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.Freezing Berries for Preserving Later




Source of Recipe


Jan Roberts-Dominguez
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•Unsweetened, Individually Frozen:
This is the best method for preparing syrups, toppings, and jams at a later date. However, unsweetened fruit will lose quality faster than those packed in sugar or syrup. You can generally store the fruit for 8 months without sacrificing quality. Place washed, well drained, sorted berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet; freeze until firm. Pack into plastic freezer bags or containers; cover and freeze.

• Syrup Pack:
Pack berries into rigid plastic freezer containers, covering with a light syrup (heat 5¼ cups hot water and 2¼ cups granulated sugar to melt the sugar) and leaving 1 inch head space. Cover and freeze.

• Sugar Pack:
This is the method recommended for making pies. Add ½ cup granulated sugar to each quart of fruit and mix thoroughly. Pack into rigid plastic freezer containers or straight-sided jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Cover and freeze.

• Preserving Raspberries as a Purée:
Frustrated because the raspberry harvest is slipping away? Make a simple raspberry purée and freeze it. Here's how: For 3 cups of purée, you need about 2 pounds of fresh raspberries. Gently rinse the berries in a large colander; drain well. Purée the berries in a food processor, blender, or food mill; then force them through a sieve or ricer with a spatula or spoon to remove the seeds. Sweeten to taste (if desired) with granulated sugar, and add about 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice per 3 cups of purée (this is both a flavor enhancer and color preservative). Pack into rigid plastic freezerproof containers or straight-sided, wide-mouthed glass jars, leaving 1-inch head space for pints, 1½ inches for quarts.
To use: Simply thaw.