Summer berries – including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries – come just once a year, but freezing these fresh fruits is a great way to preserve the berries for any season. Here’s how to freeze any kind of fresh berries:

1. Rinse berries carefully in a colander. Place them on paper towels and drain well.
2. Place them in a single layer on a jellyroll pan, and put the pan in the freezer.
3. When hardened, they can be placed in freezer bags or plastic containers. Frozen berries will last for about three months.

Thawed berries can still be very nice in sauces, smoothies and in baking. They do tend to weep. Maybe that’s because they miss the sweetness of summer.

See also: Berry Recipes