Freezing Local Berries: A Summary

Berries frozen: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries

Inspired by: Experiments in Efficiency, 100-Mile Diet, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Lessons learned to date:

• Berries should be stored in the fridge as soon as possible. We lost our first batch by leaving them on the counter. Thankfully it consisted only of a few small containers.


• Raspberries go mushy reeeaaally fast even when in the fridge. I had to throw out a good portion of the second batch.


• Fruit flies multiply very, very quickly. Get rid of stems and berries that didn't make the cut right away. Get them outside. Pronto.


• To remove raspberry juice from khaki Calvin Klein shorts, blot the area with a soaked cloth to dilute the stain, do not rub. Mix one part vinegar with three parts water; blot the stain again with the vinegar-water solution and wash right away in cold water. Wear an apron the next time you deal with raspberries - or any berry for that matter.


• Buy the berries only when you know you'll have time to process them. It doesn't take long for them to go bad, and then you just feel bad for having to throw so many away (not to mention the money spent on them!).

Berry-related visions, dreams and hopes: use to flavour plain yogurt throughout the winter; savour with ice cream, sautéed apples and pancakes come January; avoid freezer-burn