Freezing Strawberries

Finally, this blog is going to tackle a controversial subject.

How long should you freeze the strawberries?

The Collective Wisdom of the Internet was not in agreement.  I heard everything from “20 minutes,” to “2-3 hours (not overnight)”, to “24 hours.”

I decided to deal with the issue by opting for what was most convenient to me: a couple of hours.  I must not be feeling scientific today because this process is ripe for a meticulous experiment.

People who have garage sale pricing hanging over their head apparently don’t feel like doing science.  Maybe next week.  Or next year. 

Anyway, here is what I did.  Don’t try this at home until next month when I report back on how it turned out….

I washed and dried the freshest strawberries I could get my hands on. 
If they are wet, you supposedly get more freezer burn.

I cut them up and put the on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. 
This step keeps them from becoming frozen in a solid and unwieldy mass.

I froze them for a couple of hours.

Packaged based on final destination: my oatmeal.
This should be three servings worth.

 Frozen and then thawed strawberries are supposed to be mushy and dark.  Not good for munching on like fresh ones.  They should be fine to toss in oatmeal, jams, smoothies, etc, though.  This is the only strawberry preservation method I found that doesn't use sugar.  They are supposed to be good 2-6 months, depending on whom you ask.  Note the DIY advantage: I know exactly what is in them.  100% strawberries.

Since we are drowning in strawberries right now, I am curious if this will help spread out that sweet taste of summer.  I'll keep you posted!