Freezing fresh strawberries more economical than frozen version in stores
Buying fresh Estonian-grown strawberries and freezing them at home works out cheaper than purchasing deep-frozen product in the stores, even when electricity costs for running a freezer are factored in, according to ERR's online news in Estonian.
The average cost of running a 65-liter freezer is around €2 per month, though this can vary depending on the freezer's energy class and volume.
On this basis, 20 kg berries bought at a price of €2 per kg would overall make a saving of around €70 measure-for-measure compared with the same quantity from a supermarket.
This would also hinge on when the fresh strawberries were bought – earlier on in the season the price levels tend to be lower; at present as the season draws to a close prices are exceeding €4 per kg, though savings would still be made on store-bought strawberries even at that price level.
The situation, however, is reportedly the reverse in Finland. According to public broadcaster YLE, fresh berries generally cost more than bags of frozen product at the supermarkets. Whereas 0.5 kg of pre-packaged frozen strawberries costs around €5 there, the same volume ranges from €4-€7 bought fresh, in season.
Editor: Andrew Whyte
