The start of summer is here when strawberries appear
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EmailFreezing strawberries will extend the just picked flavor for later in the year.
One of the first tastes of summer is biting into a fresh, plump, juicy strawberry. One of the easiest ways to achieve that fresh picked flavor is to freeze the berries at the peak of flavor.
Michigan State University Extension recommends four methods for preparing strawberries for freezing. These are syrup packs, sugar packs, unsweetened packs and pectin syrup.
Syrup freezing
Freezing strawberries using a syrup pack involves making 50% syrup, which is a one-to-one ratio of sugar to water. For a 50% syrup, dissolve four cups of sugar in four cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar. The mixture should yield about six cups of syrup. Once cooled, you can pour the syrup over the fruit.
In preparation for freezing, select plump, firm and deep red-colored strawberries. Wash them in running cool water, discarding the shriveled, soft or moldy fruit. Freezing does not improve the quality of the fruit, so it is best to start with the ripe peak of harvest strawberries. Remove the stems and caps and put the fruit into a rigid freezer container. Pour the cooled syrup over the fruit leaving a ½-inch headspace in a pint container. Seal the container, label it with the date and put it in the freezer.
Sugar pack
The sugar pack method involves adding ¾ cup of sugar to one quart (approximately 1⅓ pounds) of cleaned strawberries. Mix thoroughly. Allow the strawberries to rest for 15 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Pack the strawberry mixture into rigid containers, leaving a half inch of headspace for a pint container. Seal the container, label it with the date and put it into the freezer.
Unsweetened pack
For the unsweetened pack, wash, clean and stem the strawberries. Remove any excess water from the berries. Lay the strawberries on a tray in a single layer. Place the strawberries in the freezer until they are frozen solid. Remove the frozen berries from the tray and put them into freezer bags or a rigid container. This method allows for the easy removal of a single strawberry.
Pectin syrup
The pectin syrup method enables unsweetened strawberries to retain their texture more effectively.
Mix one package of powdered pectin with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Heat the mixture to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 ¾ cup water and cool. The mixture will make about 3 cups of very thick syrup. For a thinner syrup, you can add more water.
Pack the strawberries into a rigid container. Pour the cooled pectin syrup over the berries. To submerge the fruit under the syrup, crumple a small piece of water-resistant material. Seal the container tightly, label it with the date, and freeze.
For sliced or crushed strawberries, wash, clean, and remove the stems of the berries. Either slice or crush the berries. Add ¾ cup of sugar to one quart (about 1⅓ pounds) of strawberries. Stir the sugar and berries until the sugar is dissolved. Allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes to ensure the sugar has dissolved. Pour the berry mixture into rigid freezer containers leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label with a date, and freeze the berries.
Freeze strawberries for that “just-picked” flavor. Whether you want strawberry shortcake or to make strawberry jam, frozen berries are ideal for preserving summer’s bounty.
