A Better Way to Freeze Berries For Smoothies, Jam, Muffins, and More

Updated on June 10, 2018 at 9:35 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Blessed with a surplus of berries from a you-pick adventure, patch of wild fruit, or simply went a bit crazy at the farmers market? Instead of letting these precious gems spoil, consider freezing them for future smoothies, chia jam, pies, muffins, and more. (The one thing they won't be good for is eating them out of hand — freezing and then thawing fruit damages it's structural integrity.)

Here's the best way to do it:

Rinse and completely dry the berries. Moisture is the enemy, unless you like freezer-burnt fruit. Small berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries can be frozen whole. Stem strawberries and halve or quarter large ones.
Arrange the berries in a single layer on a parchment- (or wax-paper-) lined rimmed sheet pan. Don't just toss the unfrozen berries into a freezer-safe bag; if you do this, they'll freeze into a brick of berries that'll need to be chipped apart before using.
Once frozen, transfer to freezer-safe bags. We like to separate them into individual bags that hold just enough berries for a smoothie, so there's no guesswork (or measuring needed) when you're tired and looking to blitz your way to breakfast.