Learn how to freeze strawberries so you can enjoy them all year long! Whole strawberries, halved, or chopped, this easy method works for all of them.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nHave you ever found a sale on strawberries and couldn\u2019t help but buy a million pounds?<\/p>\n
Ok, so maybe you didn\u2019t buy a MILLION pounds, but I bet you bought a lot knowing it was a good deal<\/a> and that you were saving money by buying when the price was low, right?<\/p>\n The only catch is, how can you save those strawberries for LATER when the price goes back up?<\/p>\n My go-to option is the easiest and cheapest option \u2013 let me show you exactly how to freeze strawberries!<\/p>\n First off, before we start freezing strawberries, we\u2019re assuming that you\u2019ve already exhausted the list of let\u2019s-make-everything-strawberry.<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re all strawberry-ed out, and since strawberries tend to have a short shelf life, it\u2019s time to learn how to freeze strawberries.<\/p>\n I want to note, that FREEZING strawberries is not the same thing as FREEZE DRIED strawberries.<\/p>\n If you want freeze-dried strawberries, you need a special machine called a home freeze dryer. They\u2019re VERY expensive and they\u2019re not the same thing as a dehydrator. (Just FYI \u2013 dehydrators<\/a> are super affordable. I have this model<\/a> and LOVE it!)<\/p>\n What\u2019s the difference between all these different methods for preserving strawberries??<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve eaten more strawberries than your kids and you\u2019ve got the dehydrator going to use later as well, that\u2019s when you can tackle freezing strawberries whole or sliced or halved or whatever you want!<\/p>\n I mention these options because your decision of how to freeze strawberries fresh NOW will matter later. For example\u2026<\/p>\n Okay, with that said, let\u2019s get on with how to freeze strawberries!<\/p>\n Step 1: Wash your strawberries.<\/strong><\/p>\n Strawberries are consistently on the Environmental Working Groups\u2019 Dirty Dozen list<\/a>, which means they test high for pesticide residue. Ideally, we SHOULD purchase organic strawberries to help lower the type of pesticide and the amount, but I know that\u2019s not always in the budget.<\/p>\n As I teach members in Grocery Budget Bootcamp<\/a>, the grocery budget is king and if the money isn\u2019t there, then the money\u2019s not there! Food prices are going up, but your grocery budget doesn\u2019t have to! Join our FREE Fight Inflation Workshop to learn simple yet proven strategies to save money on food week after week, even when prices keep going up. Read more here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n There are several ways you can wash produce naturally at home<\/a>, so save your money on those expensive produce cleaners you can find at the store.<\/p>\n Step 2: Cut your strawberries (or don\u2019t).<\/strong><\/p>\n This goes back to HOW you\u2019re going to use the strawberries later. Decide whether you need to hull (remove stems or not), halve, slice, or dice your strawberries, and get that out of the way.<\/p>\n I suggest a small paring knife or if you\u2019re really fancy, a strawberry huller.<\/p>\n It\u2019s perfectly fine if you want to have variety, too. You\u2019ll be able to freeze them all together in the next steps.<\/p>\n Step 3: Prepare the strawberries for the freezer.<\/strong><\/p>\n In order for you to NOT have your strawberries freeze together into one massive frozen clump of strawberry covered in ice crystals, we\u2019re using a technique called flash freezing.<\/p>\n To do this, spread your strawberries on a baking sheet in a single layer (I have these sheet pans<\/a> and LOVE them). It\u2019s okay if they touch slightly, but you don\u2019t want them to fully overlap.<\/p>\n Freezing strawberries usually doesn\u2019t require lining the sheet pan with anything, but the smaller the strawberry pieces, the harder they will be to get off the cookie sheet later.<\/p>\n I recommend using either a silpat mat (I have this set<\/a>) or parchment paper<\/a> if you\u2019re freezing strawberries that are the size of a quarter or smaller. This will allow you to remove the frozen strawberries from the pan easily, without squishing them in the process.<\/p>\n Step 4: Freezing strawberries.<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, your strawberries are ready to be put into the freezer! You don\u2019t need to do anything special \u2013 just get them in there and leave them alone for at least a couple of hours.