Mulberries unfortunately have a short season which is a shame as you can do so much with these tasty fruits. What if we told you that you could enjoy your mulberry glut fresh during the entire year? All you have to do is freeze them which will preserve them until you want to use these lovely berries. Some creations allow for mulberries to be used straight from frozen such as smoothie and jam recipes.
This is great news if your garden is overrun with mulberries this year or you’ve had a successful foraging hunt.
Imagine being able to get these berries out and make a tasty pie whenever the fancy takes you! Mulberries have many health benefits as well as making a tasty snack. Keep reading to discover how to freeze mulberries ready for future use.
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Preparing Mulberry For The Freezer
To prepare your mulberries for the freezer you’ll first need to give them a good wash under the cold tap.
You can then leave them in a colander or sieve to drain well before freezing. It’s easier to remove the stems at this point too. When you harvest your mulberries they often come off with the stems attached. It makes sense to take these off before freezing to make it easier when you’d like to use them.
How Should Mulberry Be Frozen?
You will want to flash freeze single layers of mulberries to avoid them all freezing together in one big clump.
This means you’ll be able to use your mulberries straight out of your freezer, or remove the amount you need to defrost before using in your mulberry recipe.
- Wash and drain your selected mulberries.
- Remove the stems.
- Prepare a tray with some lined baking paper.
- Spread the mulberries evenly out on the paper.
- Freeze for a couple of hours or overnight until fully frozen.
- Take them out of the freezer and put them in bags or a container.
- Label with the date and use within 6 months before the taste starts to deteriorate.
- Repeat the process if you wish to freeze a large batch of mulberries.
How To Defrost Mulberries Before Use
If you plan to use your mulberries as part of a jam or smoothie recipe then you can skip the thawing process.
They’ll be fine prepared from frozen which makes things much easier. To thaw for other purposes, simply leave them in the fridge overnight in a bowl. If you’d like your mulberries quite firm, then 4 hours should be adequate.
You can use a bowl of cold water instead and leave the berries in this for a few hours.
You can also defrost berries in the microwave but this is better suited if you don’t need them to be firm. Defrosting berries in the microwave can make them squishier than they would be otherwise.