Strawberries

This afternoon, I was able to get some "second" strawberries from our local orchard. They are just as good but not as pretty. They are about 1/3-1/2 the price. My patches provide us with enough to eat fresh but I needed to get some to make strawberry jam, bread and put some away for the winter. While I was there I overheard a conversation of a person telling someone how to freeze them. Here is what I do.

First, I wash them by putting them in water that goes over all of them. I then swish them around in the sink and transfer to a strainer. Next, I hull and cut out the bad spots. For strawberries that I know I will be using for strawberry shortcake, I slice them and measure out 6 cups. For the rest, I leave whole. I then put the finished strawberries in a freezer bag, label them and put them in the freezer. It is that simple.

Next time, you are at Farmer's Market, ask the farmers if they have any seconds and the price. This is a great way to put away some strawberries for the dead of winter. They taste really good then. 

Freezing Strawberries

One way to enjoy your homegrown strawberries year round is to freeze them. I simply wash and core them. Next, I put them in freezer bags and simply put them in the freezer. I usually use quart size bags and freeze about 2 cups per bag. That works well for our family of 4. They taste great in recipes as well as eaten with a meal. We really enjoyed a little taste of summer during the winter months.