1.) Is it better to freeze strawberries whole or sliced...or does it really matter?
2.) Should you wash the strawberries before you freeze them or after they thaw? A friend of mine said she got food poisoning from some frozen fruit (maybe strawberries)...the fruit wasn't truly dry when it was frozen and I guess a bacteria developed in the water in the nooks and crannies of the fruit.
I'm guessing its probably better to get frozen strawberries at the store...but, I have some fresh ones that I don't want to throw out.
I have frequently frozen fresh strawberries that I couldn't use in time. Wash them first, and air dry them. If you freeze them whole, they're easier to slice while they're frozen. If you put them into muffins, put them in frozen. They'll be very moist and intact inside the muffins!
Rinse first, pat dry and spread out on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap. Freeze one hour and put into ziploc bags. They are wonderful for fruit smoothies,desserts, shortcake, etc. You don't need to sweeten them until you thaw them.This works with most any berry.
I like to freeze fruits and veggies in the way I think I will use them. If I'm going to use the strawberries sliced, I slice them first, I might even put sugar on them if that's what I'll do later, then freeze. Having water on any fruit or vegetable should not cause any problem, just makes them stick together when frozen. Whole strawberries will not freeze individually unless you freeze them individually on a cookie sheet, then package them together quickly in a bag and put back in the freezer. Hope this helps.
I've had good luck freezing fresh strawberries. The basic idea is to wash them, take off the stem and leaves, then let them air dry for about 10 minutes or so to remove as much water as possible. Arrange them in a single layer (not touching each other) on a sheet pan and stick in the freezer. When they're frozen, just put them in a ziplock bag.
Here's a website that goes over the steps.
http://www.pickyourown.org/strawberries_freezing.htm
I wash mine and slice them. Then I put them in a freezer bag with a little water and sugar, press out as much as I can, and put them in the freezer. I usually use them later in homemade ice cream or on angel food cake and they taste great.
My mom and grandmother would wash, slice, sprinkle with a little sugar. When the sugar was dissolved, they would freeze.
I have not frozen them myself....if I had extra I would probabl freeze whole. i buy the large bags of whole frozen strawberries from Costco.
I would think washing them would be important. Maybe let them air dry before you freeze to keep them from sticking together???
Good luck.
Freeze them fresh. Do not wash. You can wash whenyou thaw them out. Plus they taste firmer without the extra water.
I do a lot of canning and freezing. I would rinse the strawberries and dry them on a paper towel then slice them and put them on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper or waxed paper and freeze them that way then transfer them to a freezer bag. This way they will be easier to use and not clump together.
Good luck! You could also make strawberry jam if you have enough fruit. It is really easy to do and it turns out great!
~C.
Wash whole berries, remove the leafy portion on top, and pat dry. Spread the berries out on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer to a sealable freezer bag.
I copy and pasted this from Martha Stewart's web site. Also, Alton Brown - Good Eats on the Food Network froze the berries using an ice chest and dry ice, but I'm not sure on the exact method. Good luck.
