Article · · 2 min read
Frozen Strawberries in Nigeria: Where They Come From and How to Use Them
Strawberries grow on the Plateau. Here is how we freeze them, how long they keep, and what to do with a bag.
Most people are surprised that strawberries grow in Nigeria at all. They do, and they grow well: the cool nights on the Jos Plateau suit them, and the harvest runs through the dry season. The problem has always been getting them anywhere else. Fresh strawberries bruise in a day and spoil in two, which is why the ones that reach Abuja or Lagos are so expensive and so often disappointing.
Freezing solves that. We pick, wash, hull and freeze them in Jos within hours, and they arrive in Abuja tasting the way they did on the farm. You can find them in 500g packs or by the kilo.
How long do frozen strawberries keep?
In a freezer that stays on, a sealed pack is at its best for about eight months and safe well beyond that. Power cuts are the real question in Nigeria. A full freezer, kept closed, holds its temperature for roughly a day; a half-empty one for about half that. If the berries have thawed completely and warmed up, use them that day in a smoothie or cook them down. Do not refreeze fruit that has gone soft.
What to do with a bag
Smoothies. A handful of frozen strawberries, a banana and a glass of milk or water. No ice needed. Our Double Dose smoothie pack is built around them.
Strawberry water. Four or five berries in a jug of cold water. Looks good on a table and the fruit is edible when it thaws.
Quick sauce. Simmer a cup of berries with a spoon of sugar for five minutes. Pour over pancakes, yoghurt or ice cream.
Straight from the bag. Half-thawed frozen strawberries are a genuinely good snack, and children treat them as a sweet.