Friday Series: Freezing fruits and berries

 

Frozen Berries anyone? My favorite summer obsession is freezing berries and fruits. An absolute best for  not only breakfast smoothies but other yummy morning treats!

We’ve all done it, or maybe I’m the only wrongdoer when it comes to freezing berries. Tossing a bag of berries, or sliced fruits in the freezer and dealing with huge chunks when your favorite smoothie recipe calls for  a cup of berries. I’ve had to use a knife, hammer, metal tongs you name it, to break these chunks. That’s not only cumbersome but also very unsafe.

Why the hassle when there is a very simple solution. Freeze right and enjoy later! Now I can buy lots and lots of berries on sale, make a frozen berry medley  for future use.

Freezing Berries

Its summer time!

Berries are in season.

There are farms around that will offer pick your own berries for as low as $1.50 per pound . Gather up the kids or a buddy and have a fun experience picking your own berries. You can now say “farm to table” when you make that delectable compote to go with your morning flapjacks!

Picked up almost 10 pounds of assorted berries and enjoyed prepping them for freezing. The result was a delightful medley of strawberries, blueberries and black berries. Raspberries will definitely be added onto the batch at home in the future.

First things first ,  get the most succulent berries you can find.  If you pick your own, then you can guarantee their freshness. Ensure there are no soft squishy spots. Check the bottom of those clear pint containers if you’re getting them from your local market.

If you plan on having some fresh unfrozen berries, wash them only when you’re ready to eat. They will last a little longer in the refrigerator unwashed.

Strawberries

Transfer strawberries into a colander and rinse thoroughly under a stream of cool tap water. You can use a use any all natural vegetable cleanser if you want but I just use water.   Using the tip of a pairing knife or any other easy to hold knife, carefully remove the stem by cutting a circle around the stem and gently tugging. You can freeze these whole but I slice them into four  triangles. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for about an hour and a half. At 30-45 minutes, use a firm rubber kitchen spatula to stir things around. Continue to freeze until frozen solid. Pull apart any berries stuck together. This should be easy since they were frozen in a single layer. Transfer into a zip lock bag and freeze for future use.

Blueberries and blackberries

Some say you can freeze these without washing, I prefer to wash mine. Just like strawberries, if you plan on eating some fresh, wash just before eating. Rinse under running water in a colander, and let dry to remove excess water on a kitchen towel. Spread on a cookie sheet and freeze for about an hour and a half or until they sound like marbles. Transfer into a zip lock bag for future use.

 

Making the medley is as simple as combining all berries into one bag, giving it a nice shake and you’re good to go. Now you can enjoy  this easy to scoop medley anyday

 

 

Same concept with any fruits. Dice ’em up and freeze for smoothies or whatever fun creative ideas you have.