One of the best ways to preserve fresh Strawberries, and by far the easiest, is to freeze fresh strawberries and store them in your freezer. Freezing strawberries is a simple process to extend their shelf life and allow you to savor the fruity, sweet flavor of fresh strawberries year round!

This guide will touch on how to freeze fresh strawberries, how to properly wash and clean strawberries, and how to use up frozen strawberries! Frozen Strawberries can be added to much more than smoothies– use them in baked goods, desserts, beverages, and ice cream!

Three cheers for strawberry season!

Freezing Strawberries Is Easy

It really IS! Whether you caught a killer deal at your grocery store or farmers market, went to a U-pick farm, or grow your own strawberries– freezing fresh strawberries is a fantastic way to keep them fresh and tasty for months to come.

There are a few steps to freezing strawberries:

• Wash berries to remove any surface dirt and remove any soft or spoiling berries.
• Remove the leaves and core of the strawberries before freezing as it’s easier to do at room temperature.
• Slicing strawberries works well for smoothies or for use in most baked goods as you can pull them straight from the freezer and into your dish! Sliced strawberries also defrost quicker than whole strawberries.
• Place the washed, topped strawberries on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until frozen.
• Once frozen, remove and store in your container of choice.

• It’s really important to make sure the strawberries are fully dry before placing them in the freezer! Any extra drops or pockets of water on the berries will be icy after freezing and can lead to strawberries that are mushier and more watery after defrosting!
• It’s best to line a baking sheet with strawberries in a single layer, without berries touching so they are easy to remove and use once frozen.
• After the strawberries are fully frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and store them in a plastic bag or other air-tight container.

Of course, there are a few extra tricks to help you wash and store strawberries to help them last as long as possible in the freezer. We’ll dive into these next!

How To Wash & Clean Strawberries

Once you’ve got your strawberries out and ready to freeze, the first step is the wash the strawberries to remove any dirt or debris. Also, it’s a good idea to quickly check for any moldy, spoiling, or squishy strawberries and remove them.

Place strawberries into a colander, sieve, or fine mesh strainer and rinse under running water in the sink. Shake the colander left and right to jostle the strawberries around.

Additionally, you can quickly soak strawberries in either a vinegar solution or a saltwater solution to help remove any bacteria or pesticide residue. The ratios for both of these solutions are listed below– you can even combine these and make a vinegar & salt vegetable wash!

Simply make the vinegar or salt wash in a large mixing bowl, add the strawberries to the mix and stir/soak for about a minute. You can rinse the berries again after this, but I never find a quick soak leaves a salty or tangy aftertaste!

With Vinegar: 1 cup of vinegar to 3 cups of water. Vinegar has a low pH, it’s acidic which can help remove bacteria and pesticides.

With Salt: 1/4 cup of salt for every 4 cups of water, stir to dissolve the salt. Saltwater may help remove pesticides that are on the outer surface of fruits.

This second wash is optional. There’s more information about washing produce to remove pesticides/pests here.

Freeze Strawberries To Use In Baked Goods

Alright, so now you’ve got a freezer full of frozen strawberries– what’s the best way to use them? Frozen strawberries have a softer, slightly mushy, and less firm texture than fresh strawberries.

Frozen strawberries work very well in a variety of recipes for sauces, smoothies, desserts that are pureed prior to baking (like ice cream, sherbet, and cheesecake), baked goods, and quick bread (like pancakes and waffles).

To use frozen strawberries in baked goods and quick bread recipes that call for fresh berries, dust the frozen berries with cornstarch or flour! As frozen strawberries defrost during baking, they will release more juices that fresh strawberries and can negatively affect the texture.

Protip: For every 1 cup of frozen strawberries, toss with 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour. This will help thicken the juices released by the strawberries!

Also, don’t defrost the strawberries prior to adding them to your dough or batter. Add frozen strawberries directly into the batter and into the oven! If you let them defrost first, liquid they shed can throw off the dry to wet ratios in the recipe.

Here’s a great list of ways to use frozen strawberries:

• Add them to smoothies
• Make strawberry jam
• Strawberry syrup
• Use in cocktails: mojitos, lemonades, margaritas, and smashes
• Strawberry BBQ sauce
• Scones, Muffins, Pancakes, Waffles, Coffee Cake, and Cinnamon Rolls!
• Homemade ice cream
• Add to oatmeals, porridges, and puddings
• Cobbler, Pie, Cheesecake, Crisp, Donuts, French Toast
• Make homemade popsicles, decorative ice cubes, or berry curd

FAQs About Freezing Strawberries:

1. How to freeze strawberries for jam? If you find yourself with an abundance of produce to process at once, you can easily freeze strawberries to make jam at a later date. Ensure the strawberries are washed and the leaves are removed. Then follow your jam recipe as stated– using both the frozen strawberries and the liquid they drain when you defrost them! This juice holds much of the flavor.
2. Can you freeze strawberries whole? You can freeze strawberries whole however, they will take longer to defrost and aren’t as easy to use. For most baked goods recipes, quartered or sliced strawberries will work better.
3. How long can you freeze strawberries? Frozen strawberries can last up to 1 year in the freezer. The sooner you consume them, the better to avoid freezer burn but they can last 1 year!!
4. How to freeze strawberries for smoothies? To freeze strawberries for smoothies it’s best to slice them into halves or quarters prior to freezing. Whole strawberries are difficult for most blenders to break down.
5. How to freeze strawberries without getting mushy? Most fruits or vegetables become softer and mushier after defrosting due to water molecule expanding and contracting. There’s no getting around it, simply get creative with how you use frozen strawberries!
6. Should you freeze strawberries with sugar? Yes, you can mash fresh strawberries together with sugar and freeze this in a plastic bag or container. We don’t usually freeze strawberries with sugar– you can always add sugar later if you need to.