How To Store Strawberries
One of the most common questions this time of year is “How do I store my strawberries?!” You’re probably loading up and wanting to keep the fresh, wonderfulness of strawberries as long as possible, right?! We all know that there is nothing like biting into a juicy red berry, but you can easily store strawberries all year long simply by freezing them.
I’ve written before about how to freeze fruit and vegetables, but freezing delicate fruit like strawberries is a little different. There are three important steps that you want to consider.
Remove the Stems First
Prepare your strawberries by washing and removing the stem right away. While this step is simple, people often delay prepping their berries until they are ready to eat them. More often than not, that’s why they end up going bad!
Instead, spend a few moments preparing your fruit by washing and removing the stem (I love this gadget for the job so that the fruit is ready, either for eating or freezing!). Gently pat the fruit dry with a paper towel or allow it to air dry before freezing.
Lay your fruit out on a cookie tray
Laying your strawberries out on a cookie tray to freeze solves the biggest problem – the dreaded frozen hunk of fruit. We’ve all done it… You buy a bag of frozen fruit at the store, it partially defrosts on the drive home, and then re-freezes into a solid, messy block of fruity mush in your freezer.
That problem can easily be avoided when you freeze your own berries for storage. By laying the fruit flat on a cookie tray, each berry will freeze into its own unit almost like ice cubes. Once the fruit is frozen, it won’t clump together and make a big solid mass.
Invest in heavy-duty freezer bags
Yes, I know they may cost more, but using high-quality freezer bags really does make a difference when it comes to freezing fruit. Once your berries are frozen, transfer them from the cookie sheet to a freezer storage bag. The higher-quality bags are easier to fill and will protect your fruit from freezer burn.
These three simple steps are all you need to do to! Store strawberries and have them available whenever you need them. Enjoy.
Nadia says
Thanks Mavis, one question though, do you need to dry each strawberry after you wash them before putting on the tray to freeze? And do you just keep them in the fridge if you want to have them fresh? I was always under the impression that once you wash them, they deteriorate rapidly. Any thoughts?
Mavis says
Yes! Great rminder. The fruit should be dry before freezing.
Sandi says
Strawberries will last over a week or f stored in a glass jar in the Refrig! Same for blueberries! Just wash, dry, and store!
Teri says
Can you grow strawberries and blueberries in your religious garden?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. 🙂 We grew blueberries down there last summer.