Freezing berries is a great way to save them for later so that they don’t go to waste. Berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries have many health benefits. Freezing berries makes it easy to throw them into any recipe to make them healthier!
Berries contain:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Antioxidants
- Many other nutrients
Freezing berries helps them keep all of these important nutrients and is a great way to enjoy them year round. Berries can be frozen with or without sugar, and there are three basic ways to preserve them.
- Coated in Sugar
- Rinse the berries under cold water
- Gently pat them dry with a clean towel or paper towel
- Remove and stems or leaves
- Get rid of any spoiled or moldy berries
- Sprinkle about 1 cup of sugar for every 2-3 pounds of berries
- Stir berries to coat them in the sugar evenly
- Put them in a freezer-safe bag or container
- Note: If you want them to freeze individually and not stick together in the container:
- Spread the betties out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer
- Once the berries are frozen, take them from the baking sheet and place in them a freezer-safe bag or container, and return to the freezer.
- Note: If you want them to freeze individually and not stick together in the container:
- In a Syrup Pack
- Decide how much sweetener you want to add based off of the sweetness of the fruit, what the fruit will be used for, and your personal taste.
- Choose your sweetener - different sweeteners can be used, such as sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- If you are using sugar, dissolve the sugar in water
- Dissolve the sweetener with water for about 15 minutes
- Mix the syrup and the fruit using about 1 1/3 cup syrup for each quart of fruit
- Without Sugar
- Rinse the berries under cold water
- Gently pat them dry with a clean towel or paper towel
- Remove any stems or leaves
- Get rid of any spoiled or moldy berries
- Spread the berries out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Place baking sheet in freezer - this ensures the betties don't freeze together
- If you're going to use all of the berries together, such as using them in a smoothie, you can skip this step
- Once the berries are frozen solid, put them into a freezer-safe bag or container
- Place the berries back into the freezer
Ready to use your frozen berries? Simply remove the amount that you want from the freezer bag and let them thaw. These berries may be a bit softer than fresh berries bit their nutritional value will be the same. So get creative! Frozen berries are great for:
- Smoothies
- Yogurt topping
- Jams and jellies
- Sauces/dressings
- Baking
- Oatmeal
- And many other foods!
How long can you keep them frozen? Typically berries are best to use within 6 to 8 months of freezing for the best taste. One way to keep track of this is to label your freezer bag/container with the date you froze them.
So next time there is a sale on berries, or you just can't finish all of your fresh pickings before they go bad, consider freezing them. Your wallet and your body will thank you later!