Are you wondering how to freeze strawberries so that you can enjoy them all year long? Never fear - it's a snap, and frozen berries are just about as versatile and full of taste as fresh berries. Want to learn more? Keep reading to learn tips and suggestions for how to freeze strawberries.

In the warm months, when strawberries are abundant and cheaper than usual, it makes sense to stock up on several cases at once. Fresh fruit doesn't stay fresh for long, though, so how can you manage to keep those berries past their prime? The simple answer is to freeze them. Freezing strawberries is easy and will let you get the best out of your berries at any time of the year. You can freeze fresh strawberries as they are - or you can add a sugary coating to add sweetness.

Strawberries are extremely healthy, and come in over 600 varieties to enjoy. Strawberries are full of vitamins, nutrients, and phytonutrients that can help to promote optimal health. There is scientific evidence that the regular consumption of fruit can help prevent macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness), protect against rheumatoid arthritis and help you maintain a healthy weight.http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32

• When choosing strawberries to freeze, pass up the berries with bruises and the berries that are soft, mushy or overripe. Those berries won't freeze as well as strawberries that are bright, firm and just ripe.The Garden Path: Picking and Freezing Strawberries

• If you want to eat some berries fresh and freeze others, simply pick out any berries that are overripe or becoming soft and set those berries aside to eat later. Freeze the remainder.

• Here are simple step-by-step directions to guide you through the process of freezing fresh, whole strawberries in a healthy way—without sugar or additives.Helium: How to Freeze Strawberries

1. First, get your supplies together. You'll need fresh strawberries, a colander for rinsing, a cookie sheet, a sheet of wax paper to cover the cookie sheet and zip-top bags to store the frozen strawberries.eHow: Freezing Strawberries and Other Berries
2. Using the colander, rinse the strawberries thoroughly and pat them dry.How to Do Things: How to Freeze Strawberries
3. Cut or twist off the strawberry stems and remove any leaves or other non-berry items.Pick Your Own: How to Freeze Strawberries to Use Later
4. Coat a cookie sheet with one layer of wax paper, then spread out the strawberries on the cookie sheet and refrigerate them for about an hour.How to Do Things: How to Freeze Strawberries
5. After the strawberries are chilled through, place the cookie sheet with the uncovered berries on it in the freezer overnight or until the berries are completely frozen through.Pick Your Own: How to Freeze Strawberries to Use Later wikiHow: How to Freeze Strawberries
6. When the strawberries are frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and transfer them to a zip-top bag. Seal the bag tightly and keep the berries in the freezer. They can be stored that way for up to six months.eHow: Freezing Strawberries and Other Berries

• Though freezing fresh and whole strawberries is healthiest, it's also possible to freeze strawberries with a dry sugar coating, with syrup or in a puree.

• Dry cane sugar can turn into a liquid coating for frozen strawberries. To freeze strawberries with sugar:

1. Wash the berries thoroughly, removing any stems and leaves.
2. Slice the strawberries in halves or smaller slices.
3. Sprinkle the berries with a generous coating of sugar and stir until the sugar sticks to the fruit.
4. Freeze the berries in a sealed container.Helium: How to Freeze Strawberries

For this method, you can use almost any type of sugar, including raw organic sugar. Experiment with different types of natural sweeteners to create tasty treats for the whole family.

• Strawberries may retain a sweeter taste if you freeze them in a homemade syrup.

1. To make enough syrup for a few pints of berries, combine 1 1/4 cups water with 1 cup sugar.How to Do Things: How to Freeze Strawberries
2. Mix the water and the sugar together until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Put the sliced or whole strawberries in an airtight container and pour the syrup over the berries before freezing.

1. Use a blender, food processor or pastry cutter to mash, crush or puree the strawberries thoroughly.wikiHow: How to Freeze Strawberries

2. Store the crushed strawberries with or without sugar or syrup in an airtight container in the freezer.

1. Add a frozen strawberry to a cold drink, such as champagne or punch.How to Do Things: How to Freeze Strawberries

2. After thawing, you can use frozen strawberries in jams, jellies, desserts or sauces.

3. Frozen strawberries are excellent in fruit smoothies.wikiHow: How to Freeze Strawberries

4. Whole, unsweetened frozen strawberries make a delicious and refreshing snack in the summertime.

1. Make sure the whole berries are entirely frozen before removing them from the cookie sheet and transferring them to the zip-top bag.eHow: Freezing Strawberries and Other Berries That will keep each berry distinct and separate.

2. Label zip-top bags with their contents and date so you stay aware of what's in the freezer and when you put it there.Pick Your Own: How to Freeze Strawberries to Use Later

3. Dry off the strawberries as well as possible before freezing them to preserve their taste.wikiHow: How to Freeze Strawberries

4. Strawberries will likely darken when frozen. If keeping their bright red color is important to you, try adding ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to the berries before you freeze them.http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/strawberries.html

5. To prevent freezer burn, get as much air as you can out of the zip-top bags you use to store the strawberries before you seal them.

6. You can use this same method of freezing for raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches and many other types of fruit.

7. Remember to always wash your strawberries thoroughly. Buy your strawberries from an organic, local farm for added food safety.