How long for frozen fruit to thaw

Want to know how to thaw frozen berries quickly?

Today, I am going to highlight the three best methods that can be used to defrost frozen berries along with step-by-step instructions.

So now that you know what to expect, let’s get right into it.

4 Things to Know Before Thawing Frozen Berries

Before we get into the different methods that can be used for thawing frozen berries, there are 4 important things that you should know.

• Texture will change: Once berries are thawed, expect them to be very soft and mushy. When the berries are frozen, the water contained in the fruit turn into ice crystals, which will puncture the fruit’s cell walls. With the berries cell wall integrity destroyed, once thawed, you will find that that the fruit loses some of its structure and as a result, will be soft and mushy.
  
• Use Quickly. Thawed berries will generally last only a few days in the refrigerator (2-3 days), before the quality starts to degrade and it begins to spoil.
  
• Store Carefully: Thawed berries will be soft and prevent them been crushed and bruised, it is best to store them in the refrigerator in a shallow container or a baking tray, where they are not bunched together.
  
• Don’t Thaw for Hot Foods: If you are going to be using your frozen berries in hot dishes or recipes, there is no need to thaw them, as the heat from the dish will quickly defrost them.

Related: How to thaw frozen strawberries

3 Best Methods to Thaw Frozen Berries Quickly & Properly

There are 3 methods that are effective at defrosting frozen berries.

The method you use, is dependent on how quickly you need them defrosted.

They are:

• Cold Water
• Microwave
• Overnight in the Refrigerator

We will spend a couple of minutes taking an in-depth look at each thawing method below.

1. Cold Water

The cold water defrosting method should take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour, but this is dependent on the amount of frozen berries that you will thawing.

Directions:

1. Place the frozen berries in a leak-proof plastic bag or keep them in their original plastic packaging. This will help to stop the water from damaging the fruit.
2. Fill a large bowl or kitchen sink with cold water.
3. Submerge the bag with the frozen berries.
4. Change the water every 10-15 minutes (dependent on how many berries you are thawing).
5. It should take 30 minutes to an hour for the berries to thaw.

2. Microwave

The microwave is a quick and effective way to defrost frozen berries. If you are in a rush and want your fruit thawed and ready to be used in under five minutes, then this is the option to use.

Directions:

1. Remove the frozen berries from the freezer and place in a sealable plastic bag (if it’s not in plastic packaging.)
2. Place on a microwave-safe plate or container that is lined with paper towels.
3. Use the defrost or low is power setting and microwave fruit for 30 seconds.
4. Check to see if the berries have thawed, if not microwave them in ten second intervals until they have defrosted.

If you want a visual as to how it’s done, check out the video below.

3. Overnight in the Refrigerator.

If you are someone who meal plans ahead of time, then defrosting berries overnight in the refrigerator is a slow and steady method to consider, especially if you do not plan on using the berries immediately.

It will take a couple of hours (overnight) for the fruit to thaw, but they will be ready for use the next morning.

Directions:

1. Remove the frozen berries from the freezer and place in a bowl 6-8 hours before you plan on using them.
2. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and let them sit and thaw overnight.
3. The next morning, the berries should be fully defrosted and ready for use

Related: How to thaw frozen blueberries

Wrapping it up

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Which of the thawing methods from today’s post are you going to use when defrosting frozen berries?

I am also curious how you plan on using the frozen fruit.

Let me know by leaving a comment below.

First things first: frozen berries do not need to be thawed when used in baked goods. If you're making muffins, a cobbler, or a pie, just toss the frozen berries into the batter or bowl the same way you would with fresh berries and continue with your recipe.

If, however, you want to try and thaw berries so that they can be used in dishes as fresh berries would be—as garnishes or in salads, for example—you can thaw them using this method to best retain their shape and appearance. It won't be quite the same as using fresh berries, but it will certainly come close.

1. Place the berries (about 1 cup maximum at a time) in a single layer with plenty of space between the berries on a paper towel-lined, microwave-safe plate.
2. Put them in a microwave on the defrost setting for 30 seconds. Check the berries and repeat until the berries are defrosted (about 30 seconds for raspberries and blueberries, 1 minute for blackberries, and up to 2 minutes for strawberries).
3. Immediately remove berries from the microwave to stop any cooking. The berries should look lightly frosted and should retain their distinctive shape.
4. Carefully lift the berries off the paper towel and use as desired.

It's important to note that thawed frozen berries will be more delicate than actual fresh berries, so they will start to fall apart quite quickly if tossed in a fruit salad, for example. Treat them accordingly if you want them to keep their shape.

Again, the times when you need to defrost berries before using them are limited. Any time berries are being baked or cooked, including being turned into a sauce or jam, they don't need to be defrosted first. The baking or cooking process will take care of that for you.

There are even cases where frozen berries are preferable: most particularly, when making smoothies, where using frozen berries will thicken it up into a delicious shake (Frozen fruit is the secret thickening ingredient for those who prefer to make smoothies without bananas).

When quickly frozen in prime condition, frozen berries behave just as deliciously in recipes as fresh berries. Extensive side-by-side testing of baked goods and smoothies supports this claim. So when the market is full of perfectly ripe, lush berries, be sure to buy some extra and freeze them—you'll thank yourself in the off-season.