Freezing Strawberries

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Freezing Strawberries

 

Strawberries are easy to freeze using a dry-sugar

or syrup pack.

 

The dry-sugar pack is especially easy and gives the best

flavor and color for sliced or crushed berries.

 

For whole frozen berries a syrup pack is recommended

because it produces a plump, well-shaped berry after

thawing.

 

For special sugar-free diets, strawberries can be

frozen unsweetened, but they will not be as

high in quality as sugar- or syrup-packed berries.

 

Twelve pounds or eight quarts of fresh strawberries

will yield approximately 13 pints of frozen berries.

 

No matter which type of pack you choose, follow these

general directions for preparing and packaging

strawberries for freezing:

 

- Use only firm, fully ripe berries.

- To avoid bruising and waterlogging the berries, wash

only a few at a time in cold water.

- Drain on absorbent paper or in a colander or sieve.

- Remove the hulls with the tip of a floating blade

peeler.

- Chill the fruit in ice water to lower the temperature

for fast freezing.

 

When packaging for freezing:

 

- Allow 2-inch head space for pints and 1-inch for quarts.

- Add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) according to package

directions to prevent darkening.

- Label containers and freeze promptly.

 

Dry Sugar Pack

- Halve, quarter or slice clean berries into a bowl or

shallow pan.

- Sprinkle sugar over berries using 1/3 to 3/4 cup sugar

for each quart of fruit.

- Stir very gently until the sugar is dissolved.

- Package and freeze.

 

Syrup Pack

 

Make a syrup using 1-1/4 cups water to each cup of sugar.

Dissolve the sugar in either cold or hot water.

If hot water is used, be sure to chill the syrup

before using.

Use about 1/2 to 1/3 cup of sugar for each pint container.

Place whole or sliced berries in containers and

cover with cold syrup.

Package and freeze.

 

Unsweetened Pack

 

Pack whole, sliced or crushed berries in

containers and cover with water or berry juice.

For better color retention, add ascorbic acid

to the water, berry juice, or crushed berries.

Cover crushed berries with their own juice.

Package and freeze as discussed earlier.

 

 

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