How To: Freeze Strawberries

Learn how to freeze strawberries, whole and in pieces! Frozen strawberries can come in handy when you want to bake with them or make jam. Here is how to freeze strawberries successfully, for whatever your heart desires!

Is there anything better than inhaling the intoxicating scent of a fresh strawberry before biting into it and having the sweet, sweet red juice run down your chin?

Highly doubt it.

While frozen strawberries don’t have the same texture as fresh, they do pack that delicious summer flavor! Freezing your berries is a fantastic way to bring some summer fruit into your diet year-round.

This how to freeze strawberries guide is dedicated to red juice.

Frozen whole strawberries on a baking sheet.
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Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> Avoid washing and store your strawberries in the fridge until just before you’re ready to process, this will help them to last longer as washing can accelerate the ripening process.

No. 2 –> Prepare yourself for success by lining a baking sheet! Use parchment paper, wax paper, a flexible cutting mat, or a silicone baking mat. Anything flexible that prevents the berries from freezing to the baking sheet will work.

No. 3 –> Layer your delicious strawberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. This will prevent sticking when you’re ready to package them and helps them to freeze more quickly.

No. 4 –> If you’re serious about being prepared, maximizing your harvest, and storing foods, I recommend investing in a vacuum sealer. Kevy and I have always had a vacuum sealer close at hand. This year, we upgraded to a chamber-style vacuum sealer from Avid Armor, and it’s absolutely my favorite kitchen addition this year.

Vacuum sealed diced frozen strawberries.

Key Ingredients

Strawberries: In an ideal world, I’d be storing only the strawberries I grew in my fledgling patch, unfortunately, with the heatwave, my strawberries didn’t even flower! Luckily I was able to find a great deal on strawberries at a local produce merchant.

Choose brightly colored and firm berries that are fully ripe. Avoid overripe berries, bruised or moldy fruit.

A bowl filled with bright red strawberries.

How To Freeze Whole Strawberries

  1. Wash the strawberries and allow them to dry. I like to give them a good rinse, then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes before proceeding. This makes them less slippery and easier to work with, while also reducing sticking during the freezing process.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
  3. Remove all the hulls from your strawberries. I use a sharp paring knife for this, but a strawberry huller would be the tool to use if you’ve got one!
  4. Layer the hulled strawberries on the prepared baking sheet. I personally like to place them upside down like little pyramids. This helps to keep the berries separated but also allows them to freeze fully more quickly, without sticking together!
  5. Place the berries in the freezer for 3-4 hours or overnight.
  6. Transfer the frozen strawberries to your desired packaging, label with the date, and return to the freezer.

How To Freeze Strawberry Slices Or Pieces

  1. Wash the strawberries and allow them to dry. I like to give them a good rinse, then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes before proceeding. This makes them less slippery and easier to work with, while also reducing sticking during the freezing process.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
  3. Remove all the hulls from your strawberries. I use a sharp paring knife for this, but a strawberry huller would be the tool to use if you’ve got one!
  4. Slice or dice the strawberries into your desired size, and spread onto the prepared baking sheet. It’s ok to go a little thicker than a single layer here, cause we’ll break apart the pieces before packaging.
  5. Place the strawberries in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.
  6. Break apart the pieces before measuring your desired amount and transferring to your storage container/ bag. Label all bags with the contents and date before returning to the freezer.

How To Store Frozen Strawberries

  • Freezer safe containers: This could be anything from a plastic container to a glass jar. These are all different shapes and sizes, which makes them stack nicely on top of one another but also take up the most room in your freezer! Air can get into this style of the container more easily causing freezer burn at worst; an unpleasant taste at best (and who wants that?). Use this method for short-term storage, between 3-6 months.
  • Freezer zip-lock bags: These bags are excellent for short-term storage as they’re easy to flat pack, but it’s not possible to remove all the air from these heavy-duty sealers. Unfortunately, your fruit is more likely to freezer burn! Use this method for medium-term storage, between 6-9 months.
  • Vacuum sealed packages: This is by far the best storage option. You can vacuum seal your strawberries flat and tuck them away in any corner of your freezer, where they’ll stay fresh for much longer! This method also takes up very little room with its ability to remove all excess air from within packages beforewhich prevents pesky freezer burn. This method will give the best results for a longer period of time – at least up to 2 years.

How To Use Frozen Strawberries

More Ways To Preserve Fresh Produce

AVID ARMOR Chamber Vacuum Sealer: This CHAMBER VACUUM SEALER works much better than a bar-style sealer. It’s well built, and after months of continuous use, I am confident it will last years and years in my kitchen. If you cook, hunt, or harvest a lot, you’ll definitely be interested in this unit. Use the discount code CRAVE to save on your purchase!

If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!

📖 Printable Recipe

Frozen whole strawberries on a baking sheet.

How To: Freeze Strawberries

Allyson Letal
Learn how to freeze strawberries with this step by step guide! Your berries can be frozen whole, sliced, or in pieces. This simple process is perfect for freezing berries for smoothies or baking!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Packaging Time 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course Preserved
Cuisine American
Servings 5 cups
Calories 28 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups fresh ripe strawberries

Instructions
 

Freezing Whole Strawberries:

  • Wash the strawberries and allow them to dry.
  • Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
  • Remove all the hulls from your strawberries.
  • Layer the hulled strawberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Place the berries in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until frozen.
  • Transfer the frozen strawberries to your desired packaging, label with the contents and date, and return to the freezer.

Freezing Strawberry Slices Or Pieces:

  • Wash the strawberries and allow them to dry.
  • Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
  • Remove all the hulls from your strawberries.
  • Slice or dice the strawberries into your desired size, and spread onto the prepared baking sheet. These can be layered thicker than a single layer.
  • Place the strawberries in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.
  • Break apart the pieces before measuring your desired amount and transferring them to your storage container/ bag. Label all bags with the contents and date before returning to the freezer.

Notes

Batch:

This recipe is infinitely scaleable! It works with as few as 2 berries and as many berries as you can fit in your freezer!

how to store frozen strawberries:

  • Freezer safe containers: This could be anything from a plastic container to a glass jar. These are all different shapes and sizes, which makes them stack nicely on top of one another but also take up the most room in your freezer! Air can get into this style of the container more easily causing freezer burn at worst; an unpleasant taste at best (and who wants that?).
  • Freezer zip-lock bags: These bags are excellent for short-term storage as they’re easy to flat pack, but it’s not possible to remove all the air from these heavy-duty sealers. Unfortunately, your fruit is more likely to freezer burn!
  • Vacuum sealed packages: This is by far the best storage option. You can vacuum seal your berries flat and tuck them away in any corner of your freezer, where they’ll stay fresh for much longer! This method also takes up very little room with its ability to remove all excess air from within packages beforewhich prevents pesky freezer burn.

What to do with the stems and hulls:

Toss your stems and hulls into your compost bin! These quickly decomposing scraps will help make amazingly nutritious soil for your plants!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 28kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gSodium: 1mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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