With buckets of blackberries dotting my counter, I was telling a friend that I should blog about How to Freeze Berries. Arched eyebrow notwithstanding, and a facial expression reserved for super lame ideas, he said, “Really, Tom? It’s not as if it’s rocket science. Perhaps, you could follow up with a post on How to Boil Water.” (No berry crisp in his future.)
“So you’d think, ” I said, but after witnessing some freezers filled with zip-loc blocks of berry sludge, I knew my peeps needed help. And so here it is: How to Freeze Berries. Sure, it’s not rocket science, but the results can still transport you to another world.
Blackberries, raspberries, loganberries, marionberries, boysenberries, blueberries: Bring ‘em on!
How to Freeze Berries
- Roll berries out in a single layer on a baking tray with rim.
- I don’t wash them; makes them mushy and they stick to the tray.
- Remove any creepy crawlers, dandelion seeds, errant grass clippings, or scary-looking berries.
- Place tray in freezer until frozen solid.
Part Two: (See, it is like rocket science)
- Remove tray from freezer.
- Berries will be a hard and as mobile as marbles (thus the rimmed baking tray)
- Scoop up the berries and place in zip-loc bag.
- Seal bag (but first remove as much air as possible).
- Pop bag in the freezer.
- Remove when you need a cup or two or three of berries.
- Reseal and return remaining berries to freezer.
- They keep for a year or until next season’s crop (as if they’d be around that long).
Why do I freeze berries? Blackberry pie on demand dear friends, blackberry pie on demand.
32 responses so far ↓
1 Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) // Aug 23, 2010 at 6:00 pm
It isn’t rocket science but… This is the same method I use. Never wash them either.
2 Sophie // Aug 23, 2010 at 7:12 pm
This is also the same method that I choose,…I know that they are a lot of people that don’t know that!
Lovely pictures too!
3 Curbstone Valley Farm // Aug 23, 2010 at 10:10 pm
We used to freeze pounds and pounds of fresh-picked blackberries every year. Now the deer get most of them. They do make a fantabulous berry pie after being frozen, although my personal favorite is blackberry and apple pie. Great…now I’m hungry!
4 Toni @ BackyardFeast // Aug 24, 2010 at 3:21 am
Mmmm…blackberries. I know that you’ve outlined the very best way to freeze these, and we do follow that method for precious strawberries. But the blackberries mostly go to jam around here, so they just get tossed in an ice cream bucket in the freezer and chipped out as necessary
. But that blackberry pie looks so good, I just might make the effort…
5 Pam // Aug 24, 2010 at 2:00 pm
That pie–what a show stopper! Do you freeze pies? If so, do you bake and then freeze or freeze and then bake later?
6 Thomas // Aug 24, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Yes, it’s not rocket science but it’s the very best way to freeze berries. Looking at a boulder of frozen fruit is like nails on chalkboard to me…so unnecessary!
Lovely pie by the way!
7 Tom // Aug 24, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Pam, I tried freezing pies, but found I’d just bake them a week later. Willpower is a rare visitor at my house.
8 June // Aug 25, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Tom, I’d say you’ve plenty of willpower. What a gorgeous pie and look at the size of that slice!
9 Tom // Aug 25, 2010 at 3:47 pm
June, you’re right, that slice is a little skimpy.
10 DebC // Aug 25, 2010 at 9:31 pm
What a beautiful crop and pie!
I like this method! Pick on a sunny day and bake or jam on a rainy, dark day.
We line the baking sheet with foil. When the berries are frozen roll it up from the ends and up end-o it into the zip lock bag.
Hmm some of those loose berries would be good with that special steel cut oat porridge you mentioned last winter.
11 Tom // Aug 25, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Deb you are one clever girl, brilliant, the foil funnel method, brilliant I say!
12 Stacey Snacks // Aug 25, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Tom,
If I lived closer, I would DEMAND blackberry pie!
13 rowena // Aug 26, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I did the same with a sack of blueberries that I could not resist from a local farmer. I shake them now and then because I love that sound they make when they’re rolling around like marbles in their plastic container.
14 Tom // Aug 26, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Stacey, and if you brought along ice cream, I’d have no trouble with that.
15 Sustainable Eats // Aug 27, 2010 at 4:55 am
Your friend sounds like my kinda gal – and that pie looks amazing. Still checking the calendar for next week and keeping fingers crossed!
16 Feast on the Cheap // Aug 27, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Ha! Well there were more steps involved than one might think… Just freezing in a plastic bag and skipping the tray portion results in an impossible to separate block of berries!
17 mary anne // Aug 27, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Hi Tom. I popped onto your site after reading your comment on our site, Feastonthecheap.net, regarding our Bread and Butter Pickle recipe. This post on freezing blackberries is GREAT! Makes perfect sense, and yet I never thought of it. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to freeze a big batch! Love your site. Great pics, too. Best, Mary Anne and Mariel
18 Karen Anne // Aug 28, 2010 at 9:34 pm
You wash them before you used them?
19 Tom // Aug 28, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Hi Karen Anne, you know I don’t wash them. It makes them mushy and they never really dry before freezing.
20 beth // Aug 30, 2010 at 12:49 am
wow, you are going to be my celeb-
21 Karen Anne // Aug 30, 2010 at 11:07 am
Hi, yes, I groked that they’re frozen unwashed, I was wondering if they get washed after that before they’re used.
One thing I find myself doing in the kitchen is thinking, I have to wash that, God knows what got sprayed on it when I realize, oh, I grew it in my garden
22 Nicholas // Aug 30, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I’ve been demanding blackberry pie for some time to no avail. What gives?
23 Tom // Aug 30, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Nicholas, I’m a bad friend. I’m stocking up on berries, so a pie is in your future…or at least a slice.
24 Giyen // Aug 31, 2010 at 4:10 am
I hope there is a pie in my future as well. : )
25 Tom // Aug 31, 2010 at 5:43 am
I can see I’m going to need to bake a couple pies–make that–gladly bake a couple pies
26 renae // Aug 31, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Epicurious.com once had a recipe for boiled water. I’m not sure if some editor thought they were the funniest thing ever or not, but it ticked a lot of people off. Your frozen berries are FABULOUS and if everyone knew how to freeze like that I’d never have to chunk off big wads of ice to get to my sad grocery-store berries. This is becoming the twisted berry story, isn’t it.
27 Eric // Sep 2, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Tom – While I love this post and the photos, I’m worried that you left out the quicker way: Liquid nitrogen. We’ve tried that and it is the best (or perhaps, most dangerous) method by far. And the mist is pretty neat too.
28 Tom // Sep 2, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Uh, Eric…you are not allowed in the kitchen without supervision (and a Hazmat team standing by). Have you been watching Bill Nye the Science Guy? Stay safe!
29 Tom // Sep 2, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Renae, thanks for the wit and wisdom as always, and I’ll have you know my latest bacon clad recipe, Figs in a Blanket, is in your honor.
30 Jean // Sep 13, 2010 at 4:12 pm
I wholeheartedly approve of your berry freezing method since it is almost exactly what I do. Once the berries are frozen they are suitable for vacuum packing in plastic bags. A little more work and expense but you have no ice on the berries and they will keep longer than a year in perfect condition if you have a bumper crop and the bags are reusable.
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