How to Freeze Berries

Whether you have excess blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries, freezing them is easy.

1. Rinse berries in cool water and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
2. Pick over berries to make sure no stems, unripe berries, or damaged berries are in the mix.
3. Rinse berries with cool water and pat dry. Hull strawberries.
4. Lay berries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Put in freezer until frozen solid, usually overnight does the trick.
6. Transfer berries to resealable plastic storage bags, forcing as much air as possible out of the bag before sealing.
7. Store in the freezer until ready to use, up to 6 months.

Frozen berries are perfect for making smoothies and shakes and work beautifully in baked goods (you usually can't tell the difference be tween the fresh and frozen versions). Freezing berries is also a great way to postpone jam-making. Freeze the berries when they are perfectly ripe and fresh but make the jam whenever you have the time and inclination.