Tasted and Reviewed: The Finest Frozen Strawberries

Depending on where you live, it’s probably getting hot out there! It’s the perfect time to chill down with some nice, frozen strawberries. Not only are frozen strawberries great for smoothies, frozen yogurt, and fruit salads, but a half frozen strawberry makes a delicious crisp strawberry fruit snack on its own! It’s like all-natural Italian ice!

Surprisingly, there are a plethora of frozen strawberry selections to pick from. What should I do? Are all frozen strawberries the same? Not so much, as it turns out. We examined and assessed a dozen different frozen strawberry brands and kinds in order to determine the finest frozen strawberries in five key categories.

Stay with us, and the next time you need some refreshing, juicy, frozen berries, you’ll have no trouble navigating the frozen fruit aisle.

Ranking the Best Frozen Strawberries

In our quest to find the greatest frozen strawberries available, we searched out the following 12 top brands and kinds!

• Organic Whole Strawberries from 365 Whole Foods Market
• Whole Strawberries 365 Whole Foods Market
• Jumbo Campoverde Strawberries
• Quality Organic Strawberries from Cascadian Farm
• Whole Strawberries from Dole
• Strawberries from Earthbound Farm
• Unsweetened Whole Strawberries from Food Club
• Organic Whole Strawberries from Full Circle Market
• Organic Whole Strawberries from Good & Gather
• Whole Strawberries by Goya
• Grade A Fancy Strawberries from Trader Joe’s
• Organic Strawberries from Trader Joe’s

But First, Some Frozen Fruit Announcements

Before we get into the categories and their winners, let’s go over some of the fundamentals of our frozen strawberries.

Serving Size

The size of a serving size varied significantly across all of the frozen strawberries we examined. Several brands had a standard serving size of one cup, while others were 1.25 cups, and still others measured by the berry, giving serving amounts as little as seven pieces. The overall weight of a frozen strawberry serving size in any of these circumstances was between 140 and 155 grams.

Ingredients and Allergens

The sole component in all of the frozen strawberries tested was strawberries!

Several of the packets claimed to be unsweetened or gluten-free, but all of the frozen strawberries we tested were devoid of any additives, including added sugars, allergies, and gluten.

But, check the box carefully since there are other frozen strawberry products that may not include 100% strawberries like the ones listed above.

Frozen Strawberries Nutrition

Since the serving size of all the various frozen strawberries we tested is rather comparable in terms of weight, and each of the products contains solely berries, you can trust that certain aspects of frozen strawberries nutrition are consistent across the board! The carbohydrate content of frozen strawberries was similar, with each brand providing 12 to 13 grams of total carbohydrates per serving. In terms of frozen strawberries calories, this was again quite consistent across the board, with each kind falling between between 45 and 60 calories per serving.

How Long Do Frozen Strawberries Last?

Since most consumers prefer frozen strawberries over fresh strawberries because they have a considerably longer shelf life, it is critical to know how long this shelf life is. The majority of the goods we examined had expiry dates that were 1 to 2 years in the future! But, in our experience, the berries keep their optimum quality for approximately a year. Following this time, freezer burn is likely to have harmed the flavor and texture of your frozen strawberries.

How to Thaw Frozen Strawberries

Like with many frozen items, the easiest approach to thaw frozen strawberries is to store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours before using. This keeps the berries from becoming mushy, which we discovered was an unavoidable result of using the microwave defrost setting (as many packages recommended to do, we might add).

Another approach is to immerse the frozen berries (or a few frozen berries in a resealable plastic bag) in cold water. Fill the container with cold water as required until the berries are defrosted! In any case, we discovered that simply defrosting the strawberries in water wipes away part of the taste and color.

1. Best Looking Frozen Strawberries: Dole Whole Strawberries

It’s a sad fact that a frozen strawberry will never look as nice as a fresh one. But, we discovered that some looked better than others, and some even came startlingly near to the beauty of a fresh, fully ripe strawberry! Although there is significantly more to a frozen strawberry than its appearance, in this category, it’s allllllll about aesthetics!

