How to Freeze Strawberries

5 from 3 votes

Learn how to freeze fresh strawberries! When you use this easy method, you can enjoy strawberry season all year round in your smoothies, drinks, desserts, and more!

Collage of two photos, a bowl filled to the brim with strawberries, and a close up of one fresh strawberry.

Frozen strawberries are a wonderful staple to keep in your home for year round use. Toss them in your favorite smoothies, parfaits, chia puddings, and more for an infusion of flavor, fiber, and vitamins!

Not only are frozen strawberries delicious, but freezing them yourself is also more budget-friendly! I buy ripe strawberries on sale or at the farmers market, or bring them home from strawberry picking at our local berry patch when they’re in season, then freeze them using this super simple and dependable method. Sometimes we keep some strawberries ripe for desserts like these Strawberry Crumble Bars!

I try to have a freezer stocked with healthy fruits and veggies, so I also freeze ginger, cucumber, pineapples, bell peppers, and more!

🍓 Why We Love It

Freezing sweet strawberries is so EASY and you are going to love this money-saving hack:

  • You will save money on buying frozen strawberries. Just buy fresh and freeze your own!
  • Freezing is the best way to salvage fruit that’s about to go bad to use later.
  • You can support local farmers and growers!
  • They are great in recipes, especially strawberry smoothies, jams, baked goods, drinks and sauces.
Sliced and hulled strawberries on a wooden cutting board.

🔪 Instructions

First, wash your strawberry haul. I prefer to wash strawberries by submerging the berries in a large pot of cold water with a splash of white vinegar. Allow them to sit in the liquid for about 5 minutes, then gently pour off the water. Run the strawberries under cold water to rinse them well.

Lay the strawberries out on a few paper towels and gently pat them dry to remove excess moisture.

Note: Once the strawberries are washed, they won’t keep for very long. Once washed, I recommend eating or freezing them within a day.

Next, hull and slice the strawberries. Hulling is just a fancy way to say “cut off the stem.” Use a small paring knife or strawberry huller (or even a straw!) to remove the green tops. You want to take off both the leaves and the stem.

👉 You can freeze whole berries, sliced berries, or diced berries. I prefer sliced or diced berries for smoothies because they’re a bit easier on the blender blade or food processor, but it’s your choice!

A hand laying strawberries out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Lay the berries on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer & set in the freezer for 2 hours.

Let’s be real here — it’s okay if the strawberries are touching a little. In an ideal world every piece would be laid out perfectly, but that’s not realistic. The pieces may stick together a tiny bit, but that’s a small price to pay for the time you’ll save by not painstakingly laying out single berry.

In any case, this is an important step! If you skip it and go straight to freezing in a bag or container, the strawberries will freeze stuck together in a big clump. That will make it hard to take out the amount of berries you want when you’re ready to eat them.

Frozen strawberries laid out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Storage Tips

Transfer to air tight bags or containers and store in the freezer.

Remove the berries from the parchment-lined baking sheet, and transfer them to plastic freezer bags or any other air tight freezer containers. Squeeze out as much air as possible out of zip-top freezer bags, then set the bag back in the freezer. These are important steps to take to prevent freezer burn.

👉 Be sure to use my freezer inventory chart to keep track of your frozen strawberries and all the other freezer contents!

If your frozen berries are stuck together with ice crystals, you can run them under cold running water to help break them up.

Two large plastic storage bags filled with frozen sliced strawberries.

ℹ️ Expert Tips & FAQ

How to freeze strawberries for smoothies?

If you mostly use strawberries for smoothies and other blended recipes, you’ll want to dice the strawberries before freezing. If you have a high speed blender that can handle whole frozen strawberries, you can skip it, but most blenders cannot. Nobody likes a chunky smoothie, so this will ensure your smoothies are actually smooth!

How long can you freeze strawberries?

If you’re wondering how long frozen strawberries last, you’re not alone! For best taste, use the berries within a year, per USDA.

How to keep frozen strawberries from getting mushy?

To keep frozen strawberries from getting mushy, keep them in the coldest part of your freezer until you’re ready use them. I don’t recommending storing anything on the freezer door long-term, as it can get slightly warmed and re-frozen many, many times.

Should I defrost frozen strawberries before I use them?

That depends on how you plan to use them. In general, if you’ll be cooking the strawberries, it’s fine to defrost them first. Thaw them in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. If you’re using them raw (like in a smoothie), you can use them directly from frozen. Thawed strawberries tend to get mushy.

Recipes with Strawberries

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Close up top down of a large plastic bag filled with frozen strawberries.

How to Freeze Strawberries

The easiest way to preserve fresh strawberries by freezing them.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Freezing Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Laura Miner

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh strawberries

Instructions

Wash & Prep the Strawberries

  • Submerge the berries in a large pot of cold water with a splash of white vinegar. Allow them to sit in the liquid for about 5 minutes. Gently pour off the water and rinse well. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
  • Remove the stem and slice each berry in half. Optionally, you can dice the strawberries or leave them whole,

Par-Freeze the Strawberries

  • Lay the strawberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Set it in the freezer for 2 hours.

Transfer and Store in Freezer

  • Remove the berries from the parchment paper and transfer to freezer bags or an air tight container.
  • Squeeze out as much air as possible if using bags, and return to the freezer.

Notes

For best taste, use the berries within a year, per USDA.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

    1. The white vinegar is simply to wash the strawberries. I wouldn’t recommend leaving the stems on when frozen because they’re much harder to remove from a frozen berry than they are from a fresh one. 🙂 -Laura