Every year during the months of June and July we get a great crop of fresh red raspberries from our raspberry bushes. While we eat some of the berries fresh from the bush….we like to freeze them for later use. Yes, raspberries freeze well and will keep for several months in your freezer.
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You always want to freeze the freshiest, unblemished berries! Remove any that are damaged along with leaves and debris. Place the berries in a colander and let cold running water from your tap run over them for several minutes. I do this is small batches because I don’t want to squish any raspberries by having too many in the colander aka weight of the berries. Shake off the excess water.
I place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Pour the washed berries onto the sheet in a single layer. Let them thoroughly air dry. They need to be dry before freezing them. You can speed up this process by having a table-top fan blow air gently over-the-top of them.
To save space in my freezer I prefer to freeze them in 1 cup and 2 cup portions in freezer bags. You can opt to use freezer containers which do take up more freezer space. Purge out as much air from the bag that you can and zip it shut. Label with the contents and date. Place in the front of your freezer until they’re thoroughly frozen. You can then move them to another spot in your freezer.
To thaw…you can thaw at room temperature, under cool running water in a colander or overnight in the refrigerator. They can be used in some of your favorite recipes to make homemade ice cream, yogurt, bread, muffins, popsicles, fruit smoothies, fruit juices, jam, jelly, etc.