Au naturel:
• Start with fresh, ripe berries. You’ll find the best ones in the summertime when strawberries are in season.
• Cut off the tops of the berries, removing all green leaves.
• Wash them off -- just a quick dousing in cold water will do. Dry them thoroughly to prevent ice crystals from forming later.
• Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spread the strawberries out on it (cut-side down).
• Freeze overnight or until they’re completely frozen. This step ensures that the berries won’t stick to each other later, so you’ll be able to grab as few or as many as you need.
• Place the berries in an airtight container and return them to the freezer. They’ll keep for up to one year.
• Eat frozen strawberries as they are, add them to a glass of champagne, blend them into a smoothie, or thaw and cook into jam, jelly or dessert sauce.
Get saucy:
Strawberries lose their structure once they’ve been frozen and then unfrozen, which means that once thawed, they may be a bit too mushy to eat -- but they’re perfect for making smoothies, jams, jellies and sauces. You can even store them in syrup or coat them with sugar before freezing to make a sweet sauce that’ll last for at least another season. Here’s how:
• After washing the berries, slice them into halves.
• Sprinkle sugar all over the strawberries until the granules begin to stick. (Any type of sugar will work.)
• Seal the sugary berries into an airtight container and freeze. The sugar will turn into a liquid coating, and the mixture will keep for up to six months.
• When you are ready to use them, just thaw the strawberries in the fridge and then add to your jam, jelly or dessert recipe (perhaps drizzled over shortcake and ice cream?).
-- Paula Kashtan
Dec 17, 2010