Freezing Strawberries (A Tutorial)

Freezing Strawberries

I was having dinner with some friends and we were talking about food, and specifically the Hen House CSA. I was talking about how last summer I took our weekly CSA allotment in Andy’s Candy Corn. We had 36 ears of corn and ate some off the cob and then quick boiled the rest, cut the kernals off the ears, and froze it. You would have thought I had two heads the way they were looking at me.

And that is when I realized that canning and freezing is a lost art. We are so used to buying pre-packaged and convenience foods – that we have lost the know-how of taking produce and preparing it so it can be used in the future. I promise you I won’t do this every post, but on occasion I’m going to show you how to freeze or can food. Not only does it taste better – but it is better for you because there are no extra chemicals/preservatives added to the process.

I started with strawberries because they are at their peak right now, they are dirt cheap, and they are easy to freeze.

Step #1: Get your tools. In this case, strawberries, a knife, cookie sheet, and cutting board (not shown). I usually freeze my strawberries when they are just starting to turn too ripe. (Like when one in the packages show a sign of mold.)

Step #2: Prepare strawberries. Wash strawberries in water, cut off the stems, and lay out on a towel to dry for about 30 minutes. I do the final step to make sure as much water is evaporated off them before I put them in the freezer.

Step #3: Put strawberries in the freezer. Once your strawberries are relatively dry, put them on a cookie sheet and place in your freezer for 24 hours. This process allows them to freeze individually and makes them easier to get out of the freezer bag (instead of just being one big lump which happens if you just put them all in the bag).

Step #4: Put strawberries in a freezer bag. Once the strawberries are frozen, place them in a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Now you have fresh, picked at their peak strawberries that will taste awesome as smoothies or in a jello salad this winter.

Have you ever frozen fruit before? What other tips can you give beginners.