Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (2024)

  • How-To, Ingredient Guides
Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (1)

There are few things more disappointing than taking a pack of fresh raspberries out of the fridge, only to find them covered in fuzzy mold. Berries are delicious, but they’re also delicate, and they spoil quickly. Some sources say that they won’t keep more than two to three days in the fridge. Combine that with the fact that they’re expensive, and it can make a pack of fresh berries feel like a truly risky purchase.

All of this is only exasperated by the fact that we’re making limited trips to the grocery store these days. When we do shop, we’re focused on pantry staples and hearty vegetables that will keep for weeks (shoutout to cabbage). All of this sensible shopping and meal planning has left us craving tart and light flavors. Luckily, there’s an obvious solution: baking with frozen berries.

While frozen fruit can’t completely replace fresh fruit, swapping in frozen berries will work perfectly well for most of your baking projects. Here are a few tips for using frozen berries in your pies, cakes, and breads.

Baking with Frozen Berries vs. Fresh

There are some baked goods where frozen fruit just won’t cut it. If you’re hoping to make a fruit tart topped with fresh berries as a decorative touch, frozen fruit isn’t going to work. As a rule of thumb, use fresh berries instead of frozen if the fruit will remain uncooked. That’s not to say that thawed frozen berries won’t have a good flavor, but the freezing process will drastically change the texture of the fruit.

Structurally speaking, berries are mostly water, and water expands as it freezes. When you freeze a berry, the expanding ice will break down some of the cell structure. Because of this, thawed or baked frozen berries will look collapsed, and less like individual perky berries than their fresh counterparts.

It’s Not a Beauty Pageant

In addition to the slightly deflated appearance, frozen berries are going to release more juice than fresh berries. Some berries may have even burst open during the freezing process. That means that color is more likely to bleed out around the berry while it’s in the oven. This matters if you’re incorporating the frozen berries into a light-colored batter, like you would for blueberry pancakes or muffins. If you’d like to keep your entire muffin from turning purple, the best thing to do is rinse your frozen berries before you mix them into your batter. If your berries are destined for an all-fruit filling, like a raspberry pie, then go ahead and skip this part.

Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (2)

This step is a personal choice. If you don’t mind a slightly darker finished product, then don’t bother. If you crave the contrast of a bright cake with a dark spot of berry, just rinse and pat dry before incorporating.

Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (3)
Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (4)

Extra Juicy

If you’re creating an all-fruit filling, you may not need to worry about color bleeding out, but all of those extra juices being released mean that your filling could end up on the runny side. To avoid a watery finished product, increase the thickener that your recipe calls for (such as corn starch or flour), by about 25%.

Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (5)

To Thaw or Not to Thaw?

Generally speaking, you should thaw frozen berries if the recipe you’re making has a short cooking time. For something quick, like a pancake, a frozen berry won’t have time to thaw properly in the pan. The cold berry will also keep the batter around it from cooking properly. You don’t want to end up with raw batter bits surrounding all the berries in your short stack. For something with a longer cooking time, like a pie or a cake, you can get away with partially frozen berries.

Even though they don’t capture 100% of the magic of fresh berries, frozen fruit is a great option for bringing the flavors of summer into your cooking routine when access to fresh produce is limited.

Looking for an easy baking project? Try this simple shortbread.

Related Posts

Strawberry-Lemonade co*cktail with Flower Ice Cubes

The Best Chef’s Knife to Hone Your Cutting Skills

Latest Posts

How to Create a Gut-Healthy Meal Plan

The Sporkful Pasta Pizza

How To Meal Prep: A Guide For Beginners

Leap Birthday Giveaway Official Rules

Blue Apron’s Animal Welfare Policy

Our Favorite Recipes With Frozen Berries | Blue Apron (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with too many frozen berries? ›

Frozen berries make a great addition to smoothies and defrost really well. Just lay them on a sheet pan in the freezer until mostly frozen then transfer to a freezer bag. If you're freezing cherries, don't forget to pit them first! Make some jam!

Should frozen berries be thawed before baking? ›

If cooking your berries into a pie filling, you may need to add additional thickening agents because frozen berries tend to release more liquid than fresh and will lead to a runnier consistency. For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour.

What are frozen mixed berries good for? ›

1. Frozen Berries. Berries are rich in health-supporting, anti-inflammatory antioxidants and fiber, though they're not in season year-round, Sass says. "Buying frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries allows you to eat high-quality berries 52 weeks per year," she adds.

