Berries are in season. Albertson’s had 10 pints of raspberries for $10. So stock up and then freeze em for later! The secret to freezing fresh berries is to freeze them whole first and then pack them. Find a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer. Line it with waxed paper, and load it with clean, de-stemmed berries in a single layer, spacing them so they’re not touching. Freeze until solid (an hour or two), and then pack into freezer container or Ziploc bags.

Doing this will prevent the berries from clumping together and forming a solid mass, which will allow you to use just the amount you want without thawing them all.

Whole berries from the freezer are perfect for making smoothies. Don’t thaw them — use them for berry-ice cubes to chill the smoothie. I like to combine lowfat vanilla yogurt, bananas, frozen berries, and a bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Thawed, whole berries also make wonderful cobblers and crisps. So enjoy this Berry Merry season!