How to Rehydrate Freeze Dried Strawberries?

Just one of the most innovative technologies for food storage is freeze-drying: it also allows us to enjoy the deliciousness of strawberries out of season, I am sure you know what I mean! But now you probably also are wondering: “Can you rehydrate strawberries?” Indeed, yes you can, and it is even simpler than you can imagine, so pay close attention to this article and learn how to do it…

What Are Freeze Dried Strawberries?

First, it’s useful to know what exactly you have. Freeze-dried strawberries are strawberries that have been preserved through the process of freeze drying – the removal of almost all of the water from the fruit, thereby leaving a crunchy, dry piece of strawberry, with an extremely long useable shelf life, their nutritional content and some of their taste still preserved. In order to use them in some recipes, however, if you’re out of their regular liquid, you will need them hydrated first.

Steps to Rehydrate Freeze Dried Strawberries

Once strawberries have been freeze-dried and packaged, rehydration is a matter of infusing them with water. Here is how to reconstitute strawberries.

1. Measure Your Strawberries

Next, determine how many strawberries you will need for your recipe. You need to know this ahead of time because, when rehydrated, dried strawberries will expand significantly.

2. Soak the Strawberries in Water

Meanwhile, put the dehydrated strawberries in a bowl and cover them with cool or room-temperature water. You don’t want to use warm or hot water, since it will cause them to begin to breakdown and look mushy.

3. Wait for the Strawberries to Rehydrate

Let soak the strawberries for 15-20 minutes. Once all the strawberries are submerged in the water, some of them will become rounder and regain more of the original texture of strawberries.

4. Drain the Excess Water

Drain the soaked water and gently take out strawberries (which have become soft now) from the bowl.

5. Pat the Strawberries Dry

Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. This is key if you’re using the strawberries in a recipe where ickiness or extra moisture could be a problem.

And voila! Your freeze-dried strawberries are now rehydrated and ready to be used.

Uses for Rehydrated Strawberries

What uses are there for rehydrated freeze-dried strawberries? Well, you get the idea. They are like putting fresh strawberries in pretty much any recipe. They can be used in smoothies, baked into bread, muffins or cookies, or eaten raw. Sprinkle some on top of your morning cereal or oatmeal, or just munch on them solo.

Conclusion

You can rehydrate the strawberries in an hour! This is the easiest way to enjoy these strawberries all year around. Now you can use rehydrated strawberries in your dishes as you want. Your strawberry cakes and shortcakes always come out so delicious with this easy and fast rehydrated strawberries!