Since fresh strawberries are only available for a short time in the summer, you can learn how to freeze and properly store them so you can enjoy delicious strawberries all year long. There are many ways to preserve strawberries, depending on whether you want to keep them for a few days or months. If you want to know how to store strawberries, just follow these steps.
General method
There is no need to wash the strawberries if you plan to store them in the refrigerator. Strawberries are like a sponge that absorbs all the water. The more water they absorb, the faster they spoil. If you wash the strawberries before putting them in the refrigerator, they will go bad faster no matter what method you use. If you store them in the refrigerator and wash them later, be careful to remove excess moisture, otherwise the strawberries will become too cold.
Discard any moldy strawberries immediately. Mold spreads easily, so discard any moldy strawberries as soon as you buy them. If you store moldy strawberries together, the mold will spread and cause the strawberries to spoil quickly. One spoiled strawberry can ruin an entire box of strawberries. You should avoid this problem by choosing only the freshest, most colorful strawberries.
- Place the strawberries on a clean surface without touching them too much, and carefully check for moldy strawberries with your eyes.
If you will eat the strawberries within a few hours, store them at room temperature. If you plan to cook with strawberries within a few hours or serve them as an evening snack, you can keep them at room temperature to retain their fresh flavor.
Never store strawberries in plastic boxes. Although most stores sell strawberries in plastic boxes, this is not an ideal storage method. Tupperware containers store strawberries longer. The plastic in the container won’t let any air in and will make the strawberries spoil faster.
Store strawberries in the refrigerator
Store strawberries in open Tupperware containers. To store strawberries in Tupperware, you just need to remove the strawberries from their original boxes and place them in the large open Tupperware container. You can line the container with paper towels to absorb excess moisture from the strawberries. Don’t overcrowd the strawberries by putting them in so many that they sit comfortably in the container. You may need several containers to store all the strawberries.
- Never cover the container to allow air to escape rather than be trapped under the lid.
- Place the open container in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy the strawberries.
Store strawberries in an airtight Tupperware container. To store strawberries in an airtight Tupperware container, simply remove the stems and ends of the strawberries and place them into the Tupperware container, cut side down. You can arrange them in a row, making sure they don’t touch each other, so they can be stored longer. Then close the lid of the Tupperware and mark the storage date on it.
- Place the container in the refrigerator and open it when you are ready to enjoy the strawberries.
Store strawberries on a baking sheet. Remove the stems from the strawberries and place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Never let the strawberries touch each other so they will last longer. Then place the baking sheet in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for several days.
Store strawberries in a colander. A colander allows the strawberries to breathe during storage. To store strawberries properly, simply remove them from their original box and place them in a colander. Don’t store so many strawberries that they won’t get squeezed, give them room to breathe.
- Place the colander in the refrigerator and take it out when you are ready to eat the strawberries.
Store strawberries in the freezer
Use parchment paper to store strawberries. Start by placing the fresh strawberries with the stems removed on a baking sheet. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the strawberries are completely frozen. Then simply place the strawberries in the Tupperware container and seal. You can store these strawberries in the freezer for up to six months.
- You can store them in any airtight container, such as a jar.
Preserve strawberries with simple syrup. All you have to do is make a simple syrup by mixing water and sugar in a 4:1 ratio. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is chilled before use. Then put all the strawberries into a container and pour cold syrup to cover them. Each container with a capacity of about 450 ml should put about 80 to 120 ml of syrup.
- Seal the container and refrigerate.
- When you are ready to eat the strawberries, defrost the container until it has cooled to room temperature.
Preserve strawberries with sugar. Halve or slice the strawberries and add to a bowl. Sprinkle 100 grams of sugar for each approximately 480 grams of strawberries. Mix the ingredients well until the sugar dissolves. Then put the strawberries into a freezer container, seal, and freeze.
Store strawberries in zip-top bags. All you need to do is wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and cut them in half. Put the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with some sugar (the ratio of sugar to strawberries is 1:6). Stir slightly to spread the sugar and wait 5 to 10 minutes for the strawberries to absorb the sugar. Then place them in a large zip-top bag and store them in the freezer.
Store strawberries as ice cubes. You simply wash the strawberries, remove the stems and put them in a blender, adding a teaspoon of lemon juice. Stir strawberries until smooth mixture. Pour these liquids into the ice cube tray. Place the box in the freezer for later enjoyment.
Tips
- You can buy strawberries at farmers’ markets or strawberry fields. The strawberries in these places are fresher and of better quality than those sold in department stores.
- When thawing strawberries, wash them thoroughly and eat them immediately after thawing.
- If you want, place a teaspoon of sugar in each container when freezing the strawberries. This adds sweetness and creates a little syrup when defrosted.
- Frozen strawberries retain most of their flavor and nutritional value. However, it may appear stale after thawing. The strawberries may be darker in color and softer than when purchased. This is normal.
- You can’t always rely on color when buying strawberries. Although strawberries continue to darken once picked, they do not continue to become sweeter.