Basic food preservation like freezing is a great way to store food for months to help fight the cost of inflation. And one of my favourite fruits has a very short harvest season, and so, on the off chance that there are more strawberries than we can eat before they go off, I looked at freezing strawberries. Freezing can be a great way to save berries from sales or your garden. Here’s my guide to freezing strawberries and everything you need to know about how to freeze strawberries.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS. MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER
Can you freeze strawberries?
TLDR: Yes, you can freeze strawberries at home for use in things like smoothies, and baking with wonderful results. Freezing strawberries is easy to do. If you find discounted strawberries and can’t help yourself, then it’s a great way to save money and be able to use them without having to eat nothing else for days. Frozen strawberries thaw well and can be used for snacking recipes in the same ways that you use fresh strawberries as they tend to hold their texture really well even after thawing if you prepare them properly.
Before we start on the process of freezing strawberries, here are some of my other articles on strawberries.
The Best Strawberry Planters and Pots
APRIL SPECIAL OFFER:
Get 10% off all Seeds from Suttons here
Want Fruit Plants and Trees? You’ll get 10% off all Fruit Plants and Trees with Suttons. Get the deal here.
How to Freeze Strawberries
When choosing strawberries to freeze you’ll want to look for ones without blemishes. If your strawberries have any issues be sure to trim away the less-than-perfect bits to make sure you are freezing only the best-quality fruits. If you freeze strawberries that are spoiling already then they will just break down quicker. Don’t do it, it’s not worth it.
How to prepare strawberries for freezing
There are several steps to take to prepare strawberries for freezing. Here they are in order.
Wash strawberries before freezing
To freeze your strawberries you want to start with washing them well. Strawberries tend to hold on to mould and fungus from the garden. This leads to faster spoiling. To help keep your frozen strawberries fresh, wash them well first. The best way to clean strawberries before freezing is to let them soak in a 4 parts water, one part white vinegar bath. Leave them for about 20 minutes before rinsing off with clean cold water to remove all the vinegar.
This will kill off any mould spores and even if you’re not freezing your strawberries this will help keep your strawberries fresher for longer in the fridge too.
Dry the cleaned strawberries before freezing
After washing, dry your strawberries. I tend to let them drain and then also use a clean tea towel to pat them dry. You can also use kitchen roll, but I find that quite wasteful and try to be as economical as possible! If you don’t want to use a tea towel, then this reusable bamboo towel is a fabulous option.
My guide to the best eco-friendly tea towels and cloths is here.
Cut your dried and cleaned strawberries before freezing
Cut your berries into the desired shape. For this, you can choose to simply cut off the greens, pit and freeze them whole, slice them in half, or even slice and dice your strawberries to use in your recipes. It helps if you have a good idea as to what you want to do with them later, as it means that you can prepare them in the best shape for their future use.
Place your prepared and cut strawberries onto a lined baking tray or chopping board. Line with baking or parchment paper. I use reusable baking paper sheets like one – which means less waste and they’re fabulous to use in both the oven and the freezer.
These strawberries are too close together, but you get the idea.
Flash Freeze your Strawberries
Keep your strawberries in a single layer to prevent them from freezing together and then place your trays in the freezer for three to four hours. This will flash-freeze them so that they don’t stick together.
After your strawberries have frozen, move them to an air-tight container. If you plan on using your berries a handful at a time for things like smoothies you can use a sealable freezer bag so you can grab a handful and put the rest back.
APRIL SPECIAL OFFER:
Get 10% off all Seeds from Suttons here
Need Fruit Plants and Trees? You’ll get 10% off all Fruit Trees and Plants with Suttons. Get the deal here.
If you will be using your strawberries for cooking you can measure them out and freeze them in the portions you need to make the job easy when you go to cook. Sealing these with a vacuum sealer is a great way to help prevent freezer burn and keep your berries fresher longer. Dice or even mash your strawberries for baking and store them flat in the freezer to make more room.
Freezing strawberries in sugar
Depending on what you plan to do with your strawberries you may want to coat them in sugar to help keep them sweeter. I debated putting this in, as for me, strawberries are best just as they are, but I understand I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth!
