Knowing the water content of strawberries and knowing my freezer likes to “dry out” high water fruits and vegetables if they're not cooked or preserved in some way, like zucchini or strawberries, my mind went back to a cartoon I saw as a child about making ice cubes out of, I think, orange juice. The juice of mashed strawberries is consistency of water. Having nothing to lose, I decided to try freezing mashed strawberries with the intent of thawing them out in the winter as topping for pancakes, waffles or biscuits. What I learned in the following weeks is this made a great substitute for Italian Ice.
Frozen Mashed Strawberries
3 cups (about 3 pints) of Strawberries
Rinse strawberries and remove their caps. Depending upon size of strawberries and freshness, slice and remove any “over ripe soft spots” (you'll know these when you see them).
Put strawberries in a 3 quart pot. Crush with a potato masher or your hands.
Slowly spoon mashed strawberry mixture into ice cube molds. Do not over fill.
Place trays flat in freezer for 18 hours or until cubes in center of tray are frozen solid. Remove trays from freezer and place upside down on plate for 2 – 5 minute to begin thawing process. Gently remove frozen mashed strawberry mixture and serve or place in freezer-safe ziploc bag and return to freezer for future use.
Frozen mashed strawberries,
ice cube size
