So you thawed out a batch of strawberries but you didn’t use them all and need to know if it’s safe to refreeze them right?
I’ve been there and in this article you will learn everything you need to know about when it is safe to refreeze strawberries.
So can you refreeze strawberries?
Yes, you can refreeze strawberries. The key to successfully freezing thawed strawberries is using the technique outlined below. Not only will it safely refreeze your strawberries, it will also help lock in as much of their delicious flavor as possible.
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Refreezing Strawberries
Hand picking and freezing strawberries is a yearly tradition in my household. The kids love heading out to our local strawberry fields and filling many quarts of juicy strawberries.
We make all sorts of strawberry desserts and go through lots of fresh strawberries. But we also freeze a good portion of strawberries so we can have them throughout the year.
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And while I always try to properly portion out my strawberries when freezing to avoid needing to refreeze them, sometimes it just cannot be avoided.
There are a number of freezing techniques you can find on the web and I have found the best way to refreeze strawberries is the method you will find here.
How To Refreeze Strawberries
When you freeze strawberries (or any fruit for that matter) there are some things going on that you need to be aware of.
Freezing strawberries the first time causes the moisture in the berry to expand and bust out of the strawberry.
This is why your thawed strawberries are sitting in a bunch of fruit juice. You will also find that this has caused your strawberries to be less plump.
It’s important to remember that this process happens when freezing strawberries. You cannot expect to achieve plump and juicy strawberries when freezing or refreezing them.
In fact, each time you thaw and refreeze your strawberries, they will break down more, as more of their moisture content is expelled from the berry.
This means that frozen, and refrozen, strawberries will be best suited for recipes that do not require a beautiful looking strawberry.
But when done properly, refrozen strawberries will retain their tasty flavor and will work wonderfully in all types of recipes.
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The best way to refreeze strawberries is to first place your strawberries with their juice in a freezer bag.
Note: Portion your strawberries in amounts you will use once thawed to avoid needing to refreeze them again.
Remove all the excess air from your bag and seal it. Now place your strawberry filled freezer bag in a second freezer bag or in a freezer safe container and seal it.
This will help avoid freezer burn and lock in as much strawberry flavor as possible.
Now simply place your sealed strawberries in the back of your freezer. Placing them in the back will help them freeze faster (locking in flavor) and prevent them from prematurely thawing whenever the freezer is opened.
And that’s all there is to safely and effectively refreezing strawberries.