Container Gardens
Storing your strawberries
Now that your strawberry patch is cranking out the berries, it is time to preserve your harvest. Two common ways to store your strawberries is through freezing them, or making jam.
Strawberries can be stored whole or sliced. To store sliced berries, make sure you wash your berries thoroughly and stored in freezer quality zip lock bags. Berries can be frozen without sugar for use in pies or in other cooked desserts. If you choose to sweeten your berries, use ½ cup sugar to 4 cups sliced berries. Stir and freeze immediately.
If you decide to freeze your strawberries whole, wash the small to medium berries and drain and dry them well on paper towels. Stems can remain on the berries and should be frozen by spreading the berries out individually on cookie sheets. Once the berries are frozen, they can be stored in zip lock freezer bags. When you’re ready to impress those holiday guests this winter, use your uncapped frozen strawberries as a garnish for your dinner salads or fruit cups.
Freezer jam is quick and easy to make. Here’s a common recipe for making a great strawberry freezer jam – this recipe will make about 5 or 6 half pint jars.
2 cups crushed berries (at room temperature)
4 cups sugar
¾ cup water
1 box powdered fruit pectin
In a large bowl, add sugar to the fruit and stir well – let the mixture stand for ten minutes. Now, in a saucepan, boil ¾ cup water and the fruit pectin for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the hot pectin and water to the fruit and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Your mixture is now ready to be placed in your containers. Let stand the jam stand for 24 hours at room temperature and then store it in the freezer.
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