How To Freeze Soft Berries. A very simple and effective guide to freezing all the wonderful fruits when they're at their juiciest, ripest and cheapest!
How To Freeze Soft Berries. Here's a lovely simple guide for you so you know exactly what to do when you have an abundance of fruit, whether it's from your garden or you buy in bulk from the shop when it's on offer!
Berries, Berries, Berries!
I love soft fruit and when it's berry season my garden goes wild and produces so many raspberries and blackberries I have to store them in such a way to keep them good so I can use them through those dark, cold Winter months to add some 'Summer' to my desserts!
I often use soft fruits or berries in my no bake cheesecake recipes and also my cakes. They're so delicious!
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An example of using soft berries can be seen in our easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake.
For this recipe, I used frozen strawberries, and it was delicious so do go over and check out the recipe!
When in season, the fruits are at their juiciest, ripest and sweetest, and often, at their cheapest too. So if you go to a farmer's market or a farm where you can pick your own, you can really take advantage and buy enough to freeze for later on. A tip for you, if you are using frozen soft fruits in a recipe, I always pop them on some kitchen paper, particularly if they are being used in a cake, such as our Strawberry Pound Cake. You don't want the cake to be soggy, so using some kitchen paper to absorb any excess moisture when they are defrosting will help.
Here, I give you some simple tips on how to freeze soft berries. If you're like me, I pick my raspberries each day as they all ripen at different times, so this method is very convenient, and I just add them to the freezer bags as and when.
*** Please note, there are many ways to freeze fruits, however, I find this the simplest and easiest way with great results!
Tips and Quick Guide for how to freeze soft fruits such as berries.
This method is called Dry Freezing, or Open Freezing.
It's best used when you have soft berries which can be washed without breaking the skin or don't discolour when exposed to the air (like bananas do). When using this method, the berries are best used later on for jellies, pies, puddings or jams. For very soft fruits such as raspberries, strawberries etc, it is better not to wash them prior to freezing.
Some suitable fruits are cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb and redcurrants.
Last year I managed to freeze 3 huge bags of raspberries from my garden, which was wonderful! Through the winter months, I made fruit purees for topping over ice cream and desserts, a raspberry strudel, some pies and some cheesecakes. The rest I made Jam!
For hard skin berries, wash in VERY cold water and dry on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. For very soft berries (like raspberries) don't wash before freezing.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the fruit out evenly. Place in the freezer until fruits are frozen.
Once frozen, transfer the fruits to an airtight container or bag, ensuring all air is removed. Then return to the freezer. The fruits should keep well for around 6 months, *** It's a good idea to label the bags/containers with the date so you know when to use by.
And there you have a very quick and fuss free guide on how to freeze soft berries.
Below are a few of our delicious recipes for you to try using frozen (you can also use fresh!) berries.
Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake)
Raspberry Ripple Bread and Butter Pudding
Rasberry and White Chocolate Cookie Cakes
Blueberry Cream Cheese Swirly Bread
- 1 Cup of soft berries or as much fruit as you like.
- in You will need a baking tray to fit the freezer and some air tight storage containers or plastic bags. I use the zip lock type
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For hard skin berries, wash in VERY cold water and dry on clean tea towel or kitchen paper. For very soft berries (like raspberries) don't wash before freezing.
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Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the fruit out evenly. Place in the freezer until fruits are frozen.
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Once frozen, transfer the fruits to an air tight container or bag, ensuring all air is removed. Then return to the freezer. The fruits should keep well for around 6 months, *** It's a good idea to label the bags / containers with the date so you know when to use by.