Fresh berries are not only an excellent source of nutrition, but they also taste really good. During the summer months fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and any other berry you can think of are in season but during the cooler months you either won’t find them at all or they’ve been imported from overseas.
A great way to preserve summer berries is to freeze them and save them for another day. There’s been a lot of debate about whether frozen fruit is good for us, but research shows that frozen berries are perfectly fine to eat and just as nutritious.
Why are frozen summer berries better than fresh?
We’re not saying you should stop eating fresh fruit, but here are just a few reasons why you might consider freezing berries:
Frozen berries are more affordable
If you’re the type of person who loves smoothies and makes them regularly, buying fresh berries can get very expensive!. Buying a punnet of fresh blueberries from the supermarket can be quite pricey even when they’re on special, plus you’re only getting 100g of berries. For the same price, you can buy a big bag of frozen berries, which will take you a lot longer to get through
Frozen berries have a longer shelf life
Even when you keep berries in the fridge, you’ll notice that they deteriorate rapidly if left for a few days and can become mushy. The time it takes from harvesting to getting fresh fruit to consumers means that by the time you’ve purchased it, you need to eat it quickly.
That’s why frozen berries are better if you don’t plan on eating your berries straightaway. Acai berries are only shipped overseas frozen because they go off very quickly. You definitely won’t be seeing fresh acai berries at the greengrocers.
Frozen berries hold their nutritional value
Lots of people buy berries because they contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are good for our health. Unfortunately, some people believe that frozen berries are less nutritious but that simply isn’t true. Research has found that frozen berries hold their antioxidants, fibres and minerals even through the freezing process.
A while ago, we wrote an article about frozen bananas and their nutritional value. The same holds true for frozen berries.
Frozen berries make for an excellent snack
Looking for a mid-arvo snack but want to be healthy? Why not swap out those biscuits for a bowl of frozen berries? You can either wait for them to defrost if they’re a bit too cold on your teeth or just eat them straight out of the bag.
Frozen berries have less pesticides than fresh berries
Fresh berries can hold lots of pesticides, but it’s been found that frozen berries actually hold less than half the amount that fresh berries do. If you are really concerned about consuming pesticides, then the safest option is to switch to organic berries.
How do you freeze summer berries?
- Wash fresh berries and remove stems and damaged berries. If you’re using strawberries, cut off the green caps.
- Place berries on a kitchen towel and gently pat them down until they are dry.
- Place berries on a tray with baking paper in a single layer
- Place the tray in the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen solid
- Put berries into sealed bags or plastic containers and place back in the freezer
- Store frozen berries for up to six months.
What can you make with frozen summer berries?
There are tons of recipes that you can use with frozen berries. They’re great for using in:
- Smoothies
- Cakes
- Muffins
- Ice-cream
- Acai bowls
- And plenty more
Where can I buy frozen summer berries?
If you don’t want to freeze berries yourself, you can find frozen berries in your supermarket. For restaurant or café owners who go through a lot of berries, you can find wholesale frozen berries that you can order online in bulk.
