Freezing Strawberries – Sustainable Cooks

Learn all the tips and tricks for freezing strawberries to extend the harvest. Freezing fresh strawberries is a great way to preserve this wonderful summer fruit without needing to know any special kitchen skills (like canning). 

True strawberry season, where local berries are ripe, juicy, and amazing, is so very short. They’re not the sad berries that come in plastic from your grocery store. I’m talking about the berries that taste like summer. 

And because I love you, this post has a kitchen hack in it that you won’t find anywhere else! It cuts down on time and helps you freeze more berries at once, and is perfect for anyone with a small freezer.

How to Prepare Strawberries For Freezing

This is the best part – there is nothing special you need to do! Unlike fruits that brown when cut (apples, apricots, etc.), freezing fresh strawberries is very straightforward.

• Rinse (don’t submerge in water)
• Remove tops
• Leave whole, cut into halves or slices

Some people choose to use a bit of sugar with their frozen berries. It’s totally optional but unnecessary.

How to Freeze Strawberries

Rinse your strawberries in a colander/strainer. You don’t want to submerge them in water because it can cause them to become waterlogged.

Remove the tops either with a strawberry corer, this multipurpose tool, or a sharp paring knife. I generally just use a knife because it’s faster and my backyard chickens LOVE strawberry tops!

Decide how you want to use your frozen berries – whole, halved, sliced, or macerated.

Place a piece of parchment on a rimmed baking sheet and lay strawberries cut-side down on the tray. Use the space efficiently, but try not to let them touch too much.

Now, here is the best freezing strawberries kitchen hack ever! Lay another piece of parchment on top of the berries and top with an additional layer of berries. You can do up to three layers of berries on the same baking sheet before it becomes precarious. Pre-berrious?

This trick works so well because you don’t need to find space for multiple trays of berries in your freezer. And, you don’t have to wait for a single layer of berries to freeze before you can start your next batch.

Allow the strawberries to freeze through (about 3 hours, but if you’re like me, you’ll forget about them and leave them overnight…) and then transfer them to freezer-proof storage containers. See the list below for great storage options!

If you’re asking yourself, “can I freeze strawberries in Ziploc bags”, the answer is YES! A cool hack for removing additional air from the bag will keep your berries safe from freezer burn. 

Place a straw in the corner of a freezer bag and close the bag as tightly as possible. Suck the air out through the straw 1-2 times and quickly remove the straw and seal the bag. It will take you a few times to get the hang of it, but it’s solid gold once you master this FREE technique.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Strawberries?

It depends on how you want to use them. For things like jam or overnight oats, or yogurt cups, it’s great to allow them to thaw in their own juices.

For quick thawing – place the (sealed) freezer bag in a large mixing bowl filled with warm water. Replace the water every 20 minutes when it cools.

For basic thawing – place the freezer bag in a large mixing bowl and allow it to sit at room temperature or in the fridge. For a 1-gallon bag of strawberries, it will take up to 24 hours in the fridge, or 12 hours at room temperature to completely thaw.

Pro tip: no matter how well you sealed the bag, some juice will likely leak out during the thawing process. Always place the freezer bag in a bowl, or on a deep plate to prevent a mess.

If any recipe calls for the juices to be drained from the frozen berries, reserve and add to sparkling water for a refreshing drink. Or, mix with a little honey simple syrup, and frozen mint cubes and create a strawberry mojito mocktail! You could also refreeze the berry juice in ice cube trays to add to drinks.