How To Freeze Strawberries

Are your strawberries ripening faster than you can snack on them? Don't worry! We've got you covered with a handy guide on how to freeze strawberries. Whether you want to enjoy them in smoothies, desserts, or as a sweet snack all year round, freezing strawberries is a fantastic way to preserve their freshness and sweet flavor!

There's nothing better than a sweet strawberry in the height of Summer! We often take the kids strawberry picking at a local farm. It's fun, the kids love it, and they eat fresh strawberries right off the plants. We always end up picking a ton of strawberries and they can turn moldy and mushy real fast.

Freezing to the rescue! Freezing the strawberries keeps them sweet and extends their life. They will stay sweet because they are frozen at peak! Plus this reduces food waste, which is always a good idea!

Once you see they are getting a little too soft, freeze them! You can then use them in my no milk strawberry banana smoothie, almond milk strawberry smoothie, or a creamy strawberry pineapple smoothie.

What is the Best Way to Freeze Strawberries?

When freezing strawberries, there are lots of different ways to freeze them, depending on how you want to use them. You can freeze them whole or you can cut the strawberries in half and freeze them. Flash freeze them in a freezer and then place them in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and freeze them until you need them.

Without flash freezing them, the strawberries might become one giant lump of strawberries in the freezer. This will make it harder to use individual strawberries, especially in smoothies.

Should Strawberries Be Washed Before Freezing?

Yes! Washing the strawberries before freezing gets rid of all the dirt, pesticides, and any lingering debris that might still be on the strawberries from after picking. Here's how to easily wash strawberries:

1. Fill a large bowl with water.
2. Empty the strawberry container into the bowl.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the bowl. Let the strawberries sit in the vinegar for about 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, rinse the strawberries well with fresh water.
5. Remove the strawberries from the bowl and pat them dry on a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels. It's really important to get the strawberries as dry as you can.
6. At this point, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to snack on throughout the week. You can cut them, or leave them whole.

How To Freeze Strawberries

How To Freeze Strawberries with Sugar

Strawberries can be quite tart if you don't get them when they are in peak season. When this happens, you may want to freeze strawberries with sugar. That's easy to do!

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the stem. Cut them in half and place them in a large bowl.
2. Add the sugar to the bowl. You'll want ¾ cup of sugar per 4 cups of strawberries. If you prefer a really sweet strawberry mixture, add 1 cup of white granulated sugar per 4 cups of strawberries.
3. Mix everything together and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. Divide the mixture into your freezer containers. You can use Ziploc bags, freezer safe containers, or mason jars. Just make sure that you leave enough room on the top of the container to leave room for expanding.

Best Containers to Use To Freeze Strawberries

Ziploc bags. A gallon sized Ziploc bag is great for freezing. They don't take up much room in the freezer and they are easy to take in and out of the freezer whenever you need some strawberries.

A mason jar. Mason jars are popular to freeze in too, just make sure you do not overfill the mason jars. I can tell you from experience that if you overfill a mason jar, it will expand and crack in the freezer. Not fun cleanup!

A freezer safe container. Most leftover containers freeze well. You can fill them with strawberries and easily stack or store them right in your freezer.

Ice cube tray. This is great is you are specifically freezing strawberries for smoothies. Grab a few strawberry ice cubes and throw them into a blender with the rest of the fruit you are using to make your smoothie.

How To Defrost Strawberries

When using frozen strawberries for smoothies, you do not have to defrost them. You can take from right from the freezer and pour them into your blender. They add a creamy texture without watering down the smoothie like an ice cube might do. If you do want to defrost the strawberries for things like overnight oats or chia seed pudding, here's a few options for you.

• In the microwave. Pour your strawberries into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes until they are defrosted.
• In water. Place the container that the strawberries in directly into a large bowl of cold water. In about 15-20 minutes the strawberries will be defrosted.
• In the refrigerator. If you have some extra time, place the frozen container of strawberries in the refrigerator and in about 1-2 hours the strawberries will be defrosted.

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