How do you make frozen berries taste good? ›

In a jar or any container with a lid that seals, shake the berries, salt and spices together. Dollop the yogurt on the berries, and top with nuts, seeds, or cereal. Let the container sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then enjoy!

Why can't you eat frozen berries? ›

Food handlers, machines, and equipment can contaminate berries after they are harvested. The bugs can be spread during freezing, mixing, or packaging. This can make the berries unsafe to eat.

Do frozen berries ever go bad? ›

Frozen fruit will last up to 18 months

The US Department of Health recommends consuming frozen fruits like berries and melons within 10 to 18 months of purchase. Meanwhile, fruits like bananas should be consumed within 2-3 months, apples within 8 months, and kiwi shouldn't even be frozen.

What is the secret to baking with frozen blueberries? ›

Prevent your batter and baked goods from turning a purple-blue hue by rinsing frozen blueberries several times in cold water until the water becomes lighter in color. Then pat them dry on a paper towel and fold into your batter gently.

Do frozen berries get mushy when thawed? ›

In general, frozen strawberries tend to be softer and slightly mushier than fresh strawberries once they're thawed, but to get the best texture possible, avoid using overripe strawberries, dry your strawberries thoroughly after washing them to prevent too much moisture, and be sure to freeze your berries in a single ...

Can you put frozen berries in cake batter? ›

Frozen fruit should work fine in anything baked or cooked. Keep in mind that some recipes may require additional thickener to balance the extra juice. Rinse frozen fruit to prevent colors from bleeding. Thaw frozen fruit first if what you're making has a short baking or cooking time.

Which berry is the healthiest? ›

Which Berry is Most Nutritious? They're all healthy choices, but the “best” distinction may well go to black raspberries, says dietitian Kathleen Johnson. A raspberry cousin with a deeper color, they provide very high antioxidant levels along with fiber and relatively little natural sugar.

Are frozen berries high in sugar? ›

According to the USDA, 1 cup of frozen blueberries contains 13 grams of natural sugar and 4 grams of fiber. You may have noticed that they are higher in sugar than strawberries and raspberries. However, it is important to remember that the fiber in whole fruit helps to slow the absorption of sugar.

Can you eat frozen berries straight from the freezer? ›

Yes, it is safe to eat frozen raspberries, and using them straight from frozen works particularly well in smoothies and porridge. In order to enjoy the best flavour from your raspberries, we would advise you to eat them at room temperature.

Which berries taste best frozen? ›

Frozen raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries are a treat—mixed with yogurt or oatmeal, or swirled into cream-based desserts. For a special, adults-only confection, mix frozen berries with some Angostura bitters and serve with whipped cream or mascarpone.

How do you make berries taste better? ›

And when we're facing down a clamshell of less-than, trucked-from-far-away fruit, or even farmers' market berries that aren't bursting with flavor, we have a simple trick that will make them taste almost as good. All you've got to do to rescue mediocre berries from their own mediocrity? Add a little sugar and salt!

Should you wash frozen berries before eating? ›

Eating Unwashed Frozen Produce Is Generally Safe

coli. The USDA states that eating packaged fruits and vegetables labeled as "pre-washed" or "ready-to-eat" without additional washing is safe.

Can you refreeze frozen berries? ›

Myth 3: It's defrosted, so you can't freeze it again

False: As long as the fruit and vegetables that you've thawed out haven't been left out on the bench for more than a couple of hours, there's no problem with refreezing it.

What happens if you eat too many frozen blueberries? ›

While blueberries are generally considered to be a healthy food, they can sometimes cause digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. If you eat too many blueberries, you may experience stomach pain or cramping. To avoid these issues, eat blueberries in moderation and make sure to drink plenty of water.

Will frozen berries thaw in fridge? ›

If time allows you can defrost the berries in the fridge. Slow defrosting does maintain a better flavour and texture. Place the berries in a bowl and wrap with plastic or put them in an airtight container. Thaw them for 4-6 hours if you are using them as a garnish, otherwise you can let them thaw overnight.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Maia Crooks Jr

Last Updated:

Views: 6286

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Maia Crooks Jr

Birthday: 1997-09-21

Address: 93119 Joseph Street, Peggyfurt, NC 11582

Phone: +2983088926881

Job: Principal Design Liaison

Hobby: Web surfing, Skiing, role-playing games, Sketching, Polo, Sewing, Genealogy

Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.