[SafeHaven]

I picked some ripe blackberries today but I don't really have enough to make wine yet. What's the best way to store blackberries whilst waiting for the others to ripen? Can I freeze them?

[PK]

Like many others we freeze berries, including blackberries, by laying them out on a backing tray and bagging them up when frozen. They preserve very well this way and remain loose in the bag.

[Dans]

We freeze fruit for wine. I just have a resealable bag and add the fruit in as it comes. When it comes to doing the wine I pop the bag in a bowl (or pot depending on size) and allow to thaw before removing the fruit. Put 15lbs of frozen plums into a wine today actually. I boil the water, dissolve the sugar and then add the fruit straight in. Has always worked fine for us.

Dans

[DavidandCollette]

Apparently freezing fruit first helps reduce the pectin level, which results in a clearer wine. Not good if you are making jam, though