The Secret To Freezing Your Own Berries Like A Pro

There's no shame in shopping the freezer aisle: frozen fruits and vegetables are often healthier, cheaper, and more convenient than their fresh alternatives. But sometimes, it's best to take a DIY approach to freezing. Maybe your backyard blackberry bushes were especially abundant. Maybe there was a really good sale at the grocery store. Maybe you just want to support your local farmers. 

According to Jason Glunt, senior category manager at Sprouts Farmers Market, the best way to freeze berries is to bust out your baking supplies. "Cookie sheets are a great way to freeze berries, but be sure to place them in a single layer, so they don't clump together," says Glunt. The freezing technique has Martha Stewart's stamp of approval, too. Just remember to line the tray with parchment paper or a non-stick mat to keep the berries from freezing to the surface. 

Don't worry, you won't have a baking tray taking up space in your freezer indefinitely. The berries should freeze solid within a few hours. Once they're frozen, pack them in an airtight container. Keeping them away from air or excess moisture will help prevent freezer burn. If you don't have room in your freezer for a full-sized baking tray, steal a smaller tray from your toaster oven or air fryer. You could use a cutting board, serving tray, or plate, too. Just be prepared to freeze your berries in batches. 

If you're familiar with prepping frozen vegetables, you might wonder if there's any need to blanch the berries. Blanching, which involves giving the vegetables a quick boil before dunking them in ice water, helps preserve color, flavor, and nutrients. While you can blanch firmer fruits like apples, berries are too delicate to withstand the boil. You should thoroughly wash or rinse the berries before putting them in the freezer, however — with one caveat. "Berries should be dry before freezing to avoid possible icicles or freezer burn," says Jason Glunt. 

Ascorbic acid helps to keep frozen berries tasting fresh without the need for blanching. You can add a splash of lemon juice or a commercial citric acid mix to the berries before freezing, but ascorbic acid will work best. Ascorbic acid is the same thing as vitamin C, and its strong antioxidant properties help keep fruit fresh. Mix ½ tablespoon of powdered ascorbic acid with 3 tablespoons of water, then drizzle it over the berries. Ascorbic acid is available online or in the canning supply section of grocery stores, but you can also use crushed vitamin C tablets in a pinch. 

So what should you do with all those berries? Thick, ice-cold smoothies are the obvious choice. But you can also blend frozen berries into sorbets, eat them as-is, or bake them into pies. Frozen fruit will last indefinitely if kept below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, but you should eat your berries within a year if you hope to preserve the farm-fresh taste.