How do you store raspberries?

[zoewmu]

My favorite way to eat them is fresh, but they don't stay fresh long. If I freeze them, they'll just be mushy, right?

[sugarsack]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

i am not on the berry rung as of yet.. however. in the past i have bought them frozen and eaten them as a frozen treat (beats ice cream any day) you may try that.. if you freeze them fresh, eat them frozen, they wont be mushy.. hope this helps a bit

[Lisa]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

Oh, there's these great green bags you might be able to find at your local grocery store (I think Super Walmart had them) that are made specifically for veggies, but maybe you can try them for berries....they allow the veggies/fruit to breath and stay ripe. I'm not sure of the cost of them, I was given a box as a gift (and love them!), but they are so worth it. My veggies stay a week long in the crisper and I don't have wilted or mushed veggies. It would be helpful if I knew the name of them, but I don't because I don't have the box anymore...I put them in a container in my pantry (OCD organizer). Any ways, I hope that helps.

[not2late]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

To freeze any berry or any veggie, wash and dry them. Then place them in a single layer in a tray, like a rimmed cookie sheet. Put into freezer and freeze until frozen. Then remove from the tray and put into a freezer bag or container.

I don't defrost my frozen berries---just open the bag and eat them.

To store them in the refrigerator, take them out of the container and put them on a paper towel lined container. You have to have them in a single layer to prevent them from getting crushed.

[Lisa]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

Megs is the queen of the kitchen, I tell ya!

[susan423]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

I have a foodsaver. Works great for any fruit or veggie.

[gbidruglord]

Re: How do you store raspberries?

This might sound crazy, but I saw it on Good Eats (I love that show). Basically get some dry ice (Publix sells it down here in the south) and store it in a large styrofoam container.

Alton used strawberries but I can't see why it wouldn't work with raspberries

Wash strawberries and place in a paper towel-lined colander. Cover with another paper towel and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Break your dry ice into small pieces, and toss with berries in a large bowl. Place into a container and cover with a towel. Place this in a cooler for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove berries and put into sealable bags and store in the freezer.
Recipes : Frozen Strawberries : Food Network

The logic behind this is the same the deep freezing practices that the professionals use. When you freeze food in your home freezer, it takes a long time for the water inside the food to turn to ice. The longer it takes, the bigger the ice crystals will be. Bigger ice crystals will tear through cell walls and when you defrost your food, you get mushy gooshy fruit.

To quote the episode: "Come the Ides of March, really, really great strawberries become very affordable. So I always earmark a few pints for suspended animation that they may comfort me in the winter of my discontent. Suspended animation, of course, means freezing. And that's a bit of a challenge because home freezers don't really get that cold. I mean, sure, they freeze, but when they do the water in things like berries freezes very slowly and that creates big, long, jagged ice crystals which can break through cell walls. Which is not a bad thing when you're frozen but when thawing comes, this is what happens. [holds a freezer bag of syrupy strawberries] Not that this is bad. This kind of strawberry will work fine if you're making a sauce or a syrup. But if you have a brighter flavor and firmer feel in mind, you need to freeze the berries very, very quickly so that the ice crystals stay small. Smaller crystals, less damage. Makes sense."

If you do use dry ice use heavy duty insulated kitchen gloves. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide which turns from a solid to a gas (sublimates) at about 109 degrees ... below zero ... Fahrenheit. It will burn you if you don't have the propper protection.

That's my two cents