Sugar Pack Frozen Strawberries

Freezing expert and author Justine Pattison shows us how to freeze strawberries in sugar: “This freezing method is perfect if you want to use your strawberries from frozen in super-quick sorbets and smoothies when you don’t need extra liquid. Also ideal for topping muesli and other cereals, stirring into fruit salad, scattering over cold desserts and for pie and crumble fillings. The sugar will turn into a light syrup coating the strawberries as they thaw.”

How to freeze:

1. Put your freezer setting onto Fast Freeze at least two hours before adding the strawberries, or clear some space in the rapid freezing section of your freezer. Freezing the strawberries quickly will help them retain as much of the flavour and texture as possible.
2. Wash your strawberries lightly by placing in a colander and rinsing under the cold tap for a few seconds.
3. Drain on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel and pat dry. Ensuring the strawberries are dry when frozen will prevent ice crystals forming on the outside of the berries and causing damage to the delicate cell structure.
4. Hull the strawberries by pinching out the green stalk end. (It’s important to do this after washing so the strawberries don’t fill with water.)
5. Place a layer of strawberries in a rigid freezer-proof container with a lid. A clean ice cream container is perfect.
6. Sprinkle with a heaped tablespoon of caster sugar – around 15g – for every layer of strawberries.
7. Top with another layer of strawberries and sprinkle with the same amount of sugar.
8. Continue the layers to the top of the container. Don’t tip or shake the container as the sugar will fall to the bottom.
9. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Label and freeze for up to 4 months. Fast freeze can be turned down once the strawberries are solid, this should take 2-3 hours.

How to defrost:

Remove the lid and take as many strawberries as you need from the container. They should separate easily when frozen as the sugar will help keep them apart.

Scatter over a plate and leave to thaw for about 30 minutes at room temperature or 1-2 hours in the fridge. Cover and return the rest of the strawberries to the freezer.

The strawberries will have a better texture if they are used while still just a little frozen in the centre.