How to Freeze Strawberries

Learn how to freeze strawberries so you can enjoy them all year long! Whole strawberries, halved, or chopped, this easy method works for all of them.

Sheet pan full of halved strawberries. Text overlay reads, "How To Freeze Strawberries".

Have you ever found a sale on strawberries and couldn’t help but buy a million pounds?

Ok, so maybe you didn’t buy a MILLION pounds, but I bet you bought a lot knowing it was a good deal and that you were saving money by buying when the price was low, right?

The only catch is, how can you save those strawberries for LATER when the price goes back up?

My go-to option is the easiest and cheapest option – let me show you exactly how to freeze strawberries!

BEFORE FREEZING STRAWBERRIES…

First off, before we start freezing strawberries, we’re assuming that you’ve already exhausted the list of let’s-make-everything-strawberry.

Have you tried Strawberry Lemonade Donuts?
Or how about Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha? (no idea what kombucha is? It’s a fermented tea that’s SUPER healthy for you – here’s how you can make it at home for CHEAP!)
Or No-Cook Freezer Strawberry Jam?
Definitely in ALL THE SMOOTHIES (by the way – I wrote a book on smoothies!)
My kids’ favorite, Yogurt Popsicles!
And Homemade Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll Ups are always fun!
Now’s a great time to consider dehydrating strawberries too, especially for Strawberry Chocolate Granola Clusters.

But if you’re all strawberry-ed out, and since strawberries tend to have a short shelf life, it’s time to learn how to freeze strawberries.

FROZEN STRAWBERRIES VS. FREEZE-DRIED STRAWBERRIES

I want to note, that FREEZING strawberries is not the same thing as FREEZE DRIED strawberries.

If you want freeze-dried strawberries, you need a special machine called a home freeze dryer. They’re VERY expensive and they’re not the same thing as a dehydrator. (Just FYI – dehydrators are super affordable. I have this model and LOVE it!)

What’s the difference between all these different methods for preserving strawberries??

Freeze-dried strawberries have roughly 98-99% of the moisture removed.
Dehydrated strawberries have roughly 90-95% of the moisture removed.
Freezing strawberries doesn’t remove any moisture and may in some cases ADD moisture because of the freezing process.

White container full of whole strawberries.

HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES FRESH

Once you’ve eaten more strawberries than your kids and you’ve got the dehydrator going to use later as well, that’s when you can tackle freezing strawberries whole or sliced or halved or whatever you want!

I mention these options because your decision of how to freeze strawberries fresh NOW will matter later. For example…

If you’re making something that needs the berries in small pieces later, maybe a Mixed Berry Pie, or to use as a topping for Homemade Yogurt, then you’ll want to slice the berries before you freeze them. Otherwise, you’ll have big, huge chunks of strawberries in your desserts.
If you are going to freeze strawberries for smoothies later or are making something where they might cook down or the size doesn’t matter so much, you might want to just halve them. Better yet – if you have a high-powered blender (I use and LOVE my Blendtec), you don’t even have to halve them. You can freeze strawberries whole!

Okay, with that said, let’s get on with how to freeze strawberries!

HOW TO FREEZE STRAWBERRIES STEP BY STEP

Step 1: Wash your strawberries.

Strawberries are consistently on the Environmental Working Groups’ Dirty Dozen list, which means they test high for pesticide residue. Ideally, we SHOULD purchase organic strawberries to help lower the type of pesticide and the amount, but I know that’s not always in the budget.

As I teach members in Grocery Budget Bootcamp, the grocery budget is king and if the money isn’t there, then the money’s not there! Food prices are going up, but your grocery budget doesn’t have to! Join our FREE Fight Inflation Workshop to learn simple yet proven strategies to save money on food week after week, even when prices keep going up. Read more here.

There are several ways you can wash produce naturally at home, so save your money on those expensive produce cleaners you can find at the store.

Step 2: Cut your strawberries (or don’t).

This goes back to HOW you’re going to use the strawberries later. Decide whether you need to hull (remove stems or not), halve, slice, or dice your strawberries, and get that out of the way.

I suggest a small paring knife or if you’re really fancy, a strawberry huller.

It’s perfectly fine if you want to have variety, too. You’ll be able to freeze them all together in the next steps.

Step 3: Prepare the strawberries for the freezer.

In order for you to NOT have your strawberries freeze together into one massive frozen clump of strawberry covered in ice crystals, we’re using a technique called flash freezing.

