The strawberry harvest is usually a two-month stretch of bright red, sun-ripened goodness. But how can you make all of those fresh strawberries last into the fall and winter, when strawberries are shipped to us from not-so-local locales? (And they just don’t taste the same!) How can you freeze strawberries to use in those smoothies and pies well past strawberry season?
Preserving Strawberries
When strawberry season comes in full swing, there is no better place to be than at one of our local farms where we can pick berries by the bucket load. We also grow strawberries here in our home garden, but we don’t have a large enough patch to be able to eat and also preserve strawberries for later.
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So our local strawberry fields give us the perfect opportunity to get plenty of berries for freezing. Strawberries can be frozen, made into jam, or dehydrated for use later, but freezing is our favorite. It’s super low prep, and we can do a large amount of berries at one time. It’s a little different from freezing blueberries which you can find here. Here’s what you’ll need to freeze strawberries for use later.
What you need to freeze strawberries
- Fresh Strawberries (washed)
- Clean dish cloths
- Large sheet trays (these trays are some of my favorites)
- Freezer bags or air-tight containers
Let’s get freezing!
- Begin by washing your fresh strawberries in cool water.
2. Lay clean strawberries out on a clean dish cloth until dry.
3. Once strawberries are dry, cut off tops. Halve or quarter strawberries if you’d like or leave them whole. We like to halve ours since they tend to lay a little better in the freezer bag. Place cut strawberries on a sheet pan and place directly in the freezer. Leave 4-6 hours, or until completely frozen.
4. Remove strawberries from freezer and scoop frozen berries into a freezer bag or container. Label bag and place back into freezer. Use strawberries as needed.
Recipes for frozen strawberries
- Greek Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie
- Fresh Blueberry Pie (Strawberries can be subbed for the blueberries.)
- Strawberry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust
- Frozen Strawberry Margaritas (from Cookie + Kate)
How to Freeze Strawberries
Keep the sweet taste of ripe berries all year long by learning how to freeze strawberries. Freezing strawberries is easy to do and is perfect for smoothies, pies, and homemade jams and jellies.
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups Fresh Strawberries
- Large Sheet Pan
- Freezer Bags
Instructions
- Begin by washing your fresh strawberries in cool water.
- Lay clean strawberries out on a clean dish cloth until dry.
- Once strawberries are dry, cut off tops. Halve or quarter strawberries if you'd like or leave them whole. We like to halve ours since they tend to lay a little better in the freezer bag. Place cut strawberries on a sheet pan and place directly in the freezer. Leave 4-6 hours, or until completely frozen.
- Remove strawberries from freezer and scoop frozen berries into a freezer bag or container. Label bag and place back into freezer. Use strawberries as needed.
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