Frozen berries are on of my favorite types of produce, and when I catch a great deal like $.99 a package for strawberries, I stock up and save a ton of money.
Freezing berries is simple and there is a lot of useful information on the web. My method for freezing berries is a combination of great tips that I found on livestrong.com, musingsofastrongblackwoman.com, ehow.com, and instructables.com.
So without further adieu, here are 10 steps for freezing the perfect berries (Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries)
- Soak berries in 1 tablespoon of vinegar and six cups of water for 30 minutes. (If freezing strawberries I suggest removing the leaves and stem prior to vinegar soak to remove any excess dirt that may be trapped under the leaves.)
- Strain berries with colander and gently rinse any excess dirt for a 1-2 minutes.
- Pour berries onto a kitchen towel to remove excess water. (If freezing strawberries cut off the top portion and cut strawberries in half.)
- Line a cookie sheet with a single layer of wax or parchment paper.
- Place a single layer of berries on to tray.
- Put tray in freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until berries are completely solid.
- Remove cookie sheet from the refrigerator.
- Place berries in zip lock freezer storage bag.
- Close most of the freezer bag, leaving only enough space to let out any additional air that is in the bag.
- Seal bag and put in the freezer.
Frozen berries can be kept in the freezer for a year without sacrificing the flavor. They are a wonderful fresh snack in the summer time, and you can even add them to a smoothie in lieu of ice. Hope you enjoy.
Peace, Love, and All things frugal,
Najeema Iman, I AM Curly Locks
Who knew you had to do all of that to freeze them? I just cut 'em up and throw them in the freezer. Oops!
ReplyDeletelol...the parchment/wax paper help to prevent freezer burn, and they freeze better individually so you don't get just one clump...
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