About Dole Whole Strawberries 

Dole Whole Strawberries are, in a word, gorgeous. They are backed by possibly the most famous brand in the fruit business. Definitely the best-looking berries out of all the brands and types we tried, both frozen and defrosted. Every single fruit in this bag was wonderful! There were no berries that were blemished, damaged, or crushed. Apart from their excellent appearances, their flavor and texture were decent, and the resealable bag these frozen strawberries are wrapped in seemed heavy duty enough to keep those berries fresh even after opening. All of this perfection made us question what was going on at Dole, and after a quick tour of their website, we discovered even more beautiful things about these frozen berries! The firm is committed to sustainability and is working toward a number of goals, including net-zero emissions by 2030 and zero processed sugar by 2025, among others. These environmental measures make that package of frozen strawberries even more appealing!

Notwithstanding these long-term aspirations, we were slightly disappointed by this company’s current lack of sustainable options. Many of their fruits and vegetables, including our frozen strawberries, are not organic. Moreover, this bag of berries is labeled as a product of Turkey, and although many of the frozen strawberries we looked at were imported, many people prefer to support local farmers and manufacturers.

Pros:

• Hands down, the best-looking frozen strawberries! Each has almost perfect form and texture.
• Excellent flavor and taste!
• For best freshness, use a heavy duty resealable bag.
• Dole is one corporation that is looking forward, with a host of environmental initiatives clearly highlighted on their incredibly comprehensive website.

Cons:

• There is no organic equivalent to these frozen strawberries, nor to many of Dole’s other fruits and vegetables.
• These berries come all the way from Turkey, which isn’t exactly a good way to help your local agricultural industry!

2. Best Tasting Frozen Strawberries: Food Club Unsweetened Whole Strawberries

Appearance are nice, but if you ask your taste senses, flavor is where we should be concentrating! Fruit will always alter in flavor and texture after being frozen and defrosted, but some brands did significantly better than others. As naturally occurring water in fresh fruits and vegetables freezes into ice crystals, it expands and damages the rigid cell walls responsible for the fruit’s structure. Frozen berries seem to retain their form almost magically while frozen, but upon defrosting, they may take on a mushy texture, which greatly impacts the taste of the berries. As a result, it was critical to consider these elements while assessing the overall flavor experience of our frozen strawberries!

About Food Club Unsweetened Whole Strawberries 

Luckily, we discovered Food Club Unsweetened Whole Strawberries to be the most amazing, from taste to texture! The berries have a great sweet and tangy taste, with just a hint of astringency from biting into a fresh strawberry. Although no frozen berry can replace a fresh one, we believe they are quite close and held up well in terms of texture even after defrosting! These berries come in a convenient resealable bag, which proved to be a significant component in keeping the flavor of the strawberries throughout our testing, as we discovered that those berries in thinner, non-resealable bags already had a freezer burnt flavour. Just one serving of these frozen strawberries has 60 milligrams of vitamin C, which is around 70% of your daily need!

One concern about these frozen berries is the labeling. Although the unsweetened tag is correct, we believe it adds to the confusion when shopping for frozen fruits. This may lead you to believe that Food Club Unsweetened Whole Strawberries are a better option than others. Wrong! Not only were all of the brands and kinds we looked at made of whole, frozen strawberries with no additives, but we also didn’t come across any frozen berries with additional sugar. Another disadvantage of these frozen berries is that their serving size is 7 pieces, however the frozen berries were all various sizes. You may have difficulty estimating a correct serving size of this product if you do not have a food scale that measures by the gram.

Pros:

• Strawberry taste is the best! Sweet, tangy, and somewhat astringent flavors are well balanced.
• Textured well and held up well throughout the defrosting process.
• Packed in a resealable bag to avoid freezer burn and keep them taste fresh.
• One serving contains 70% of the daily vitamin C requirement!

Cons:

• Unsweetened labeling adds unneeded complication to the frozen fruit buying experience.
• Since the serving size says 7 pieces, you may need to weigh the frozen berries on a food scale to acquire a precise measurement.

