How to freeze strawberries for the winter: 5 ways

The strawberry season does not last long, as a result of this, many housewives prefer to harvest berries for the future. One of the common options for preserving the beneficial properties and structure of fruits is considered to be freezing. The procedure can be performed in many ways, so the technology is not difficult. Especially valuable recommendations are considered in cases where strawberries are not bought, but collected from their own beds. Consider the current methods in order, give practical recommendations.

Preparation of dishes for freezing strawberries

1. If the goal is to get a lot of small portions, use plastic disposable glasses or containers for yoghurt (volume 100-150 gr.). Also, a cheap and easy storage option is dense plastic bags or cling film.
2. Some housewives prefer to freeze strawberries in containers for heating food in the microwave. Plastic dishes with lids have a different volume (from 100 g. To 2 kg.), So choosing a suitable container is not difficult. This option is considered optimal, since plastic dishes are convenient to use and compact enough (containers with strawberries can be stacked).
3. Regardless of the type of packaging chosen, it is important to consider the fact that all forms must be clean. Remove food debris and odor in advance (it can be removed with lemon juice). In this case, strawberries are laid out exclusively in dry dishes / bags.

Preparing Strawberries for Freezing

1. Particular attention is paid to washing berries. The procedure should be carried out correctly, otherwise the strawberry will absorb the liquid and become loose. Send the berries in a colander, then several times lower them into a basin with water at room temperature. Drain the liquid with debris, repeat the procedure again. After that, lay the berries on a cotton towel, leave until completely dry. Do not use wipes, otherwise softened paper will stick to the surface of the strawberries.
2. As for harvesting, pick berries whenever possible in the morning until dew appears. It is at this moment that the berries are dry and juicy. It is also possible to carry out collection after the heat decline (18.00-19.00 hours). Refuse to pick berries in wet weather or in the scorching sun, otherwise the fruits will become loose after freezing.
3. If you use berries from your own garden (recently harvested) to freeze them, it is not necessary to rinse them. Blow the fruit with cool air from the hair dryer, and then proceed to the procedure. Strawberries remain “alive” for 3 hours after collection, washing will remove the protective film, which prevents the growth of bacteria.
4. In the case of a purchased composition, flushing is mandatory. After wet processing and drying, you can tear off the tails, then sprinkle the areas of separation with sugar. Such a move will preserve the aesthetic appearance of the fruit and prevent weathering.
5. If you plan to freeze strawberries in a dry way, choose varieties of dark red color. As a rule, they include a hybrid with wild strawberries. Do not use dry freezing on juicy, early, fresh (freshly picked) fruits.
6. To subsequently enjoy the taste of strawberries, it is important to defrost it properly. If possible, manipulate naturally, do not use the microwave. Send the frozen fruit to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, wait for thawing.

Method number 1. Whole Strawberry Freeze

1. To start, rinse the berries, move them to a towel, wait 1 hour until the liquid drains completely. In cases where strawberries are from a summer garden, skip this step.
2. Freezing will be carried out in bags, but gluing berries should not be allowed. Put a plastic bag on a cutting board (you can wrap it with cling film), lay the berries at a small distance from each other.
3. Try to place the strawberries in rows so that the freeze passes evenly. If possible, sort the fruits by placing large to large, and vice versa.
4. Send the chopping board with the strawberries laid out in the freezer, leave for 1 hour. After the allotted time, remove the package from the board so that the fruits are inside.
5. Spread the berries throughout the cavity of the bag to save space in the chamber. Tie, place the product in the freezer. Similarly, freeze the second and subsequent servings.

Method number 2. Chopped Strawberry Freeze

1. Many housewives prefer to freeze strawberries in the form of mashed potatoes. After defrosting, the composition can be added to fruit compote, desserts, sauces, etc. On the basis of crushed fruits, everyone’s favorite milkshake is prepared, so it makes sense to consider the technology in more detail.
2. A feature of the procedure is that the berries are ground with sugar, so the mashed potatoes are sweet. To start, wash the fruits and leave them on a towel to dry.
3. After that, send the berries to the blender bowl, add honey or sugar to taste, grind the composition. Prepare food containers, pour strawberry puree on them, send them to the freezer.
4. It is not necessary to cook strawberries with sweeteners, some prefer to chop and freeze it without adding sugar / honey. It all depends on personal preferences. If possible, choose a container so that it fits only 1 serving.

Method number 3. Strawberry freeze with sugar

1. Fruit preparation is similar to the previous methods of freezing. Rinse and dry the berries, take plastic containers. The volume is unimportant, the fruits will be folded in one piece.
2. Wrap a flat dish or cutting board with cling film, lay the strawberries on the cooked surface. Send to the freezer for 45-60 minutes, at this time rinse and dry the containers.
3. After freezing, remove the fruits, put them in containers, alternating with granulated sugar. Quantity depends on personal preference. Upon completion of all manipulations, send the strawberries to the freezer.

Method number 4. Strawberry Freeze in Syrup

1. One of the common options for freezing strawberries is considered a combination of fruits with sugar syrup. The berries are filled with liquid, then sent to the chamber.
2. To get started, cook the fruits. Wash each strawberry, then lay it on a cotton towel. Leave on for 1.5-2 hours until the moisture is completely gone.
3. At this time, start cooking the syrup. Pick up a heat-resistant container (for example, a stewpan), pour in 850 ml. filtered water. Bring fluid to the appearance of the first bubbles, reduce power to a minimum.
4. Pour 275 gr. granulated sugar (preferably cane) or thick honey, mix. Add 30 ml. lemon juice (or 3 grams of acid). Strain the mass until the grains are completely dissolved.
5. Place the berries in a container, pour the strawberries into a syrup that has cooled to room temperature. Cover with a small hole. Freeze for 10 hours, then tightly seal and store in the freezer.

Method number 5. Freezing strawberries in ice briquettes

1. The option of freezing berries is suitable for people who plan to have an incendiary party (ice cubes are added to alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails).
2. The final product is as follows: you see strawberries shrouded in ice, while the shape is a square or rectangle (depending on the cells for ice).
3. Boil 600 ml syrup. purified water and 450 gr. granulated sugar (you can replace 350 gr. honey). You should get a lot of caramel color, moderately thick.
4. After that, prepare large-sized ice molds. Some housewives use a plastic egg stand, in which case the ice will turn out in the form of a hemisphere.
5. Put one washed and dried strawberry in each compartment, pour in syrup. Fill the whole mold in the same way. Send contents to the freezer.

Consider freezing whole or mashed strawberries. Harvest berries with sugar syrup or honey, pack the fruits in ice tins. Prepare smoothies, pies, milkshakes, use the workpiece as an independent dish.

Video: how to freeze strawberries