Tuesday Tips-Ways to make life easier. Today’s tip is to freeze in-season produce.
It’s March and time for strawberries. You should start seeing the prices on strawberries (and other produce soon!) start to come down. In my area right now, I am able to get a pint of fresh strawberries for $1.49 as opposed to $3.59 during the winter.
Once the strawberries hit their lowest price of the season ($.99 a pint in my area), I buy extra and freeze them to use later in the year.
To freeze the berries, I wash them, remove the leaves and stems, and pat them dry with a towel. I then place them on a cookie sheet with a little space in between and freeze them for 4 to 6 hours. This method will also work for blueberries.
Once they’re frozen, I pop them into a plastic zipper bag. Later in the year when strawberries are more expensive, I have fruit for smoothies and other recipes ready to use.
How do you save money on produce? Leave a comment. 
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
We have a garden so I can & freeze alot of different veggies in the summer. We also have access to several orchards so can peaches & other fruits. I usually can or freeze these items green beans, corn, peaches, pears, applesauce, blueberries, tomato sauce, pickles(different varities) , peppers, strawberries, just to name some items. Some items is just cheaper to buy in the grocery like peas & limas & other veggies.
I do the same thing. I much prefer freezing to canning, so I include peaches, berries, etc., and try to buy as many as I can afford at the “best price.”
Do you have some type of deep freezer? I barely have enough room in my freezer and we don’t usually buy in bulk/freeze for later…
Laci, in the past we have had a deep freezer. Right now I only have the freezer in my refrigerator, but I try to freeze everything as flat as possible and use organizers. You can watch this video to see a little bit about how I use my freezer.
Quick question- how long can you keep them frozen this way without any freezer burn? or any other negative effects? I remember reading one time that there is a limit on how long to keep things frozen in your freezer, and I dont remember much being longer than six months. any opinion on this? thanks so much! love your blog by the way
Allison, according to what I have read freezer burn is caused from air and moisture in the packaging. If you can make your package as airtight as possible, it will be good longer. I also read that a non-frost free freezer will keep things frozen without freezer burn for much longer than a frost free freezer will. I have successfully kept bread frozen for 3 months, but every other baked good that I make gets eaten well before that time.
Oops! I thought this was on the waffle post–haha. I have successfully kept produce for 5 to 6 months in the freezer, but you are correct. Much longer and it tastes funny. Of course, if you are using it in smoothies, you may be able to disguise the taste somewhat.
So glad I found you Kimberlee! So many wonderful tips! I prefer to freeze as opposed to can because of the simplicity of it, but things I’ve been reading lately have brought up the point many times…that is, if there is some sort of a power-out in your area because of storms or whatever reason, the food will spoil if it’s for a few hours or days. Thus, they said canning really is the safest bet.
Thanks Becky–I may bring myself to actually do it one day. I think I have a mental block!