How to freeze strawberries: grated, with sugar, condensed milk, whole, in the freezer, bags, proportions, how to prepare, whether they need to be washed

Content

1 What is the best and fastest way to freeze strawberries for the winter?
2 How to prepare strawberries for freezing
- 2.1 Is it necessary to wash strawberries before freezing?
3 How to properly freeze fresh strawberries whole in the freezer for the winter
4 How to properly freeze pureed strawberries with sugar for the winter
5 How to freeze strawberries in pieces with sugar
6 How to freeze strawberries with condensed milk for the winter
7 Storage conditions and periods
8 Conclusion
9 Feedback on whether strawberries need to be washed before freezing

There are several ways to freeze strawberries for long-term storage. Garden and field berries are suitable for processing, but in all cases the basic rules must be followed.

What is the best and fastest way to freeze strawberries for the winter?

Fresh strawberries spoil quickly, but you can prepare them for the winter by freezing them. In this case, the berries retain their valuable substances in their entirety, remain usable for more than a year, and also retain a pleasant aroma and bright taste.

You can freeze strawberry fruits for the winter either whole or after crushing.

Is it possible to freeze wild strawberries?

Wild field strawberries, like garden ones, are well suited for freezing for the winter. It can be processed with or without sugar. In the process, you need to adhere to the basic rules, do not crush the fruits and do not subject them to re-cooling after thawing.

Is it possible to freeze strawberries with sepals?

Most recipes suggest removing the sepals before freezing them for the winter. But this stage is not mandatory. If you wash the fruits thoroughly after picking and then dry them on a towel, you can leave the tails. In this case, the berries will retain their integrity, and moisture and air will not penetrate inside them, reducing the shelf life of the product.

Is it possible to freeze strawberries in a glass jar?

It is better to remove raw materials for cooling in plastic containers or bags. Glass jars take up a lot of space in the freezer. In addition, they may crack and burst during the cooling or thawing process.

How to prepare strawberries for freezing

Before freezing strawberries for the winter at home, the raw materials must be prepared. Namely:

sort through the prepared fruits and leave the densest and neatest of them, and put the overripe and bruised ones aside;
rinse in cold water in a basin or under the tap;
Place on a paper towel and dry off any remaining moisture before storing in the freezer for the winter.

Important! It is best to process medium-sized fruits. Strawberries that are too large are easily crushed and cracked even with careful handling.

Is it necessary to wash strawberries before freezing?

If fruits are collected from the garden or purchased at the market, particles of earth and dust remain on their surface. Before freezing, strawberries must be washed. Unlike raspberries, currants and some other berries, they grow in close proximity to the soil. Therefore, dangerous bacteria, in particular botulism spores, may be present on the surface of the fruit.

You can skip the washing step if you are going to freeze a vacuum-packed store-bought product for the winter. Such fruits have already been cleaned by the manufacturer and are completely safe.

How to properly freeze fresh strawberries whole in the freezer for the winter

Most often, raw materials are frozen whole, without cutting or grinding. Preparing for the winter retains beneficial substances longer and remains more convenient to use. There are several processing methods.

How to Freeze Strawberries for Cake Decoration

You can freeze strawberries for the winter without cooking whole berries using a simple algorithm:

the fruits are washed, cleaned of tails and leaves, and then dried on a towel to remove moisture;
when the remaining water has evaporated, the berries are laid out on a small flat tray with small intervals;
put in the freezer for 3-5 hours.

When the fruits are completely frozen, all that remains is to pour them into a bag or plastic container and immediately put them back in the freezer.In solid form, they will no longer stick together, provided that the storage temperature is stable.

Frozen strawberries are good for cake filling or for decorating the top.

How to freeze berries in ice cubes

You can deliciously freeze whole strawberries for the winter using ice. The processing is carried out as follows:

small-sized garden or wild berries are washed and dried;
450 g of sugar are diluted in 600 ml of clean water until completely dissolved;
the sweet liquid is poured into silicone molds or plastic egg cups;
One strawberry is placed in each compartment.

The workpiece is immediately put into the refrigerator to be frozen for the winter. The ice cubes can then be melted at room temperature to extract the berries.

