Post by Admin on Jul 16, 2005 6:14:45 GMT 10
Take advantage of all the fresh fruits from the garden and the farmer's market. Buy a flat of strawberries, raspberries, and blue berries and freeze them for the winter! I freeze all my fruit in small Ziplock freezer bags. Don't overfill the bags and store them flat. This way, you can break a chuck of fruit off it you don't need too much. Some people add sugar to their fruit prior to freezing. I don't. We like the tart taste.
Strawberries: wash, cut off the stem, and slice. Freeze in zippered freezer bags.
Raspberries: wash. Freeze flat in zippered freezer bags.
Blueberries: wash and pick out the bits of leaf, icky berries, etc. Layer the blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze. When the berries are frozen, use an egg flipper to loosen the berries. Quickly transfer them to a zippered freezer bag (you can use a large bag). Don't let the berries thaw. Now you can use frozen blueberries whenever you need a handful for muffins, pancakes, or porridge. Remember not to leave the berries on the cookie sheet in the freezer for too long (overnight is too long). They will dry out and get freezer burn. Don't ask me how I know this - big sigh!
Cherries: Wash and follow the same cookie sheet procedure as for the blue berries. We don't bother pitting the cherries because they are usually used for porridge in the winter. If you want to bake with them, you will have to pit them first (too much work for me LOL).
~borrowed from Cindy's Porch~
Strawberries: wash, cut off the stem, and slice. Freeze in zippered freezer bags.
Raspberries: wash. Freeze flat in zippered freezer bags.
Blueberries: wash and pick out the bits of leaf, icky berries, etc. Layer the blueberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze. When the berries are frozen, use an egg flipper to loosen the berries. Quickly transfer them to a zippered freezer bag (you can use a large bag). Don't let the berries thaw. Now you can use frozen blueberries whenever you need a handful for muffins, pancakes, or porridge. Remember not to leave the berries on the cookie sheet in the freezer for too long (overnight is too long). They will dry out and get freezer burn. Don't ask me how I know this - big sigh!
Cherries: Wash and follow the same cookie sheet procedure as for the blue berries. We don't bother pitting the cherries because they are usually used for porridge in the winter. If you want to bake with them, you will have to pit them first (too much work for me LOL).
~borrowed from Cindy's Porch~