3. Most Nutritious Frozen Strawberries: Campoverde Jumbo Strawberries

There is a widespread belief that when it comes to nutritional value, fresh fruit outperforms frozen fruit. Nevertheless, studies reveal that frozen strawberries are not only as nutritious as fresh strawberries, but may even be more so! The findings suggest that the antioxidant levels in berries before and after freezing show no detectable change in the quantity of these vital molecules. Moreover, it is claimed that freezing the fruit makes some chemicals more accessible, which means the human body has an easier time receiving and using the vitamin. One of the frozen strawberry kinds we examined shone out in terms of nutrition, and a couple of these berries would make a great healthy fruit snack!

About Campoverde Jumbo Strawberries

The first thing you notice when you open the bag of Campoverde Jumbo Strawberries is how large they are. You never know with things that advertise themselves as jumbo-sized, but these strawberries are genuinely astounding. Despite their extra-large size, these berries had the lowest calorie count of any strawberries we tested, coming in at just 45 calories per serving as compared to the 50-60 calories per serving of every other brand we tested! These berries also come in a fantastic resealable bag (which is good given their enormous size means it may take you a while to get through them) with a lot of recipes, ideas, and information on the bag. Last but not least, these strawberries are rich in vitamins and minerals. Each 5 berry serving provides the following nutrients: 23 milligrams calcium (4% DV), 1 milligram iron (4% DV), 220 milligrams potassium (4% DV), 85 milligrams vitamin C (90% DV! ), 1 milligram manganese (25% DV), and 19 micrograms molybdenum (45% DV). Several of these nutrients are probably already recognizable to you, but what about the final two? Manganese is essential for bone health, tissue regeneration, metabolic activities, and hormone control (not to be confused with magnesium). Molybdenum is a trace element that is required for efficient enzyme activity and the breakdown of poisons that enter the body.

This brand’s berries aren’t the only thing that are super-sized; the box is as well! We were able to get a 3 pound bag of these frozen berries, but after more investigation, it seems that the only other accessible quantity is FIVE pounds, making this an unsuitable alternative if you have limited freezer space. However, because of their big size, Campoverde Jumbo Strawberries require an extremely long time to thaw, and their taste may be disappointing once defrosted. At first appearance, each berry seems to be unbelievably rich and juicy, but we found them to taste fairly bland and watery, and far more sour than sweet.

Pros:

• Stunning jumbo-sized berries!
• The calorie amount per serving is the lowest. 5 berries have just 45 calories.
• Comes in a resealable bag with several recipes and information.
• Lots of vitamins and minerals, including 90% of your daily intake of vitamin C and a good dose of harder-to-find nutrients like manganese and molybdenum.

Cons:

• The container itself is massive, including many pounds of frozen berries that will take up a lot of freezer space and may take some time to go through.
• Because of their large size, the berries take a long time to thaw.
• The taste of these berries is not as strong as that of others, being relatively bland and watery, sour rather than sweet.

4. Best Organic Frozen Strawberries: Good & Gather Organic Whole Strawberries

Organic agricultural techniques are not always the simplest way to raise fruits and vegetables, but they are critical! Organic farming techniques promote general soil and environmental health, as well as ensuring that the fruits and vegetables you eat are free of dangerous pesticides and pollutants. All of this additional work in producing and collecting fresh food implies that organically cultivated everything, even frozen strawberries, is more likely to have a higher average price than conventionally grown items. Still, there are many of economical organic solutions available, and we believe we have discovered the greatest one right here!

About Good & Gather Organic Whole Strawberries

First and foremost, Good & Gather Organic Whole Strawberries are certified organic and non-GMO confirmed, ensuring that they meet worldwide organic cultivation standards. These berries are delicious and have a lot of juicy, sweet strawberry flavor. They also have an amazing nutritional profile, with 20 milligrams of calcium (2% DV), 1.1 milligrams of iron (6% DV), 210 milligrams of potassium (4% DV), and 59 milligrams of vitamin C (70% DV)! Good & Gather, brought to you by and available at Target shops, provides a money return guarantee, which is fantastic news if you discover that these frozen strawberries simply don’t do it for you for any reason. Although we used frozen whole strawberries to ensure consistency throughout our testing, this company also offers frozen sliced strawberries, which are ideal for our Homemade Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream!

