There’s nothing like fresh summer berries picked and eaten right off the vine! The unfortunate thing is that most berries and other fruits have a very short growing season. But today, I am going to show you how you can take full advantage of every harvest and preserve those delicious fruits to enjoy all year round!
It’s actually really easy to do! Just wash the berries, let them dry and spread them out onto a large baking sheet. (I lined my baking sheets with parchment paper to make clean up a little easier.)
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until the berries are frozen.
It can sometimes be hard to find space in the freezer for a pan this large, so what I like to do is stack up the frozen foods that are already in the freezer so that they are about the same height all the way across, and slip the sheet pan right on top, as pictured below.
Freezing the berries on a tray before placing them in bags will ensure that you won’t end up with one big frozen clump of berries. Instead, since each berry is individually frozen, they don’t stick together and you can easily take what you need out of the bag without having to defrost it. It’s genius, I know!!! 😉
Once frozen, portion the berries out however you would like into freezer bags. I use quart size freezer bags and put the date on the bag with a Sharpie.
Once you load up your bags, you can then place them in a freezer safe container and store them away to enjoy all year!
So what can you do with all of these frozen berries? You could make smoothies, turn them into an ice cream topping, eat them straight from the bag either frozen or defrosted, OR…
My family’s favorite way to eat our wild black raspberries is to put them in a bowl, pour in some milk and sprinkle some sugar on top. I’m allergic to milk, but I tried this with my vanilla ricemilk, and it was DELICIOUS!!! Definitely give it a try!
This method of freezing is certainly not limited to black raspberries! You could do the same with strawberries, blueberries, sliced or diced peaches or mangoes, pineapple, cherries (I’d take the pits out first), or loads of other fruits!
So there you have it! An easy peasy way to enjoy your fresh summer fruits all year long! Stay tuned for much more from Blessings In Surprise, and as always, please feel free to email me at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com with any questions or comments. 🙂