To do this, spread your strawberries on a baking sheet in a single layer (I have these sheet pans and LOVE them). It’s okay if they touch slightly, but you don’t want them to fully overlap.

Freezing strawberries usually doesn’t require lining the sheet pan with anything, but the smaller the strawberry pieces, the harder they will be to get off the cookie sheet later.

I recommend using either a silpat mat (I have this set) or parchment paper if you’re freezing strawberries that are the size of a quarter or smaller. This will allow you to remove the frozen strawberries from the pan easily, without squishing them in the process.

Step 4: Freezing strawberries.

At this point, your strawberries are ready to be put into the freezer! You don’t need to do anything special – just get them in there and leave them alone for at least a couple of hours.

It’s worth noting that berries freeze slower if you have a really full sheet pan. It might take up to 4 hours for the fruit to completely freeze through. If there’s not much fruit on your sheet pan, they may be solid enough after just one hour.

Tip: Maximize your freezer space by using cooling racks! I have this set of cooling racks and I use them to stack the sheet pans on top of each other to save room in my freezer. This will let you freeze strawberries vertically, saving space for other things in the freezer!

Step 5: Store the frozen strawberries.

Once the strawberries are frozen through, you can remove them to a freezer container.

I use gallon plastic freezer bags and reuse them over and over again until they don’t seal anymore. (Unless they held meat – those I don’t reuse.) They’re easy to use, inexpensive, and because they’re flexible, I can move the bag to wherever I have room in the freezer at the time.

Frozen strawberries will last 6 months or more in the freezer.

Psst! Did you find a great deal on a different type of berry? Learn How to Freeze Blueberries and How to Freeze Raspberries so you’ll have yummy frozen berries all year long!

Frozen strawberries in an open plastic bag.

USING FROZEN STRAWBERRIES

Whenever you want to use frozen strawberries, simply pull out what you need!

You might be wondering how to freeze strawberries without them getting mushy after thawing, and to the best of my knowledge, you can’t. It’s just the way it is. Fortunately, they retain their flavor and taste.

Just like onions and bell peppers and apples all get soft after they’re frozen, strawberries change in texture too.

If you need your strawberries firm, you’ll want to use fresh strawberries. But any recipes where the strawberries will be cooked or mixed in with something else will work just fine!

As the fruit layer in a Yogurt Parfait (thaw first)
Green Smoothie Recipes
Single Serve Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Strawberry Pancakes

Pssst! Don’t forget to grab your copy of High Protein No Powder– my ultimate smoothie recipe book that teaches you how to get more protein without using expensive processed powders!

Overview of frozen strawberries in a open plastic bag, frozen blueberries in an open plastic bag, frozen raspberries in an open plastic bag.

HOW TO ENJOY FROZEN STRAWBERRIES WHEN TRACKING MACROS

Berries are a great low-carb option to add more produce to your plate. They are also an easy way to add sweetness without adding unnecessary sugar.

This post is full of ways to add fresh or frozen strawberries to your meals, so I won’t rehash those here. But keep berries in mind when you’re building your plate.

When deciding what to eat, aim for these general guidelines:

Dedicate about ¼ of your plate to lean protein (think chicken, fish, or tofu)
Another ¼ of your plate can contain carbohydrates, preferably whole and unprocessed carbs (brown rice, sweet potatoes, or starchy vegetables like carrots, corn, and peas fit here, as do some fruits)
And ½ of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables and fruits (think broccoli or asparagus). This is where the strawberries fit too!
Incorporate healthy fats in moderation (like olive oil or avocado) and you have a balanced plate!

Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.

CAN YOU FREEZE STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER FAQS

Can you freeze strawberries in Ziploc bags?

Yes, but you want to flash-freeze the berries first to avoid ending up with one big clump of frozen strawberries. After they’re frozen, you can move them to a resealable freezer bag.

How do you freeze strawberries with sugar?

I don’t. Strawberries, especially those picked in season, have a lot of natural sweetness to them already. Plus, I may use them for a variety of recipes that may or may not call for additional sweetener, so I wait to add sugar until I’m making a recipe that calls for it, like Strawberry Poke Cake.

How long can you freeze strawberries?

Frozen strawberries will last 6 months or more in the freezer. Make sure they’re in an airtight container or get as much air as possible out of your resealable bags to avoid freezer burn.