One significant disadvantage is that this box seems to include a limited amount of frozen berries. What we pulled out and put in the dish as shown is about how many strawberries were in there. Also, these strawberries aren’t the most appealing we’ve seen. Our box included strawberries of all sizes and shapes, as well as a few deformed strawberries. It is crucial to remember, however, that this is not always the case when it comes to organic berries. It all comes down to letting Mother Nature do her thing!

Pros:

• Organic certification and non-GMO verification.
• Excellent flavor and luscious cherry flavor!
• Packed in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, and a healthy dose of vitamin C.
• The brand Good & Gather provides a money-back guarantee.
• The same product is offered as frozen pre-sliced strawberries.

Cons:

• In comparison to other brands and types, the number of strawberries in the packet seemed to be relatively little.
• These strawberries were not the finest looking; some were smushed, and the bag had a variety of sizes.

5. Best All-Around Frozen Strawberries: Cascadian Farm Premium Organic Strawberries

So far, we’ve discovered a variety of frozen strawberries that each match particular requirements, whether they’re the most attractive or the most healthy. So what if you want a nice, clear alternative that has several distinct advantages but does not excel in any one category? Meet your all-around favorite frozen strawberry! This is the choice to choose as a consistent go-to for meeting all of your strawberry demands while also tasting delicious! Whether you want to put frozen strawberries in a tall glass of sparkling water with a dash of lime juice for a delightful beverage or tackle some intricate dishes, the finest all-around frozen strawberry has you covered.

About Cascadian Farm Premium Organic Strawberries

Our Cascadian Farm Premium Organic Strawberries come in a box with berries that are consistently medium in size and form. There weren’t too many butchered berries mixed in, and they had an excellent taste, though not the finest and brightest of anything we tried. They have a reasonable mineral composition, with a few milligrams of iron and 6% of the necessary daily potassium consumption. These frozen strawberries are also USDA organically certified and non-GMO confirmed. Last but not least, these strawberries are made in the United States! Cascadian Farm is situated in Skagit Valley, Washington, and their partner farm list has increased since then. This is an organic and environmentally conscious firm that is actively trying to enhance the health and future of agricultural techniques for everyone!

However, their containers are tiny, with just two servings each container. You’d think that for such a little size, you’d get a lot of bang for your money, but that’s not the case. These frozen strawberries cost $0.52 per ounce at our local grocery, making them the second most costly frozen strawberries we tested. Also, these frozen strawberries have a larger sugar content than the others, with 8 grams of sugar per serving!

Pros:

• Berries are uniform in shape and size, and they seem to be in good condition.
• While not the finest taste we tested, it was adequate.
• It has some iron and 6% of your daily potassium need!
• Organic certification and non-GMO verification
• Grown and manufactured in the United States!
• Cascadian Farm promotes sustainable and healthy agricultural practices.

Cons:

• There are just two servings of frozen berries in the container!
• These were the second most costly frozen strawberries we examined in terms of price per ounce.
• With 8 grams of sugar per serving, this frozen berry has the highest sugar level of any frozen berry.

Ranking the Best Frozen Strawberries: The Takeaway

As can be seen, not all frozen strawberries are the same. They may all seem similar and contain a single component (strawberries! ), but depending on how the fruit is produced, processed, and frozen, these bags of frozen red gems may take on a variety of diverse qualities.

Now that you know where to locate the greatest frozen strawberries, you may be looking for some recipe ideas! Try our 4-Ingredient Frozen Strawberry Yogurt! If you have fresh strawberries on hand and want to make your own cache of frozen strawberries, be sure to read our full guide on strawberry storage.