How to Freeze Berries (Easily)

I picked several pints of wild blackberries and wineberries on Wednesday. Being that I had made jam with the previous batch, I made a crisp yesterday. But I still had a boatload (not a technical term) of berries, so I froze the rest.

Freezing is a great way to preserve food, especially abundant in-season fruits and vegetables that are not as tasty and much more expensive during the non-growing season.

To freeze the berries, I washed and dried them, laid them in a single layer on a baking sheet, put the baking sheet in the freezer, waited for the berries to freeze and then put the frozen berries into plastic bags.

The single layer prevents the berries from sticking together, but if your freezer is too small for a baking sheet, use a bowl or container. You should be able to break apart the frozen berries.

And don’t forget to label the bags. Trust me, you probably won’t remember what’s what come December.