Freezing Raspberries

Tips on how to freeze freshly picked raspberries

We grow raspberries in two different patches and we get a lot of raspberries.  We eat a ton, make them into yummy desserts and jams and then freeze whatever we have left.  We munch on these frozen raspberries throughout the rest of the year.

They are so delightful in the middle of winter…they just give me a little reminder that summer will come again. Knowing the proper method for freezing raspberries is key to being able to enjoy them year round.

Frozen raspberries can be eaten frozen as a snack, added to oatmeal or other cereals, or used for baking.  I rarely thaw my berries before using.  I just throw them in frozen. A few of my favorites are these raspberry muffins, raspberry brownies and these raspberry sweet rolls.

Once the raspberries start to ripen, I have to pick every other day.  Other wise I have over ripe berries.  I try to pick first thing in the morning for two reasons.

First, it’s cool and I don’t like the hot, hot and second, the berries aren’t as mushy when they are cooler.

I never wash my raspberries.  They tend to  absorb a lot of water and can become mushy.

We don’t use any sort of sprays in our garden so I don’t worry about having to remove any sort of herbicide or pesticide.  Our garden also doesn’t get a lot of dust.

I do get the occasional bug or leaf on my raspberries.  I just simply remove those by hand.

Any bug left is going to be small and will freeze right along with the berries.  Okay, this can seem gross, but I just don’t worry about them.  They are all part of an organic garden.

The berries then get spread out on a cookie sheet, one layer thick and placed in the freezer.  This allows the berries to freeze individually and not one big solid mass.

I love adding frozen raspberries to smoothies too!

Once my berries are frozen, I scoop them up into freezer bags.  I don’t worry if they aren’t all the way full.  You could also store your frozen berries in vacuum sealed bags.

Frozen berries are best stored in a deep freeze freezer, one without an auto-defrost.

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Freezing Raspberries

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Extend you summer harvest by freezing fresh berries.

Course: Freezer Friendly

Cuisine: American

Keyword: freezing fresh fruit, freezing raspberries, How to freeze raspberries, preserving raspberries

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• Fresh Organic Raspberries - any amount will work

Instructions

1. Do not wash berries.
2. Place berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet
3. Freeze for at least 1 hour
4. Remove from sheet and place in a freezer zip bag or in a vacuum sealed bag
5. Place in a deep freeze (without auto defrost)
6. When needed, simply remove the amount needed and replace in freezer

You might enjoy these recipes:

Raspberry Scones

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Raspberry Lemonade