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Raspberries are in season, which means they can be picked fresh if you happen to be growing them. It also means they will be in abundance at the grocery store. If you’ve ever picked fresh raspberries or blackberries, or bought them from the store, then you know without a doubt that they do not stay fresh long.
So how are gardeners and produce shoppers supposed to get the most out of their efforts and money? Freeze the raspberries! Knowing how to freeze raspberries when you realize you won’t be able to use or eat them all in time will save you frustration and money!
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Preserving soft fruits, like raspberries, is best done through freezing. It’s quick and easy with no special tools required. In fact, all you really need is:
The ease of freezing berries makes this the simplest way to preserve them. Other options to preserve raspberries include making jams and jellies (even freezer jam) and making sauces. Freezing berries will also give you the most versatility in being able to use them later.
They could easily be pulled out of the freezer and tossed into smoothies, pureed into salad dressings, added to baked goods, or made into jams and jellies. Freezing raspberries really is a simple and easy way to keep these soft fruits on hand when they’re out of season.
Freezing raspberries and blackberries is fairly similar to how I freeze blueberries. The entire process will only take a few active minutes. There is some waiting here and there, but you can carry on about your business while the berries are drying and freezing. Here are the steps you need:
2. Wash the berries under cool water to remove any dirt. Also check through your berries to remove any that are beyond ripe and on their way to rotten.
3. Lay berries out to dry on a clean kitchen cloth. Leave them for 30 minutes to an hour. (Or longer if you get busy!)
4. Place dried berries on a baking sheet. For ease later, you can place a sheet of parchment paper down first, but this is optional. Place sheet of berries flat in freezer and leave for several hours or overnight.
You can use frozen raspberries and blackberries in most baked recipes or smoothies. There’s no need to defrost them first, since they will lose some of their texture after freezing. Simply add them to the recipe and keep moving.
Frozen raspberries are also perfect for sauces and jellies.
Here are some of my favorite recipes for using frozen berries:
Knowing how to freeze raspberries and blackberries will save money and frustration as these fruits tend to spoil quickly. Save your hard grown (or bought) berries by freezing them to use later!
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Amazon Brand - Solimo Freezer Quart Bags, 120 Count
PaperChef Culinary Parchment Multipurpose Non-Stick Paper, 205 sq ft
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver
PriorityChef Colander, Stainless Steel Kitchen Strainer For Washing Rice, Pasta And Small Grains, 3 Quart
