How to Freeze Berries
I never thought I would freeze raspberries or blackberries so easily. Before, I would store only blueberries in the freezer. This summer I visited our friends. In addition to champagne, we were served with some raspberries straight from the freezer - as a quick method to cool the drink in the glass or as a snack. As soon as I got home, I made my plan to freeze raspberries like this. They are wonderful when served frozen - they are very good, like small beads of fruit ice cream. If you thaw the raspberries and blackberries beforehand, you will notice they become soft and saggy! But you can still serve them as such in addition to some yogurt, to make quick fruit ice cream, next to champagne, fruit pies etc. Besides raspberries, I also tasted frozen blackberries - I would say that it's the only method of preserving blackberries in which you can benefit somewhat from their taste in winter (in the jam they completely lose their flavor).
They are perfect to decorate a cake with, but put them frozen on the cake right before you cut and serve it- I assure you that they will be very effective, slightly sour, crunchy and aromatic - wonderful with a sweeter dessert.
The only condition (and I want to emphasize this) is to choose sweet, fresh fruits. In this case, when frozen, they will be perfect. I had a glass of sour blackberries and they were not as good after the freezer as were the ripe and sweet ones.
Until now, I used to freeze and preserve raspberries and currants only with sugar, a good option but not suitable for everyone. Now I say that such a light dessert will not be refused by people with diabetes or those on a low-carb diet.
Because we didn't have a garden from which to pick the fruits, I went "fishing" to the market for blackberries, blueberries and raspberries - as beautiful, fresh and sweet as possible.
Be very careful not to squeeze them. Notice that I brought them home in glasses and boxes, not in bags!
Another important recommendation is to wash the fruit quickly, under running water - this way they will not become watery and will hold their natural shape even when frozen.
I place the fruit in a colander, wash under running tap water, drain the water well then I put them on a tray lined with paper towel. I shake from time to time to dry the fruit well and not be covered with water drops.
I did the same with the blackberries.
If the raspberries are picked from your own safe source - not from dusty places - I would recommend not washing them. It's one of the few fruits that can lose its shape and texture after washing.
I picked each berry separately and just put them on the tray (maybe lined with cling film), without washing them. Keep in the freezer for 3-4 hours minimum.
Remove the paper towels from underneath the fruits that were washed.
Leave them in trays, evenly distributed in a single layer and keep in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
After this time, place the frozen fruits in bags and store in the freezer until consumption.
Enjoy!