Strawberries in ice cubes can be added to cold cocktails without defrosting

How to freeze whole berries in their own juice

You can freeze strawberries for the winter with whole berries in their own juice. The cooking algorithm looks like this:

the washed raw materials are sorted out and laid out into two piles of strong, beautiful fruits and bruised or unripe ones;
the rejected part is kneaded using a masher or crushed in a blender, and then the juice is drained;
the liquid is diluted with sugar to your taste;
The juice is poured into plastic containers and whole fruits are added to it.

Then the workpiece remains to be put in the refrigerator for freezing.

Thanks to processing in their own juice, strawberries do not lose their taste and aroma during the winter.

How to freeze meadow strawberries

You can freeze field strawberries for the winter no worse than regular garden strawberries.It is especially often placed in the refrigerator in its entirety, since the neat small berries are then convenient to use for decorating desserts and drinks.

Any method may be used to process fruits. But the most convenient way is to freeze the whole strawberries in the refrigerator in ice trays. Small berries are optimally sized for placement in small recesses. As in the situation with garden strawberries, the fruits are pre-washed and then dipped into sugar syrup or plain clean water poured into containers.

How to freeze strawberries in bags for the winter

You can freeze whole strawberries for the winter without sugar in a plastic bag. This method is usually used if there is enough free space in the refrigerator. The diagram looks like this:

washed berries are dried to remove any remaining moisture;
laid out on a flat plate or tray, making sure that the sides of the fruits do not touch;
the container is placed in the freezer for several hours;

After the berries are covered with a translucent snow coating, they are poured into a bag and placed back in the refrigerator for the winter.

You cannot freeze soft strawberries in a bag; they will stick together and turn into a solid lump.

How to properly freeze strawberries in plastic bottles and disposable containers

Plastic containers and bottles take up minimal space in the freezer, so they are most often used for storing food for the winter. The algorithm for processing berries is very simple:

The strawberries are pre-washed and left on a towel until the water droplets evaporate;
plastic containers are also thoroughly washed and dried so that no moisture or condensation remains inside;
the berries are subjected to strong cooling on an open tray for 3-5 hours;
solid fruits are poured into a prepared container and immediately put back in the freezer.

It is necessary to fill bottles and trays for the winter as tightly as possible, leaving a minimum of free space. Container lids must be tightly closed.

Garden strawberries are usually stored in containers, and bottles with a narrow neck are convenient for storing meadow berries

How to freeze strawberries in syrup for the winter

Berry dessert frozen in syrup retains freshness, taste and aroma well and has a long shelf life. Processing is carried out according to the following scheme:

the prepared washed raw materials are covered with sugar in a deep container in a 1:1 ratio;
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to release the juice;
after the expiration date, the resulting syrup is filtered through a fine sieve or folded gauze;
The berries are transferred to plastic containers for winter storage and filled with sweet liquid.

Tightly closed containers should be placed in the freezer immediately.

Small containers are suitable for freezing in syrup, since they will have to be thawed entirely

How to properly freeze pureed strawberries with sugar for the winter

You can freeze strawberries for winter storage not only as a whole, but also in pureed form. The dessert takes up little space in the refrigerator and remains very healthy. Sugar acts as a natural preservative and further extends shelf life.

How much sugar do you need to freeze strawberries?

Most recipes allow you to adjust the amount of sweetener to taste. But the optimal ratio of strawberries and sugar for freezing is 1:1.5. In this case, the sweetener will properly saturate the berries and allow you to preserve the maximum of valuable substances for the winter.

How to grind strawberries with sugar for freezing

The classic recipe calls for hand pureing the strawberries with sugar and freezing them. According to the traditional scheme it is necessary:

sort, peel and rinse fresh berries;
dry from remaining water in a colander or towel;
pour into a deep container and mash thoroughly using a wooden masher;
add granulated sugar to the berry puree;
Continue kneading the mixture until the sweetener grains stop creaking at the bottom of the container.

The finished dessert mass is poured into plastic containers, tightly closed and sent to the freezer for the whole winter.

