Freezing Strawberries

We are a big time smoothie family and now that the weather is getting nicer, fresh produce is much cheaper. Whenever I see strawberries on sale I buy a ton and freeze them so that we have them throughout the summer, but better yet throughout the winter. Buying and freezing them now is much cheaper than buying frozen strawberries (or any frozen fruit really) from the store. Here's three ways to freeze them.

Option #1
Rinse and trim the green off of your berries.
Place each berry in a square of your ice cube tray and freeze. This is great if you have a narrow freezer like mine. If you don't plan to use them quickly then after they're frozen seal them in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.

Option #2
Rinse and trim the green off of your berries.
Place wax paper, parchment paper, or foil onto a cookie sheet, completely covering it.
Set your berries on the sheet and freeze! This is a great way to do a lot at once and works well with wide/large freezers. Same story, if you don't plan to use them quickly then after they're frozen seal them in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.

Option #3
Rinse and trim the green off of your berries.
Set them out to dry on paper towels.
Once they are completely dry (and I do mean completely) put them in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Then freeze them. If they are stuck together at all once you try to remove them, re-seal your bag and drop them on the ground to loosen them up. It works like a charm.