How to Freeze and Thaw Whole Strawberries
We love strawberries!! When they come on sale every so often I’ll buy a few quarts and freeze them.
I remove the green tops, but you can leave them on if you like. (Update: I also wash the berries.)
I’m sure there are other methods of freezing and thawing them, but here’s how I do it.
Spread them out on a non-stick cookie sheet so they’re not touching each other and place the cookie sheet in the freezer. You can see my cookie sheet is well used. lol.
Once the strawberries are frozen simply toss them into a freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Because they’re not frozen in a clump, you can thaw just a few at a time.
When you want to thaw some of the strawberries place them into a strainer…
and run warm water over them for about 8-10 seconds. It’s important that the water is hot but not too hot, and the time will vary depending on the size of the strawberries. Try just a few first to get the water temp and timing figured out. An easy and tasty way to judge is by eating one… or two… or three.
This thaws them just enough so they’re still firm, and they’re easily sliced or chopped up depending on how you’re using them. Also, If the green tops were left on they can now be easily removed.
They’re still a little frozen in the middle when eaten immediately, which I find very refreshing.
I’ll often have strawberries sliced over french vanilla ice cream. Sooo simple and sooo delicious.
Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!
I love fresh strawberries and this is a good way to preserve that wonderful flavor and texture, and have them readily available. Thanks, Tuula!
Tuula, those berries are beautiful! I have never frozen my berries whole, I'm going to give this a try! Do you wash them first? I think we have the same well-loved cookie sheet!
This is such a great idea. I'm going to have to try it. I'm definitely pinning it!
Thanks for sharing this…I don;t know why I have never thought about freezing mine whole before. I will definitely do this next time I put some in the freezer though. Thanks for sharing…:)
Blessings, Vicky
Life On Willie Mae Lane
Yum Tuula I'm afraid in our place we only get to the testing phase then there's nothing to freeze 😉
Great tip. We still have a tons of strawberries growing and we pick every day. I have been freezing them too. Thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
Do you put anything on them like sugar and do you have to put on cookie sheet first my freezer space is limited
Hi Tami, The strawberries have to be separated on a sheet of some kind when you freeze them until they are frozen. If you don’t separate them they’ll just freeze in a big clump. I like to use a few strawberries at a time so it’s helpful that they’re individually accessible. I don’t add sugar to them because I’m freezing them whole. I might do that if I was mushing them up and then freezing them that way. Whether or not to add sugar before freezing is really a personal choice. 🙂
Do the strawberries become mushy once thawed?
Hi Kayla, if you let them thaw by themselves they will probably become mushy. I always thaw mine under slightly warm water and then I serve them to be eaten right away while they are still firm. I hope that helps.