It is better to grind the fruits with plastic or wooden utensils - the berry juice does not oxidize.

Attention! You can grind strawberries with sugar for freezing through a meat grinder. However, you will still have to grind the sweetener grains manually; a kitchen unit will not cope with them.

How to make strawberry puree for freezing using a blender

When processing large quantities of strawberries, it is more convenient to use an immersion or stationary blender for chopping. The diagram looks like this:

1.2 kg of berry raw materials are washed and the sepals are removed;
pour into a container and add 1.8 kg of sugar;
using a blender, transform the ingredients into a homogeneous puree;
leave the mixture for 2-3 hours until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Then the mass is poured into containers and the ground strawberries are sent for freezing.

The blender allows you to puree a large amount of raw materials with sugar for the winter in just 10-15 minutes

How to freeze strawberries in pieces with sugar

If you need to freeze large strawberries, and you don’t want to grind the raw materials into a puree, you can put the product in the refrigerator in pieces along with sugar. Medium-sized plastic containers are used for storage.

The dessert preparation process looks like this:

fresh berries are washed to remove dirt and sepals are removed, and then left to dry a little;
cut the fruits into two or three parts at their discretion;
pour a small layer of sugar into a plastic container;
put berry pieces on top, and then add more sweetener.

To freeze grated strawberries with sugar, you need to alternate layers until the container is filled almost to the top - about 1 cm is left to the edge of the sides. In total, 500-700 g of sweetener should be used for 500 g of fruit. Sugar is added as the last layer so that it tightly covers the berries on top. The container is hermetically sealed with a lid and frozen.

When defrosting strawberries with sugar, they will give abundant juice, but the bright taste of the pieces will remain intact.

How to freeze strawberries with condensed milk for the winter

An unusual recipe suggests freezing strawberries for winter storage with condensed milk. This dessert will delight you with good taste and, moreover, will not be watery. The cooking process looks like this:

the fruits are washed in cold water, the leaves and tails are carefully removed, and dried from moisture on a towel;
each berry is cut in half lengthwise;
the pieces are placed in a clean and dry plastic container;
fill with high-quality condensed milk approximately to the middle of the container;
seal the container hermetically and put it in the freezer.

The plastic storage container should not have residual odors, otherwise the latter will be transferred to the workpiece. Defrost strawberries for the winter with condensed milk not in the room, but in the lower sections of the refrigerator.

Condensed milk contains enough sugar, so there is no need to sweeten the strawberries additionally.

Storage conditions and periods

If properly frozen for the winter, whole or pureed strawberries can last in the refrigerator for at least a year. When storing it, it is important to observe the only condition - not to violate the temperature regime. After thawing, the fruits cannot be cooled again; they must be used in full.

It is best to freeze strawberries for the winter in the refrigerator using the shock method. Immediately after pre-treatment, the berries are placed in a chamber with a temperature of -18 degrees or lower. Fruits in such conditions freeze in half an hour on average, while vitamins and minerals remain in their entirety.

Conclusion

You can freeze strawberries whole or after pre-chopping them. The refrigerated product retains its beneficial properties for a year or longer, and processing is a very simple process.

Feedback on whether strawberries need to be washed before freezing

Koshkina Daria Sergeevna, 36 years old, Ufa

I have read opinions that you don’t need to wash strawberries from your garden before freezing. I strongly disagree - after picking, the berries are always covered in soil and dust, and they may also contain microbial spores. I always rinse the strawberries myself - it’s not difficult, the taste and quality do not deteriorate in any way. The main thing is not to freeze the fruits for the winter immediately after washing, but first wait until the moisture evaporates.

Mishina Olga Aleksandrovna, 40 years old, Nizhny Novgorod

Before freezing, I always wash strawberries without fail, even when purchased. It is not as delicate as raspberries, and with careful handling it does not wrinkle or crack. But you don’t have to worry about dirt, toxins and pathogenic bacteria from the soil. After washing, I let the fruits dry on a towel, and then usually grind them with sugar. In this case, the workpiece will definitely not deteriorate for a year, or even more.

How to properly freeze strawberries at home for the winter