Blackberries are a plentiful crop in the summer. They are not one I (Marie) have historically appreciated fully. The area I grew up had them everywhere. They were small berries with large thorns and plenty of spiders residing on them. Keeping those monstrous bushes under control was a large portion of yard work in Western Washington. My husband was gradually able to warm me up to the idea of purposefully planting them on my property. He seduced me with thornless canes and bushes that promised ginormous berries.
Now my love of blackberries rivals that of my love of raspberries. Which is saying something. My biggest problem with blackberries now is that I can never get enough to can in any great quantity due to my little healthy eaters at home. I have found if I freeze blackberries a few at a time I eventually have enough to preserve. Freezing blackberries is so easy and maintains their fresh flavor.
Picking Blackberries
Frozen blackberries have a variety of uses including canning, baking, smoothies, and even eating plain. Just look at Emmaline not placing the blackberries into the bowl. I have proof EVERYONE eats my berries.
It is super simple to freeze blackberries so you can have them long-term. Let’s get started and I’ll show you how.
supplies
How to Freeze blackberries
The first step in freezing blackberries is to individually freeze them. Freezing blackberries separately on a tray is my preferred method because it allows the blackberries to be removed from the freezer individually instead of in one large frozen chunk.
place on tray
Freezing blackberries is done by placing the blackberries on a baking sheet and placing them into the freezer to freeze for 2 to 4 hours. You can check the blackberries by eating one. If it is soft then keep freezing. If it is frozen all the way through then it is time to store them.
Label bag
Label the storage bag with the date and contents before you add the fruit. Since it is still flat at this point it makes it easier to write on. Trust me, once it is full it is difficult to legibly label it.
fill bag
After the blackberries are frozen, place them in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
lay flat for storage
Lay the bag as flat in the freezer so it will stack better.
Blackberries with ice
That is all there is to it.
