So, you have a whole basket full of blackberries. Using them all before they get squishy and gross is an impossible task. So what do you do? It would be a shame to waste these delicious berries.
The answer is simple. Freeze them. But is it as easy as throwing your berries in a bag and putting them in the freezer? Well, that is the very question I intend to answer in this article.
I am going to go over how to freeze blackberries and also cover a few other methods of preserving blackberries.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and get started!
Step-By-Step – How To Freeze Blackberries
It is remarkably easy to freeze blackberries. All you need is a baking sheet, parchment paper, freezer bags, and a colander. Of course, you also need to follow these five steps:
Step 1 – Wash Your Freshly Picked Blackberries
Before you can do anything, you must first wash your berries. To do this, I recommend putting them in cold water and submerging them. Take care not to be rough with the berries, as they can mush or bruise easily.
Step 2 – Allow Time For Your Blackberries To Dry
Once you are satisfied that your blackberries are properly clean, lay them out on paper towels. Don’t pat dry them. Instead, allow your berries to air dry thoroughly before you move on to step three.
Step 3 – Set Your Berries Out On A Baking Sheet
Now that you have clean and dry berries, you can now carefully place your berries on a cookie sheet.
Line the sheet with parchment paper and place your berries on top. Take care that your blackberries do not touch each other.
Step 4 – Put Your Baking Sheet In The Freezer
At this point, it is a waiting game. Simply place your cookie tray in the freezer and leave it for about three hours.
Take care that your tray is level and your berries do not roll into each other. By doing this step, you reduce the risk of your berries sticking together down the line.
Step 5 – Pack Your Blackberries In A Freezer Bag
Once your blackberries have been in the freezer for three hours, you can now take them out and package them properly. Simply package them in little freezer bags.
The amount you put in each packet is dependent on what you want to use them for or how many you might need for a recipe.
Alternatively, you can put all your blackberries in a single freezer bag and scoop out as many blackberries as you need.
You can take it a step further and mix your blackberries with a little sugar before you freeze them. Doing this will make them sweeter and keep your berries fresh for longer.
How To Use Frozen Blackberries
Now that you have perfectly frozen your blackberries, you might be wondering what you can use them for. In this section, I have listed five of the best ways to use frozen blackberries in your everyday life. Check it out:
Frozen Blackberry Smoothies – To make delicious berry smoothies, you can use blackberries on their own, or you can combine your frozen blackberries with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, nuts, yogurt, oats, or wherever you like.
Blackberry Cobbler – Before you cook with your frozen blackberries, you will need to thaw them. To do this you can leave them out for a while, run them under cool water or put them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Blackberry Jam – You can use your thawed blackberries to make a deliciously rich and delicious jam. Blackberry jam will last for several months. As such, this is a great way to preserve your blackberries if you don’t want to enjoy them fresh.
Blackberry Ice Cream – If you are making ice cream, you can always add a few of your frozen blackberries into the mix. This will up the flavor and make your ice cream just a little more healthy. What’s not to like?!
Blackberry Pie – You have not lived if you have not had blackberry pie. Once again, you will need to thaw your berries before you cook with them. But once they are thawed, you should be able to use your berries without any trouble.
You can of course use blackberries in many different ways. These are just five methods that I found were the best and most popular.
Different Methods Of Preserving Blackberries
You do not have to freeze your blackberries if you do not want to. There are other methods that might work better for you.
For example, you could try canning your blackberries or dehydrating them. Either method will help keep your blackberries fresh and delicious for longer.
If you have fresh blackberries that you want to use in a day or two. You could always just refrigerate them. They will not last long using this method, however.
Final Thoughts
Losing a whole batch of blackberries to mold or rot is detrimental and wasteful. But with these tips and tricks on how to freeze blackberries, I hope that this will be a problem of the past.
With all of this information, you should be able to save your harvest and keep them for later use. Make some delicious pastries, make jelly, or eat them frozen with some yogurt.
Regardless of what your intentions are with blackberries, now that you know how to freeze them. You should have no issues!
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about how to freeze blackberries. If you want to learn more about blackberries or other fruits and veggies, take a moment to check out my site.
I have a range of fun and interesting articles available. You are sure to find something that will pique your interest.
Hello, my name is Valentina and I am the founder or ‘grower’ as I like to call myself of BonitaFruitTrees.com.
Cultivating my own fruit trees is definitely my passion, and has been for such a long time.
That’s what made me want to make this website. I wanted to create a place where I could share my experiences with others, teach more people how to grow fruit trees, and just help them have a little fun with it.
