Learn how to freeze fresh strawberries! When you use this easy method, you can enjoy frozen strawberries all year round in your smoothies, drinks, desserts, and more!
🍓 Why it Works
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 it’s more budget friendly to freeze it yourself, too! I buy strawberries on sale or pick them at our local berry patch when they’re in season, then freeze them using this super simple and dependable method.
I try to have a freezer stocked with healthy fruits and veggies, so I also freeze ginger, cucumber, pineapples, bell peppers, and more!
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
First, wash the strawberries. I prefer to submerge 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.
Note: Once the strawberries are washed, they won’t keep for very long. Once your strawberries are 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 paring knife or strawberry huller (or even a straw!) to remove the leaves and stem.
👉 You can freeze whole strawberries, slice them in half, or dice them. Sliced or diced is my preference for smoothies, but it’s your choice!
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.
Transfer to air tight bags or containers and store in the freezer.
Remove the berries from the parchment paper, and transfer them to a freezer bag or any other air tight container. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then set the bag back in the freezer.
👉 Be sure to use my freezer inventory chart to keep track of your frozen strawberries and all the other freezer contents!
ℹ️ Expert Tips & FAQ
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!
If you’re wondering how long frozen strawberries last, you’re not alone! For best taste, use the berries within a year, per USDA.
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.
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.
Recipes with Strawberries
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How to Freeze Strawberries
Equipment
- Plastic Bags or Airtight container
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.
