“Get thee to the food and beverage merchant forthwith, and stocketh upeth on all berries red and ripe and good.”

-Shakespeare, probably

It’s very important that we all recognize the momentousness of this occasion; it’s critically important…it’s Shakespeare important. That’s right, it’s peak berry season, folks! That glorious time of year when Well•Pict Berries strawberries are at their peak volume, peak ripeness, peak deliciousness, peak everything-ness. We know it can be tempting to buy only one of our 100% recyclable clamshells at a time. After all, nobody wants decrepit, mooshy berries cluttering up the fridge. But, even if one package is enough to last you the week, this is the time to buy a few extra clamshells and freeze those ruby jewels for later. Don’t limit yourself out of fear of the dreaded berry goo (although, overripe strawberries mixed into freshly made oatmeal are absolutely delicious, just sayin’); with a few easy steps, you can have your overabundance of spring berries and eat them too. Be sure to bookmark this blog post so you can have a quick guide to freezing and thawing strawberries at the ready.

1. After rinsing under a cool spray of water, gently blot the berries dry and slice the cap off at the top.
2. Place the capped berries cut-side down on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, and place uncovered in the freezer for a minimum of six hours.
3. Transfer your frozen berries to a freezer bag or freeze-proof container.

Frozen berries can be stored this way for several months.

The best way to thaw berries depends on how you want to use them. Using them to top yogurt or cereal or as a snack? Let them thaw to just before fully defrosted. Leaving them a touch frozen ensures they keep their shape. Using them for recipes? Go ahead and thaw all the way, since retaining the shape won’t matter.

If you’re too impatient to wait a thawing amount of time to get all that Well•Pict goodness directly into your mouth (we can relate), consider the various yummo ways to use frozen berries: smoothies, sorbets, cocktails, etc. Our favorite? Well•Pict’s very own non-dairy shake (the recipe calls for fresh berries—but you can head straight to smoothie territory if you start with frozen). Want more? Check out this great list of 23 frozen-strawberry recipes from Num’s the Word.

And don’t forget to bookmark our Berry Care page. You can check it out anytime you have a “berry” important question!