How to Freeze and Thaw Strawberries
Freezing strawberries is a wonderful way to enjoy summer’s harvest year-round! This guide explains how to freeze strawberries, plus it answers the most commonly asked questions about thawing frozen strawberries and using them in recipes.
This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Why Should You Freeze Strawberries?
✔ Take Advantage of Sale Prices: Freezing strawberries is a great way to purchase in bulk when prices are low.
✔ Cheaper Than Store-Bought: You’ll save money by storing frozen fresh strawberries in your freezer for use during the off season.
✔ Make Strawberry Recipes Year-Round: Freezing your strawberry haul lets you enjoy fresh berries out of season.
Sweet and juicy strawberries are one of the many fruits I look forward to enjoying each summer. Unfortunately, fresh strawberry season doesn’t last for long.
Different strawberry varieties bloom and ripen at different times of the year, but June, July, and August are the best months for buying strawberries at the grocery store or farmer’s market.
Although I’d love to stockpile cartons of fresh strawberries in my fridge to enjoy at a later date, they spoil quicker than heartier fruits like apples.
So, what are you to do when strawberry season is upon you and you want to savor the flavor of summer for months to come? Freeze those sweet strawberries, of course!
Special Equipment You’ll Need
You’ll need a few kitchen tools to freeze whole strawberries. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:
- Large Baking Sheet: Fresh strawberries are first flash frozen on a baking sheet so they don’t freeze into one large clump in the bag.
- Container or Bag for Freezing: A gallon plastic bag is typically my go-to when it comes to storing frozen fruit. They’re easy, quick, and I usually have them on hand. (I also like reusable Stasher Bags! Eco-friendly silicone bags don’t develop micro-tears or damage as easily as plastic freezer bags do.)
- Paring Knife or Strawberry Huller: Use whichever is easiest for you.
- Permanent Marker or Freezer Labels: For labeling your bag or containers.
- Non-Toxic Produce Cleaner (Optional): Branch Basics is my favorite non-toxic cleaner for washing produce. (Use code KATIEGLE for 15% off Branch Basics Products). Spray fruit with All-Purpose Cleaner, let soak 2 – 3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water.
- Vacuum Sealer and Vacuum Bags (Optional): For long term storage, vacuum sealing gives the best results. They’re for when you know you’re going to use the whole bag at once.
Katie’s Tip: Want to deep clean your strawberries but don’t want to purchase a special produce wash? You can also make a DIY cleaning solution using 1/2 cup vinegar per 3 cups water. Let the berries soak in a large bowl of the solution for 2 – 3 minutes. Then, give them a good rinse.
How to Freeze Whole Strawberries
Freezing strawberries is so easy! Compared to certain vegetables,you don’t need to blanch strawberries before freezing them.
- Prep: Rinse, wash, and dry the strawberries.
- Hull: Use a paring knife or strawberry huller to remove the green stems and surrounded flesh from the tops of the strawberries.
- Flash freeze: Spread the strawberries in a single layer over a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Freeze the berries just until solid, about 1 hour.
- Label, date, and freeze: Transfer the hardened strawberries to your freezer container of choice.
Freezing FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
How Long Do Frozen Strawberries Last?
Frozen strawberries will last typically 12 to 18 months in the freezer. If you’ve vacuum sealed your strawberries with high quality vacuum bags and vacuum sealer that removes all of the air, you can likely get 2+ years out of your frozen strawberries.
Do Frozen Strawberries Spoil?
No, not really, so long as you’ve followed all of the instructions and stored them properly. They just become less fresh over time, and you’ll notice more formation of ice crystals. Longer storage increases the potential for freezer burn.
Why do frozen strawberries bleed into batter?
Frozen berries often bleed into quick bread and cake batters. To prevent this, rinse the berries until cold tap water and pat them dry. Then, toss them with flour before mixing them into the batter.
Should You Thaw Frozen Strawberries Before Using Them?
✅ Thaw for recipes with a short cooking time (like pancakes or waffles).
❌ Don’t thaw for most fruit crisp, pie, cake, quick bread, or muffin recipes. But, you probably want to toss the berries in a spoonful of flour or cornstarch before adding them to the recipe – frozen strawberries will release a lot of liquid when cooked which can cause soggy cake or quick bread!
Katie’s Tip: When baking with frozen strawberries, you might need to add a few extra minutes to the total cook time. The temperature of the batter or dough is lower when adding frozen berries than if you used fresh berries – that means they’ll need more time in the oven.
How to Thaw Frozen Strawberries
You have a few options when it comes to thawing frozen strawberries. Choose whichever method is best for you depending on how much time you have.
- On the counter: Place the frozen berries in a bowl or baking dish. Pour cold tap water into the bowl, just until the berries are covered. Let the berries sit on your counter at room temperature until fully thawed, about 10 minutes. If the berries haven’t thawed after 10 minutes, drain the water and replace with fresh tap water. Once thawed, pat the berries dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- In the microwave: Place the desired amount of frozen fresh strawberries in a microwave-safe bowl that’s been lined with a paper towel (this helps soak up the excess moisture from the berries). Using the “Defrost” setting of your microwave, microwave the berries for 30 seconds. If they’re not fully thawed by that point, continue microwaving them on the defrost setting for 10-second intervals.
- In the fridge: Measure the desired amount of frozen fresh strawberries into a bowl or sealable container. Place the berries in the fridge overnight, or for about 6 hours. In the morning, the berries will be thawed and ready to use.
Recipes to Make Using Frozen Strawberries
Strawberry recipes are some of my all-time favorites, and you can add them frozen to most smoothie, cake, quick bread, pie, and crisp / cobbler recipes! Here are some of my favorite things to make with frozen strawberries.
Stay Inspired in the Kitchen!
Want more delicious recipes, kitchen tips, and meal inspiration? Sign up for the Good Life Eats Newsletter and get:
✔ Tried-and-true recipes—from quick weeknight meals to special occasion favorites.
✔ Seasonal meal ideas—helping you make the most of fresh, in-season ingredients.
✔ Time-saving kitchen tips—boosting your confidence and creativity in the kitchen.
How to Freeze Fresh Strawberries
Learn how to thaw whole strawberries with this quick and easy tutorial! You can use the same directions to freeze quartered strawberries as well.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Strawberries
Instructions
- Discard any berries that have gone soft or have become discolored.
- Rinse the remaining strawberries in a colander under cold tap water.
- Gently pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. (They must be fully dry before being frozen, otherwise they can develop freezer burn more quickly.)
- Hull the berries using a paring knife or strawberry huller (i.e. remove the green stems and thick flesh just around the base of the stem). Leave the berries whole or cut into quarters.
- Spread the berries on a parchment paper-lined baking tray (tip: How to Line Pans with Parchment Paper). Make sure none of the berries overlap.
- Place the baking tray in the freezer. Keep it as level as possible to prevent the strawberries from sliding to one side.
- Freeze the berries just until solid, about 1 hour.
- Label and date the bag so you remember when you froze the strawberries.
Notes
Selecting your strawberries: Look for strawberries with a bright, beautiful red color. Firm red strawberries that are glossy on the outside are at the prime level of ripeness for freezing.
Very dark red strawberries are usually already softening and overripe. Overripeness when freezing will result in an even softer texture when thawed. It is best not to freeze overly ripe strawberries at all.
However, as long as they haven't started to spoil and don't have any mold on them you technically can freeze them. But, those strawberries likely will only be good for smoothies or cooked sauces where the texture doesn't matter.
Storage: If stored correctly, frozen strawberries will last 12 to 18 months in the freezer.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 36Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Leave a Comment