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Learn how to freeze strawberries in 3 easy ways! We’ll share the best strawberry freezing tips for storing berries with sugar, without sugar, and with syrup.
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Strawberries are no longer limited to summer once you figure out how to store fresh strawberries!
Keep strawberries fresh for up to a year and enjoy them in homemade jams, desserts, and smoothies anytime you like.
Freeze them your way, whether in syrup, with sugar, or mashed.
What Are the Best Strawberries to Freeze?
Before you get into how to freeze strawberries step by step, make sure you know how to choose the best strawberries. You want firm, ripe strawberries with a sweet smell and deep red color.
Avoid strawberries with any mold or decay. When freezing fresh strawberries, it’s best to start with ripe fruits, since freezing won’t improve their quality.
How to Freeze Strawberries Without Sugar (Tray Freezing)
If you want to learn how to freeze fresh strawberries without adding sweetness to the fruits, skip the sugar and freeze them on a tray to keep them from sticking together:
- Wash, hull, and drain whole strawberries. You can use a strawberry huller to save time.
- Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until solid.
- Transfer the frozen strawberries to freezer-safe bags, removing as much air as possible.
- To enjoy the best flavor, eat frozen strawberries when they’re only slightly thawed, as they tend to become mushy if fully thawed.
How to Freeze Strawberries with Sugar
To maintain the color, flavor, and texture of berries, learn how to preserve strawberries with sugar!
- Wash, hull, and drain the berries. You can freeze whole or sliced berries with sugar.
- Add 3/4 cup sugar to 1 1/3 pounds of strawberries.
- Stir until most of the sugar dissolves.
- Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to your freezer-safe containers with a 1-inch headspace for the syrup’s expansion.
How to Freeze Strawberries with Syrup
For freezing strawberries you’ll use as uncooked dessert toppings, store them in syrup.
- Wash, hull, and drain the berries. Freeze them whole with syrup, or try slicing and crushing them to suit your needs.
- Place the fresh strawberries into your freezer-safe container.
- To make the syrup, dissolve 4 cups of sugar in 4 cups of lukewarm water. Chill the syrup and cover the berries with it. Don’t forget to leave 1/2 to 1 inch of headspace during packaging!
How to Freeze Mashed Strawberries
Can you freeze strawberries mashed? Absolutely! This method is great if you intend to use the frozen berries for sauces, purees, and smoothies.
- Wash, hull, and mash the strawberries. Feel free to add sugar to taste.
- Transfer the mashed strawberries into an ice cube tray.
- Transfer the frozen fruit cubes into your freezer-safe bags and seal.
Do You Thaw Frozen Strawberries?
It depends on the recipe! For smoothies, use the strawberries frozen. For some baking recipes, thawing is best to prevent extra liquid in the batter.
To thaw frozen strawberries for baking and other strawberry dessert recipes, use the microwave’s defrost function or arrange them in a single layer on a baking tray and defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours.
You can also place them in a bowl, then set that bowl in a larger one filled with cold water. This takes about 30 minutes. Use thawed frozen berries in this strawberry spoon cake!
How Can Frozen Strawberries Be Used?
There are many uses for frozen strawberries, but keep in mind that they won’t have the same texture as fresh strawberries.
Thaw them for baked goods, blend frozen berries for fresh fruit smoothies, mash them up to make a strawberry sauce, cook them with sugar to make a strawberry jam, or thaw and use as a protein strawberry cheesecake topping.
FAQ About Freezing Strawberries
Do strawberries get mushy after freezing?
Yes, frozen strawberries will get mushy when fully thawed, so they’re best enjoyed with a few ice crystals left. To minimize ice crystals, rinse before hulling to keep water out of the fruits and flash-freeze the berries before storing. Freezing with sugar also keeps the berries from getting too runny when thawed.
Do you have to put sugar on strawberries to freeze them?
You can learn how to store frozen strawberries with or without sugar! Freezing them with sugar is a great option if you like sweeter berries and want to preserve their texture and color.
Can I freeze strawberries in Ziploc bags?
You can freeze strawberries in freezer-safe Ziploc bags, pressing out any excess air to avoid freezer burn. Don’t forget to flash-freeze them first so they don’t stick together. Label the bags with the date, and freeze the strawberries for up to 6 to 12 months.
How long can you freeze berries in the freezer?
You can store strawberries in the freezer for 6 to 12 months. To maintain their quality, make sure the freezer temperature is at 0°F.
How to keep strawberries fresh in fridge?
Keep the strawberries whole and unwashed to avoid exposing them to moisture. Then, place them in a single layer in a glass container lined with paper towels. Seal and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
How to Freeze Strawberries
Ingredients
Instructions
HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT SUGAR (TRAY FREEZING)
- Wash, hull, and drain whole strawberries. You can use a strawberry huller to save time.
- Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until solid.
- Transfer the frozen strawberries to freezer-safe bags, removing as much air as possible.
- To enjoy the best flavor, eat frozen strawberries when they're only slightly thawed, as they tend to become mushy if fully thawed.
HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES WITH SUGAR
- Wash, hull, and drain the berries. You can freeze whole or sliced berries with sugar.
- Add 3/4 cup sugar to 1 1/3 pounds of strawberries.
- Stir until most of the sugar dissolves.
- Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to your freezer-safe containers with a 1-inch headspace for the syrup’s expansion.
HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES WITH SYRUP
- Wash, hull, and drain the berries. Freeze them whole with syrup, or try slicing and crushing them to suit your needs.
- Place the fresh strawberries into your freezer-safe container.
- To make the syrup, dissolve 4 cups of sugar in 4 cups of lukewarm water. Chill the syrup and cover the berries with it. Don’t forget to leave 1/2 to 1 inch of headspace during packaging!
HOW TO FREEZE MASHED STRAWBERRIES
- Wash, hull, and mash the strawberries. Feel free to add sugar to taste.
- Transfer the mashed strawberries into an ice cube tray.
- Transfer the frozen fruit cubes into your freezer-safe bags and seal.
Notes
- If you want to eat frozen berries like fresh berries, let them thaw just a little so they don’t turn mushy.
- For the best quality and fewer ice crystals, set your freezer to 0°F so the berries freeze faster.
- Make sure to flash-freeze the berries before storing to keep them from forming a single clump.
Conclusion
And there you go!
You just learned how to freeze strawberries with and without sugar and in syrup.
You can skip the sugar. But if you plan to use the berries in desserts, freezing them with sugar helps keep them from getting mushy.
It’s also a great way to preserve their color!
And what to do with frozen strawberries? You can use them in smoothies, sauces, and baked goodies.
The best part is they don’t always need thawing!
Now that you know how to clean and store strawberries, here are other helpful reads related to frozen food and food storage:
- How to Freeze Bananas
- How to Freeze Zucchini
- How to Freeze Dry Peaches
- How to Freeze Corn
- How to Freeze Potatoes
PIN FOR LATER!