Can Fresh Strawberries Be Frozen?

Fresh strawberries should be frozen as quickly as possible after picking to maintain good quality. Berries maintain their quality in the freezer for about a year, according to University of California Extension. Discard them if they get freezer-burned.

Preparation

• Rinse strawberries and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut off the stems and any bruised spots. Berries can be sliced or pureed at this time or can be kept whole. In a saucepan, mix equal parts sugar and water. Heat the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool to room temperature.

Freezing

• Freeze the strawberries in small batches to help them freeze uniformly. Put 1 cup of berries into a pint-sized freezer bag. Pour in enough of the sugar syrup to cover the berries. If you've already pureed them, you do not need to use the syrup. Seal the bag tightly and label it with the date. Sweetened berries stay fresh longer when frozen, than unsweetened berries, according to University of California Extension.

Uses

• When you're ready to use the berries, put them in the fridge to thaw. The thawed the berries will be a little mushy and they may contain different amounts of liquid. The California Strawberry Commission doesn't recommend using them in a recipe where the amount of moisture is important, like in baking. Strain them out of the syrup mixture or use the syrup to sweeten whatever you're making. Use the berries in frozen cocktails, like margaritas, or to make sauce to put on ice cream. Once the berries thaw, they should be used within three days and not refrozen.