Freezing Strawberries With a Syrup Pack

Canning is considered by some to be a national pastime. If you have ever tried to can strawberries, however, you know that the result of doing so is strawberry mush. There are not a lot of recipes that call for strawberry mush. Strawberries start the biodegrading process very quickly. Due to their soft flesh, they bruise easily, and mold takes hold within days of picking. To avoid rotten strawberries and preserved strawberry mush, freezing is a great option.

There are numerous methods of freezing strawberries. The differing methods are commonly called "packs" because the fruits are "packed" in the containers with (or without) different fillers prior to freezing. The most common pack used to freeze strawberries is the syrup pack.www.freezingstrawberries.net

Here is how to use the syrup pack when freezing your berries:

1. Make your syrup. The syrup pack uses a heavy syrup that is fifty percent sugar and fifty percent water. To make it, dissolve four cups of sugar into four cups of warm water. Stir it until the solution is completely clear and then chill it in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare your strawberries. Take your berries and wash them. Remove the green caps and dry them. Pack them into the containers in which they will be frozen (you will need approximately two thirds of a quart of berries for each pint you want to freeze).

3. Pack the Strawberries into the Container. Pack the fruit into your containers. Pour the syrup into your container. Be sure to leave appropriate headspace at the top of your containers so that they will not break when frozen.



4. Seal Your Containers. Tightly seal the lids to your jars or close your freezer bags (or appropriately seal whichever freezing container you selected), and place them in the deep freeze.