It was so hot, that I was afraid the berries would parch right on the bush. It’s cooler now and there are still plenty of berries to be used on pancakes and cereal, as well as added to ice cream and smoothies. I like to make sure I freeze some of them for later. Nothing quite like a pie at Thanksgiving or in the middle of winter from your own summer berries.
One way to freeze them, if you know you’ll eventually make a pie, is to freeze them right in the pie tin. This works best for juicy berries like the blackberry varieties. I rinse, then smoosh them right into the tin and freeze them overnight. I then remove the pie shaped slab of berries and put them in a sealed bag. A freezer bag works ok, but if you have a seal-a-meal, it perfectly seals the berries and keeps out any air. If they’re frozen firm, there’s no ice/air mixture to cause freezer burn. At cooking time just let them thaw and proceed as usual. You know you’ll have just the right amount of berries for the perfect pie.
Blueberries are so simple to freeze. No need to wash them, just toss them onto a cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Once frozen, dump them into a freezer bag. The berries will stay loose and can be easily removed a few at a time, and will thaw as they are rinsed by the handful or colander full. Easy as pie!
Love this idea and I will be doing it this summer!
Posted by: Sunday Taylor | 07/10/2013 at 03:55 PM