Can You Freeze Raspberries?

3 minutes

Raspberries have a distinct tart flavour and are an excellent addition to smoothies, juices, and a range of desserts. Unfortunately, raspberries don’t last particularly long in the fridge, and if you don’t use them within a few days, they will go bad. So, can you put them in the freezer?

How to Freeze Raspberries

Fortunately, there’s nothing overly difficult about freezing raspberries. The biggest challenge you face is that they might stick together, but the following steps will ensure your raspberries will freeze perfectly: 

1. Remove Spoiled Raspberries
   Raspberries are delicate and can be easily damaged. Before you freeze a batch, be sure to pick out any berries that are damaged, squashed, or even mouldy. 
2. Wash Carefully
   Add your raspberries to a colander or sieve and gently rinse them under a constant flow of cold water. Make sure the water pressure isn’t too high, as you can easily damage the berries. 
3. Leave to Dry
   Place your raspberries on a paper towel and leave them to air dry. While you can dab them to speed up the process, be careful not to press too hard as they will spoil. 
4. Transfer to a Baking Sheet
   Once dry, transfer your raspberries to a baking sheet and place them on a tray. Space each of them out, so they’re not touching each other and place the tray in the freezer for around four hours. 
5. Place in a Freezer-Safe Bag
   Once your raspberries are frozen solid, you can then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Freezing them initially ensures they won’t stick together during the freezing process. 
6. Label, Seal and Freeze
   Make a note of the date you bought or picked your raspberries on the front of the bag, as well as the use-by date, before sealing and placing the bag in the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Raspberries?

You can freeze raspberries for around 12 months. 

One of the best things about frozen raspberries and other summer fruits is that they can be used directly from frozen for smoothies, soft drinks, and certain desserts. 

How Do You Defrost Raspberries?

While you don’t necessarily need to defrost raspberries (depending on how you plan to use them), there’s nothing too complicated about the thawing process.

Simply remove your bag of raspberries from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight. By the following day, they will be nice and soft and ready to use in any recipe.

As mentioned, defrosted raspberries will be slightly softer than their fresh counterparts, so bear this in mind if the texture is important. 

Can You Refreeze Raspberries?

We wouldn’t recommend refreezing raspberries after they’ve thawed. This is mainly due to the moisture content of the berries, and they will soften and spoil if they’re frozen again.

If you’re concerned about wasting raspberries, split them into smaller portion sizes before you place them in the freezer, so you can remove the exact number of berries you need for any given recipe. 

Do Raspberries Freeze Well?

Generally speaking, raspberries freeze well. But they will soften in the freezer and won’t be as firm as they are when they’re fresh.

Still, frozen raspberries are an excellent addition to smoothies, juices, and various desserts and can even be enjoyed as they are! Providing they’re washed and sealed in a freezer-safe bag; you should find that your raspberries will freeze well.