How to store raspberries: tips on freezing & more

Freezing and preserving raspberries are two great ways to enjoy raspberries from your own garden even in autumn or winter. Learn more about how to store raspberries.

If you lovingly tended to your raspberries (Rubus idaeus) all year round and are rewarded with a bountiful harvest, you will have plenty of fruits to enjoy for the months to come. Read on for tried-and-true ways of preserving your raspberries for the rest of the year along with instructions for each method.

Storing fresh raspberries

Fresh raspberries have a very short shelf life. The delicate berries can easily withstand one or two days in the refrigerator. But after just a few days in the fridge, they will become mushy and start to mould. The best way to keep raspberries fresh in the fridge is to place them next to each other in a single layer, for example on a plate, in a shallow bowl or in a strainer. If you put them in a container, make sure the container is not airtight. To prevent mould, ensure the raspberries are thoroughly dry. In fact, when they come from your own garden, it is better to not wash raspberries for this reason.

If the fruits are moist, pat them dry with a paper towel before placing them in the refrigerator. Alternatively, line the bottom of the container with paper towels to absorb any moisture. Remove any pest-infested, mouldy or rotten raspberries to prevent the spread of raspberry diseases to the remaining healthy fruits. Raspberries picked when fully ripe can be eaten straight away — they also have the best aroma.

Freezing raspberries

Freezing raspberries is an excellent method for extending them beyond their season. However, before you freeze them, wash and pre-sort your raspberries first. Remove any raspberries that show signs of damage or mould. After washing and sorting, thoroughly drain and dab the raspberries with a kitchen towel to prevent ice crystals from forming during freezing. Once frozen, the raspberries will keep for at least 6 months.

How to freeze raspberries

There are two ways to freeze raspberries. Which method you go with depends on what you want to use them for when they are defrosted.

If you are not bothered by the raspberries freezing together in small clusters, simply place them in an airtight freezer box and put them in the freezer. If you are using a freezer bag, press the excess air out of the bag before freezing to reduce the loss of vitamins and flavour. This method is easy and useful for when you plan on using the raspberries in sauces, purees, smoothies and shakes. We suggest freezing your raspberries in a freezer box rather than a bag — raspberries are sensitive to pressure and easily damaged when handled too much. Alternatively, puree your fresh raspberries and freeze them as a puree.

Now, not everyone has the patience to separate raspberries frozen to each other. If you plan on using them to decorate a cake or garnish a punch, Bacardi Razz or other cocktails, you will need to keep the fruits separate. In this case, your best bet is to place the berries in a single layer on a plate, in a bowl or on a baking tray and cover them with cling film and freeze them this way. To prevent the raspberries from getting freezer burn, cover the fruit with foil or a plastic lid.

After a few hours, take the plate out of the freezer and quickly put the frozen berries into a sealable freezer box. Let the air out of the container and quickly put the box back into the freezer. When you need some berries out of the freezer over the next few months, they will be easy to portion. If you need your raspberries to keep their shape after thawing, defrost them at a cool temperature, such as in the refrigerator, and in a sieve.

Freezing raspberries or raspberry puree is a gentle preservation method that retains more vitamins than canning. That said, nutrients can also be lost during subsequent processing, for example in the oven when baking a cake or when heating the raspberries to make a sauce. Defrosting frozen raspberries in the refrigerator and then using them raw for a smoothie, porridge or milkshake also retains the healthy vitamins.

How to process frozen raspberries

If you enjoy raspberry sauces or purees with yoghurt, curds, a mousse or a pudding, you can freeze processed raspberries instead of raw ones. Try your hand at making raspberry ice cream with whipped cream, egg yolks, vanilla sugar and slightly pureed raspberries. After freezing the mixture, stir it every few hours so that the egg yolk does not settle. Stir two or three times until you reach the desired consistency. Your raspberry ice cream will keep for several months. You can also make ice pops from pureed raspberries or yoghurt mixed with raspberries. Or portion frozen purees and sauces into ice cube moulds. Once frozen, move the cubes to a container or plastic bag — these cubes are easier to portion and ready to use for later.

Raspberry preserves

Like almost every sweet fruit, raspberries can be boiled down into a preserve. First things first, carefully wash and sort your raspberries. Next, sprinkle the raspberries with plenty of sugar — 500g per 1kg of raspberries — and leave them to soak for 1 to 2 hours. The next step is to start filling the preserving jars. For your preserving liquid, feel free to use simple syrup, or embellish with a little raspberry syrup. Be sure to only fill the jars two-thirds of the way with the liquid and fruit. There needs to be enough room for expansion during the preserving process.

Once all the fruit has been portioned and the jars filled, close the jars tightly and boil them down for an hour.

Tip: the fruit can also be made into juices, syrups and jams, not to mention delicious raspberry butter or a juicy raspberry curd. The latter two are more elaborate, but they are worth it!

Can you freeze or dehydrate raspberries?

Drying and dehydrating fruit is becoming increasingly popular. Unfortunately, neither drying nor dehydrating is suitable for raspberries. With a water content of around 80%, only the skin and seeds remain after the drying raspberries. As for freeze-dried raspberries, like those found in muesli or granola, they are produced by a technically complex process, which is arduous to imitate at home.

Although drying raspberries is somewhat impractical, there are many other ways to preserve the delicious fruits for enjoyment after the harvest season.

The dainty raspberry is a lovely garnish for various culinary delicacies. Learn about raspberry varieties to find out which pair best with different cuisines.