- Working in batches, lay the berries out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Pat the berries dry with a paper towel and freeze for 1 hour until firm. This step helps prevent the berries from sticking together in one large clump when you place them in a plastic bag.
- Place your partially frozen berries in a freezer safe resealable bag, and put back in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Recipes to Make with Frozen berries
- Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Berry Spinach Protein Smoothie
- Overnight Mixed Berry French Toast Bake
- Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie
- Baked Oatmeals with Berries
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can berries go bad in the freezer?
Yes, even in the fridge or freezer, berries can go bad.
Should you wash berries before freezing them?
You should always wash fresh produce, whether bought from the store or freshly picked. It’s a lot easier to wash them before they are frozen, so I say yes.
How do you know if frozen berries are bad?
Look for discoloration, freezer burn, and mold.
Did you try this method? The next time you use it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dishes.
If you’ve ever had to throw away fresh berries, never again! Follow my easy guide of How to Freeze Berries and you’lll always have delicious produce to use.
No fork required.
How To Freeze Berries
Ingredients
- 1 Large Strainer
- 1 Cookie Sheet
- Berries (any kind)
Instructions
- Buy the most delicious, ripe strawberries you can find from your local farmers.
- Gently rinse all of the berries in a large strainer. (You may need to do this in rounds.)
- Carefully remove the stems from each precious little berry. This is time consuming but all in all it only took me about 10 minutes for 8 quarts. It’s worth it, I promise.
- Working in batches, lay the berries out on a cookie baking sheet in a single layer. Pat the berries dry with paper towel and freeze for 1 hour until firm. This step helps prevent the berries from sticking together in one large clumb when you place them in a plastic bag.
- Place the partially frozen berries in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Great tutorial, Liz ;-) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Olivia!
Thank you for this!
Do you happen to know if you can also successfully freeze strawberries without clumping if they are cut into smaller pieces? Thank you!
They will be harder to keep from clumping primarily because slicing them will allow the juices to flow out of the berries but it can’t hurt to give it a shot!
Thanks!! If I try it, I will let you know how it goes!