Written by Kate TietjeSimplify Natural Living, you know canning is nearly a lost art! While many of our great-grandmothers did it as a matter of necessity, our grandmothers and mothers moved away from it because of the ready-made convenience foods in grocery stores. It’s gaining popularity in recent years, as people have become wary of the food supply and prefer to know exactly what’s in their meals – and save some money!
One major thing I tend to preserve is berries. In a year, you’ll often catch me preserving 55 lbs. of strawberries, 6-7 lbs of cherries, 50-75 lbs. of blueberries, 10-15 lbs. of raspberries, and more. If we get lucky and get good prices on blackberries, mulberries, elderberries, etc., the possibilities are endless!
In 2018, we moved to a homestead and planted our own berries. These days, we get a lot of raspberries! They are invasive — a couple have taken over our strawberry beds! We have everbearing plants which produce from June to October. The berries come in small amounts over the whole season rather than all at once, so they rarely reach the freezer (especially with 6 kids who enjoy eating them). But if we get a bunch and no one’s in the mood…into the freezer, they go!
Most of these berries are going to be preserved via freezing. We’ll use them primarily for smoothies. This means we’ll need them frozen, but not in one giant block. I’ll need to be able to get out a few each day as I need them. Here’s how I did it.
Freezing Berries
Ingredients:
- Berries
Directions:
Step 1: Wash the berries. Soak in fruit wash or water + ACV.
Step 2: Separate any pits, stems, or other parts you don’t want from them and place them on a cookie sheet.
Step 3: Fill the cookie sheet until it’s full, in a single layer, then transfer to the freezer for 2 – 3 hours or until frozen.
Step 4: Scoop the frozen berries into a large plastic freezer bag (yes, it’s okay to use plastic here. Heat and fat make the chemicals leach, but we’re not dealing with either). Transfer to a freezer. If you don’t want to use plastic bags, mason jars will also work — they just won’t hold as much and will break if they fall out.
That’s it! Very simple, and now your food won’t all stick together!
Freezing Berries
Ingredients
- Berries
Instructions
- Wash the berries. Soak in fruit wash or water + ACV.
- Separate any pits, stems, or other parts you don't want from them and place them on a cookie sheet.
- Fill the cookie sheet until it's full, in a single layer, then transfer to the freezer for 2 - 3 hours or until frozen.
- Scoop the frozen berries into a large plastic freezer bag (yes, it's okay to use plastic here. Heat and fat make the chemicals leach, but we're not dealing with either). Transfer to a freezer. If you don't want to use plastic bags, mason jars will also work -- they just won't hold as much and will break if they fall out.
