Freezing strawberries and blueberries

[babygrant]

I got a few tubs of strawberries and a few tubs of blueberries 1/2 price today at the store. I want to freeze them for smoothies. Should I flash freeze them and then bag them or can I just pop them in bags and put them in the freezer like that?

Thanks!
Ang

[woodchick]

I lay berries out on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then bag them up. That way they don't freeze as a clump and it is easier to get out the small amount I need for a smoothie or my oatmeal.

[operamommy]

I froze TONS of blueberries this year and last, and all I do with them is pop them into bags. I've never laid them out on a cookie sheet, but I do lay the bags flat when they first go into the freezer.

[gardenmommy]

I always wash and hull strawberries, and wash blueberries. I just don't like all the grit, stems, bugs, and leaves, and I find that washing first gets all that out. I lay the fruit on a towel on the counter for an hour or so to drain, and then bag it. I don't have much trouble with the berries freezing together. I can always get them out of the bag easily for smoothies.

[Alyantavid]

I've done it both ways and found that strawberries do better flash frozen and blueberries are fine just in bags.

[cristeen]

Blueberries definitely do just fine in bags, if they're dry - so I don't rinse them beforehand. If you do want to rinse them, then they need to be frozen on sheets.

Strawberries need to be hulled, and I usually cut any big ones into pieces, and then freeze on sheets. Or else I chop and freeze in a muffin tin.

[zinemama]

Blueberries are fine popped right into bags.

I like to hull strawberries and cut the big ones in half, then lay them out on cookie sheets to freeze before bagging them. Otherwise they will clump up.