7 Best Ways to Freeze Strawberries at Home

Strawberries contain many beneficial nutrients. Unfortunately, their season is short-lived, and the body needs vitamins and minerals year-round. Fortunately, there are many ways to preserve strawberries in the freezer. Below, you'll find information on how to freeze strawberries, their health benefits, the shelf life of frozen fruits, and how to properly defrost them.

What are the benefits of frozen strawberries?

Garden strawberries contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and organic acids. Eating them boosts immunity, strengthens nerve cells, and improves gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health.

To ensure that the body receives nutrients not only in summer but also in winter, strawberries are frozen in the refrigerator. Freezer-fed strawberries contain the same nutrients as fresh ones.

Does it retain its beneficial properties?

Frozen strawberries retain all their characteristic qualities. They're low in calories, making them suitable even for dieters. Thawed strawberries can be eaten, used in various dishes and drinks, and used as pie filling. Frozen strawberries retain more vitamins than dried or compote-made strawberries.

Methods of harvesting berries

To how to preserve berries for the winter To get more useful substances, many ways of freezing it have been invented.

Freezing whole berries

Fruits are frozen both with and without stems. The procedure is as follows:

• the berries are washed and dried;
• then they are laid out in one layer;
• The fruits are placed in the freezer.

After 2 hours, take the strawberries out, pour them into a bag and place them back in the freezer.

Freezing in halves

Sometimes, halved berries, rather than whole ones, are needed to decorate confectionery. It's difficult to cut frozen berries beautifully, so they are cut before freezing. Before slicing, they are washed and dried, then laid out in a single layer on a tray and placed in the freezer. After two hours, the berries are placed in a freezer bag and placed in the freezer.

Fruits in sugar

There are 3 options for freezing strawberries in sugar:

1. Freezing whole in syrup. This method involves placing the strawberries in a jar and sprinkling them with sugar. The strawberries are then transferred to a container, covered with syrup, and placed in the freezer.
2. Freezing whole in sugar. Sprinkle the sugar-coated berries immediately into the freezer.
3. Freezing pureed berries with sugar. The berries are mixed with sugar in a 1:1 ratio, blended, poured into silicone molds, and frozen.

Please note: Strawberries coated with sugar significantly increase their calorie content.

Strawberry puree

Overripe garden strawberries look uneven, so it's best to puree them. To do this, add 300 grams of sugar to 1 kilogram of strawberries and blend them. Then, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. Pour the strawberry puree into molds or trays and place them in the freezer for freezing.

Strawberries on Ice

Strawberries prepared this way can be used as a facial toner. To make strawberries on ice, take ice cube trays, place the cut berries cut side up, and pour cold boiled water over them. Place the frozen strawberries in the freezer for 5-8 hours, remove them from the freezer, transfer to containers, and use as needed.

We freeze in cups

Garden strawberries lose some sweetness after being refrigerated, so to freeze them in cups, mix the berries with powdered sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Then, grind the mixture with any convenient kitchen tool, pour it into the cups, and freeze. When needed, take it out and enjoy strawberry ice cream.

In ice briquettes

Strawberries frozen this way are used as an additive to various drinks. To do this, first make a syrup from 450 grams of sugar and 600 milligrams of water and let it cool. The strawberries are placed in small, attractive silicone molds, covered with syrup, and placed in the freezer.

Shelf life of frozen strawberries

Strawberries can be stored in the freezer for about 9 months. In modern refrigerators, they can last until the next harvest. The colder the temperature, the longer the shelf life. Keeping strawberries in the freezer for more than a year doesn't make sense, as they begin to lose their flavor and aroma.

How to defrost properly?

The most important thing is not to subject strawberries to shock defrosting, such as under running hot water or in a microwave. The process should proceed naturally.

It's best to place containers of berries on the top shelf of the refrigerator. As they defrost gradually, the strawberries will retain all their nutritional value.