A simple method for freezing in season blueberries (and other berries) using the free flow method. Perfect for using in smoothies, baking or just enjoying as a healthy snack!
Something I have learnt about preserving food over the last few years is that the number 1 rule is to preserve what you will eat!!
If you have a glut of tomatoes but don't like tomato relish, there is no point in making jars and jars of it. But if you use tins of tomatoes in meals all the time, it makes sense to can diced tomatoes (method coming soon!)
Same goes with fruit. If you have been making the most of in season berries, you want to preserve them to enjoy all year round.
I took the girls blueberry picking a couple of weeks ago and even though I was so tempted to make all the blueberry sauces, jams and jellies, my kids eat frozen blueberries by the handful all year long, so it made sense for me to put most of our berries in the freezer.
I have always used this method to freeze berries when they are in season. It is a 2 step process to ensure that the berries are free flow (don't freeze together) It's very easy to buy frozen berries all year round but there is something about picking and freezing them myself that makes me feel like a good little squirrel!
What do you need?
- Berries (this method works for any berry)
- Rimmed oven trays or plastic trays (rimmed to ensure berries don't slide off in the freezer)
- Silicone liner or baking paper
- Colander/tea towel
- Freezer bags or jars/containers to store the frozen berries in
How to freeze berries:
Step 1: Wash the berries and drain in a colander. I typically don't wash delicate berries like raspberries and blackberries, just remove any stems and leaves. Pour the washed berries onto a clean tea towel to help dry them and go through the berries and pull out any that are squished or bruised and pull off any leaves/stalks.
Step 2: Once the berries are dry, transfer them onto a the rimmed baking sheet/tray that is lined with baking paper or a silicone liner. Place the tray directly in the freezer (I don't bother covering it)
Step 3: Once the berries are frozen (I leave them overnight) remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the frozen berries into snaplock bags, containers or jars. I love using large storage snaplock bags as I freeze big quantities at a time, but if you are only freezing a few, wide mouth Ball Mason pint jars are a great option.
How long do frozen berries keep for?
I work on using up all of our berries before they come back in season but I've kept frozen berries in the freezer for longer than 1 year and they are still perfectly fine!
What can you use frozen berries for?
Anything! My girls love eating them on their own but you can also use them in:
- Blueberry muffins
- Overnight oats
- Smoothies
- Cakes and loaves
- On top of yoghurt
How to freeze blueberries
Ingredients
- Blueberries/strawberries/raspberries/blackberries etc
Instructions
- Wash the berries and drain in a colander. I typically don't wash delicate berries like raspberries and blackberries, just remove any stems and leaves. Pour the washed berries onto a clean tea towel to help dry them and go through the berries and pull out any that are squished or bruised and pull off any leaves/stalks.
- Once the berries are dry, transfer them onto a the rimmed baking sheet/tray that is lined with baking paper or a silicone liner. Place the tray directly in the freezer (I don't bother covering it)
- Once the berries are frozen (I leave them overnight) remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the frozen berries into snaplock bags, containers or jars.
Julie Coakley says
I'm new to making smoothies. I don't like the price of frozen fruit, nor the lack of flavor.
I am thrilled to now know I can freeze fruit fresh from the market! Thanks for the info!