Do this after cutting your strawberries while they are still wet, simply roll your strawberries in sugar or sprinkle sugar on top depending on how much you want to add before following the flash freezing step.
You might want to use this technique in the early season when everbearing varieties of strawberries can be a little tasteless.
Thawing and Using Frozen Strawberries
When you are ready to use our strawberries you can use them from frozen without thawing for most things. Simply toss them straight into the blender or the recipe that you’re using.
Keeping frozen strawberries in a large freezer bag ready to grab when you want a smoothie or as a snack, is a great way to make use of your strawberries. I love strawberries on my cereal in the morning, and getting them out, and putting them to thaw while I get a shower before my breakfast means that they’re ready to eat when I am!
If you need to thaw your strawberries you can simply sit them on the counter in the air-tight container or place them in the refrigerator the night before to thaw. Keep your berries in their container to thaw or place them into a bowl if you do not need the entire container because the strawberries will release a lot of liquid when they thaw.
FAQS about freezing strawberries
Got questions about freezing strawberries? Or want to know more about how to freeze strawberries and we haven’t answered your questions? Check out our frequently asked questions about freezing strawberries below, or ask us yours in the comments.
How Do You Defrost Strawberries Without Making Them Soggy?
Don’t use a microwave, this is a surefire way of making frozen strawberries soggy. You can defrost them in a water bath.
Can you freeze strawberries without them going mushy?
Yes. You’ll want to make sure that they are fully dry before freezing. Flash freeze them – making sure that the strawberries are all set individually so that they don’t stick together. Then seal in an airtight container – vacuum sealing is best, to avoid ice crystals forming. Defrost either in a water bath or in the fridge.
Do you wash strawberries before freezing?
Yes, it’s best to clean your strawberries before freezing. It means that you’ll check them thoroughly for spoiling (and remove the spoiled bits). It also means that you’ll clean off any pesticides or mould spores that have formed.
What’s the best way to freeze strawberries?
It’s best to flash-freeze strawberries. Prepare them by cleaning, drying and then freezing them individually before storing them in an airtight container.
Is it better to freeze strawberries whole or sliced?
It depends. The best way to freeze strawberries is to prepare them in the shape that you want to eventually use them. You can freeze strawberries whole (minus the greens), sliced or in half.
Will strawberries change texture once frozen?
Strawberries do change texture once they’re frozen. It’s the curse of fruits that have a high water content. Strawberries have a water content of between 87% and 94%. The ice crystals break down the cellular structure of the fruit. However, you can help by ensuring that you remove as much moisture as possible before you flash freeze them. Also, make sure that your container in the freezer once they have flash frozen is completely airtight.
All my guides on freezing fruit, herbs and vegetables
Let’s Grow Cook Recommends..
Whether you’re buying seeds, seedlings, plants, propagation gear, gardening tools or items for the kitchen, here are our favourite suppliers.
Best for Seeds & Plants
- Suttons: – OFFERS on Seeds, Sets, Plants and Gardening Tools
- Crocus’s – seeds, plants, seedlings and help with propagation
- Amazon – seeds, plants, and growing kits – check options here
Best for Pots, Containers, Gardening Tools & Compost
- Garden Growing Accessories – The latest offers from Suttons
- Crocus – the UK’s largest garden supplier – Crocus – has great deals on pots, containers, tools & compost.
- Amazon – a superb selection of pots, containers, tools & compost – order here
- Waltons – the UK’s best sheds and garden buildings – options here
Best Tools & Gadgets for the Kitchen & Cooking Aids
- Rediscover the simple pleasures of home cooking with SimplyCook – Try your first box for free (just pay £1 postage) – get offer here
Final Words on How to Freeze Strawberries
Frozen strawberries make a great addition to your favourite fruit salad and starting with frozen fruit helps to keep it cold during a hot summer cookout. You can use your frozen berries thawed and mashed to flavour a cake or make a wonderful strawberry frosting. This guide to freezing strawberries covers how to select the best strawberries for freezing, how to clean and dry strawberries for freezing, how to flash freeze strawberries and then how to store them for the longest time effectively.
LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates
