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Believe it or not, you can freeze most fruits – which gives you more reason than ever to grow them in your back garden, kitchen windowsill, balcony, etc. (And yes, you can grow strawberries in all of those places.) Let’s take a look at how to freeze strawberries so you never have to waste the tasty, sweet fruits ever again!
How to Freeze Strawberries: The Prep Work
Before you even think about grabbing a container to freeze your strawberries, you will want to ‘prep’ the fruit.
Skipping this section will result in your strawberries not freezing well, not thawing well, not lasting as long as you hoped they would, and much more besides.
Wash the Strawberries
Run the berries under cool water, using a soft brush to go over the surface lightly if you deem it necessary. Be gentle, however; the fruit is quite delicate.
If you have purchased the strawberries from a supermarket, they will likely have been washed already.
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Strain the Strawberries
The next step is to strain and then dry your strawberries. The easiest way to strain the strawberries is to place them in a sieve or colander, then leave them in the sink or over a bowl for a minute or two. This will allow any residual water to drop and drain away.
Dry the Strawberries
If there is any water left, pat the strawberries dry with some kitchen roll/towel. Do not rub the fruits too rigorously. As previously mentioned, the fruits are quite delicate.
Hull the Strawberries
Once you have washed and dried your fruits, it’s time to remove any of the green leaves and stem. This process is called hulling. The best way to do this is to use a knife or a coring device, if you have one in your kitchen.
The aim is to cut away a small circle from the top of the berry, removing the green stem and leaves but without cutting away too much of the sweet flesh of the fruit.
Cut the Strawberries
You can freeze strawberries whole, but most people seem to agree that cutting strawberries before you freeze them is a better idea.
You can cut them whichever way is easiest for you: in thick slices, cut into halves or quarters, diced, etc.
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It is a good idea to think about how you will use the strawberries in the future, once you take them out of the freezer and prepare them to eat. You should cut them in a way that will work best for you.
Whole strawberries are difficult to work with once they have been frozen. You will find them almost impossible to cut into slices, etc. when they are still frozen. Once defrosted, the fruits can be too soft to cut into definitive shapes, such as slices or halves. That’s why you should freeze whole strawberries if you intend to use them in their whole state, and cut-up if you don’t.
How to Freeze Strawberries (Part One)
When it comes to the actual freezing process, you’re going to want to do it in two parts. This isn’t quite as long a process as you’d think, though.
To start with, you’re going to want to line up your strawberries on a flat pan or sheet, such as an oven/baking tray, on top of a non-stick material. Parchment paper is recommended for this job.
You should lay out your strawberries so that none of them (or the cut-up pieces) are touching each other, in a single, flat layer. Once done, you can then transfer the tray to the freezer, where they will need to be kept completely flat for at least three or four hours – just enough time for the berries to fully freeze.
If you don’t have room in your freezer drawers or shelves to put the berries completely flat, consider using the ice cube tray. Alternatively, you can transfer the strawberries to smaller sheets or pans, still on parchment paper (or similar), and still in a single layer. You will simply need to freeze the strawberries in stages.
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How to Freeze Strawberries (Part Two)
Once the strawberries are completely frozen, after about three or four hours, you can then remove the tray. At this point, you will need another container or bag. It will need to be airtight and suitable for freezer use.
Take the strawberries (or strawberry pieces) from the flat tray and place them into the airtight container or bag. Once they’re all in there, you should then put the bag or container full of frozen strawberries back into the freezer. This will need to be done immediately, before the fruit has time to start thawing out.
The strawberries only need to be flat until they have completely frozen. After that point, you can remove them and transfer them to whatever airtight and freezer-safe container you have.