Blackberries can you freeze

It will work with all berries and small fruits such as cherries. You can even mix different berries on the same tray to create a fruit mix. Well, you can freeze blackberries and any fruit without washing them beforehand but what would be the point? By spending just a few minutes washing them, you can ensure you remove any dirt and bugs which you are not going to want to eat in future. Instead, we would advise taking those extra few minutes to give them a quick wash under running water before freezing them.

Flash Freeze Flash freezing before the final freeze is vital if you expect to grab a handful of berries at a time. This is how you prevent them from sticking together in clumps. Try adding blackcurrants , blueberries and strawberries. Try Making Desserts Fruit pies and crumbles freeze remarkably well. There is a chance that the flavour will degrade quicker beyond this 6-month window. You Can Freeze Blackberries for up to 6 Months.

To wash berries, place in a colander and submerge two or three times in a sink full of cold water. Drain well. Dry Freezing unsweetened Use this if you want separately frozen berries rather than a solid block.

Place the fruit in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking tray with raised edges. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer, keeping it level, and freeze until the fruit is solid. This usually takes a day or less. Avoid leaving the berries uncovered for more than a few days to prevent desiccation freezer burn. Remove from the freezer and transfer the berries into plastic freezer bags or other freezer containers. If using bags, extract as much air as possible before sealing.

You can do this by using a straw and sucking the air out of the bag. Seal the container, label it and return to the freezer until needed. Dry Pack Freezing unsweetened Similar to dry freezing, but berries are more likely to stick together in clumps.

Loosely cover the baking pan with plastic wrap. Place the pan in your freezer. Freeze the berries overnight. When they are frozen, they should easily lift off the parchment paper. Transfer the frozen blackberries into Ziploc freezer bags.

Label the bags with the date and contents, and stash them back in the freezer for a rainy day! Clean the blackberries, and let them air dry on paper towels. Place the berries in Ziploc freezer bags , labeled with the date and contents. The berries will keep just as well, but they may freeze into a large clump, instead of nice individually-frozen blackberries. As you wash and dry your berries, take the opportunity to remove any rotten, under-ripe, or damaged berries.

You'll also want to remove any leaf litter, dirt, or other debris. Spread the blackberries on a baking tray or sheet. Line a metal pan or tray with parchment paper and spread your blackberries out on it so that none are touching each other. Do not forget the parchment paper -- without it, the berries will freeze to the pan and can break up when you try to remove them. If you have too many blackberries to give each their own space on your baking tray, it's alright to simply pour them all over the tray.

However, if you want separate, individual blackberries later, you'll have to break up the frozen block of berries that you'll get from this method. If you've got lots of berries that you want to keep separate, an even better idea is to lay down a second layer of parchment paper over the top of your first layer of berries to double your working space. Place the blackberries into the freezer. Set your tray on a level surface in your freezer so that your berries don't roll to one side of the tray and allow your berries to freeze completely.

You may want to leave your blackberries in the freezer overnight to ensure that they're completely frozen through. If you do this, don't forget about them — left uncovered in the freezer, berries can easily develop freezer burn within a few days. Transfer berries into a freezer-proof bag. When your berries are frozen solid, pour them into a plastic freezer bag. Squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag, then seal it and return it to the freezer.

The thicker the plastic and the less air in the bag, the better — thin bags and air pockets can both contribute to freezer burn. If you own a vacuum-sealing device like, for instance, the FoodSaver , use it here to remove the air from your bag for the absolute best possible protection against freezer burn. Alternatively, if you're not worried about your berries freezing together, you can skip the baking sheet altogether and simply place the washed and dried berries into a freezer bag directly.

If you do this, the berries will freeze together into a large block, which can hurt their visual presentation, but shouldn't effect their taste.

Freeze for up to six months. Berries frozen this way are good for at least six months, though some sources recommend using them up to eight months after the date of freezing. As a general rule, you shouldn't thaw berries before using them in baking recipes, as this can throw off their moisture content. Did you make this recipe? Leave a review. Method 2. Rinse and dry the berries as normal. Sweetening your blackberries before freezing them helps keep the berries' natural color and texture intact through the freezing process.

It also makes the berries last longer in the freezer. As above, you'll also want to remove any unripe or overripe berries before proceeding, as well as any leaf matter or debris.

Mix with sugar. Mix the berries and sugar thoroughly, but very gently — your goal is to coat the berries with sugar, not to mash them into a jam or paste. The sugar should combine with the natural moisture of the berries along with the juice of any berries that do break to form a syrupy mixture that should cover the berries.

Pack the berries into bags or airtight containers. Next, pour the berries into seal-able, airtight plastic containers like, for instance, Tupperware. You can also use plastic freezer bags as described above, though, with sweetened berries, this can become somewhat messy. There's no need to freeze sweetened blackberries separately, since the sugar helps protect their appearance and texture from the effects of freezing.