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that berries freeze slower if you have a really full sheet pan. It might take up to 4 hours for the fruit to completely freeze through. If there\u2019s not much fruit on your sheet pan, they may be solid enough after just one hour.<\/p>\n Tip: Maximize your freezer space by using cooling racks! I have this set of cooling racks<\/a> and I use them to stack the sheet pans on top of each other to save room in my freezer. This will let you freeze strawberries vertically, saving space for other things in the freezer!<\/em><\/p>\n Step 5: Store the frozen strawberries.<\/strong><\/p>\n Once the strawberries are frozen through, you can remove them to a freezer container.<\/p>\n I use gallon plastic freezer bags<\/a> and reuse them over and over again until they don\u2019t seal anymore. (Unless they held meat \u2013 those I don\u2019t reuse.) They\u2019re easy to use, inexpensive, and because they\u2019re flexible, I can move the bag to wherever I have room in the freezer at the time.<\/p>\n Frozen strawberries will last 6 months or more in the freezer.<\/p>\n Psst! Did you find a great deal on a different type of berry? Learn How to Freeze Blueberries<\/a> and How to Freeze Raspberries<\/a> so you\u2019ll have yummy frozen berries all year long!<\/em><\/p>\n Whenever you want to use frozen strawberries, simply pull out what you need!<\/p>\n You might be wondering how to freeze strawberries without them getting mushy after thawing, and to the best of my knowledge, you can\u2019t. It\u2019s just the way it is. Fortunately, they retain their flavor and taste.<\/p>\n Just like onions and bell peppers and apples all get soft after they\u2019re frozen, strawberries change in texture too.<\/p>\n If you need your strawberries firm, you\u2019ll want to use fresh strawberries. But any recipes where the strawberries will be cooked or mixed in with something else will work just fine!<\/p>\n Pssst! Don\u2019t forget to grab your copy of High Protein No Powder<\/a>\u2013 my ultimate smoothie recipe book that teaches you how to get more protein without using expensive processed powders!<\/em><\/p>\n Berries are a great low-carb option to add more produce to your plate. They are also an easy way to add sweetness without adding unnecessary sugar.<\/p>\n This post is full of ways to add fresh or frozen strawberries to your meals, so I won\u2019t rehash those here. But keep berries in mind when you\u2019re building your plate.<\/p>\n When deciding what to eat, aim for these general guidelines:<\/p>\n Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here<\/a> to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.<\/em><\/p>\n Yes, but you want to flash-freeze the berries first to avoid ending up with one big clump of frozen strawberries. After they\u2019re frozen, you can move them to a resealable freezer bag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I don\u2019t. Strawberries, especially those picked in season<\/a>, have a lot of natural sweetness to them already. Plus, I may use them for a variety of recipes that may or may not call for additional sweetener, so I wait to add sugar until I\u2019m making a recipe that calls for it, like Strawberry Poke Cake<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Frozen strawberries will last 6 months or more in the freezer. Make sure they\u2019re in an airtight container<\/a> or get as much air as possible out of your resealable bags to avoid freezer burn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I freeze strawberries because it saves me money on groceries, but you can also freeze a lot of other things too! Check out these tutorials for freezing:<\/p>\n Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop<\/strong>\u00a0and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBEFORE FREEZING STRAWBERRIES\u2026<\/h2>\n
FROZEN STRAWBERRIES VS. FREEZE-DRIED STRAWBERRIES<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES FRESH<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES STEP BY STEP<\/h2>\n
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USING FROZEN STRAWBERRIES<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO ENJOY FROZEN STRAWBERRIES WHEN TRACKING MACROS<\/h2>\n
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CAN YOU FREEZE STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER FAQS<\/h2>\n
Can you freeze strawberries in Ziploc bags?<\/h3>\n
How do you freeze strawberries with sugar?<\/h3>\n
How long can you freeze strawberries?<\/h3>\n
MORE TUTORIALS FOR FREEZING<\/h2>\n
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Fight Inflation Workshop!<\/h4>\n
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