Freezing Blackberries in Bulk and on Trays

My two daughters and I went out foraging for blackberries Monday evening. We brought 3 ice cream pails with us and each filled one. We plan on doing this three or four more times this month. That's a lot of blackberries! These berries will supplement any fresh or canned fruit that we buy this fall and winter.

The way that we use the frozen berries dictates how I freeze them. We have two main ways that they are used: one, I bake a dessert for the entire family or make a small batch of jam; and two, we add just a few berries at a time to foods like smoothies, homemade yogurt, or to add just a bit of color or flavor to foods like applesauce.

The most expedient way to freeze the berries is just washed, then scooped into quart-size freezer bags or containers. This method takes the least amount of hands-on time. The berries tend to clump together, so these bags of berries are best-suited to uses that call for an entire quart at a time.

fresh berries not yet frozen

The second method is to wash them, then spread on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment paper. I freeze the entire tray full of berries, then after a couple of hours they are frozen enough to transfer to a gallon-sized freezer bag. With these berries frozen individually, we can easily pour out however much we want at a time.

Two jelly roll sheet pans fill a gallon-sized ziploc bag

The first method can also be used to get just a few berries at a time, but it involves whacking the bag on the counter's edge to break up the clump, and risks damaging the freezer bag. I wash and reuse all of our freezer bags until they're falling apart, so by preparing the berries in such a way that whacking is completely unnecessary, I extend the life of each bag. Plus, my daughters are super pleased to have everything easy for making smoothies or adding to jars of yogurt. And I like making things easier for everyone else.

The bonus in using the second method for freezing is that the berries actually freeze faster and preserve more of their nutrient value. That's always a good thing.

I will still freeze about half of the berries in clumps in quart-sized bags, as that's easy for me, and I can use those berries in many recipes. It's one of those things that doesn't have to be all or none. I can do some each way and still come out ahead.