When is Strawberry Season

Although there are strawberries in the grocery stores all year round, there is nothing better than locally grown FRESH strawberries. In Oklahoma, we have two types of strawberries. June-bearing and everbearing. June-bearing varieties are the most successful in Oklahoma. They produce a single crop each year in early May to mid-June, depending upon the weather and location. June-bearers are divided into early-, mid-, and late-season varieties. Early-season varieties ripen in early May to mid-June. Mid-season varieties ripen in mid-May to mid-June. Late-season varieties ripen in late May to mid-June.

Everbearers produce berries mid-May to mid-June, a few during the summer, and again in the fall. Fruit size and quality may not be as good as it is in other varieties, and total yield is often lower than that of June-bearers. Tribute and Tristar are everbearing varieties known as day-neutral cultivars, which are not recommended for Oklahoma. Some varieties, such as Tennessee Beauty, are listed as June-bearers by some sources and everbearers by others.
Soaking strawberries in vinegar

The most effective way to clean pesticide residue off of strawberries is to submerge them in a vinegar bath. In a bowl, mix four parts water with one part white vinegar, then let the strawberries soak in the bowl for 20 minutes. Rinse the strawberries thoroughly with fresh cold water to clean off the vinegar.

Freezing Fresh Strawberries

Although freezing strawberries will help keep the peak flavor, freezing strawberries does have drawbacks because the texture isn’t quite the same. Finding recipes to use them in smoothies or sauces where they’re blended or smashed, so the texture isn’t an issue. You can also use frozen strawberries in the place of ice for drinks.

How to Freeze Fresh Strawberries

First, wash and dry the strawberries then use a small pairing knife to cut a small circle around the stem then pull it off.

Next, I recommend slicing your strawberries. You can technically use whole frozen strawberries in something like smoothies or as an ice substitute, but slicing them first will make them easier to use in other scenarios. You can slice them in half, quarter them, or thickly slice them.

Once the berries are sliced, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer with none of the berries touching. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the berries are fully hardened, about 3 hours. Once the strawberries are hardened, place them in a freezer bag and place them back into the freezer before they soften.

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Storing strawberries in a glass jar

You can store strawberries in a glass jar in the fridge to preserve freshness. You can also store a glass jar strawberries in the freezer. Make sure you fill only 3/4 of the way, so as the food expands it doesn’t bust.

Recipes Using Frozen Strawberries

As I mentioned, frozen strawberries has a slightly different texture when thawed, so your recipes should account for this. Here are a few of my favorite recipes using frozen strawberries.

Frozen Strawberries in Syrup

A batch of frozen strawberries in syrup is a wonderful thing to have in your freezer stash. You can enjoy them all year long on desserts, pancakes, waffles, and so much more.

Frozen Strawberry Crisp

Strawberries are the flavor of summer, but this frozen strawberry crisp can be enjoyed year round!

Simple Strawberry Smoothie with Milk

This simple strawberry smoothie with dairy uses frozen fruit to thicken the smoothie, versus ice which usually waters it down.

Of course, frozen strawberries are pretty big, so you’ll need a decent blender if you want to get these nice and smooth.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Fruit is a great way to lighten up recipes, especially in the heat of the summer. This five ingredient salad strawberry vinaigrette will boost those sweet and tangy flavors perfectly.

Strawberry Popsicles

Strawberry popsicles are the perfect treat for a hot summer day! The fresh strawberries come together to make a sweet and delicious frozen treat.

Strawberry Mousse

This 3-ingredient strawberry mousse is perfect, if you’re looking for a quick dessert.

Favorite frozen strawberry recipe

Leave a comment below with your favorite frozen strawberry recipe!

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