How to Store and Keep Your Fresh Picked Blueberries
So you’ve picked some blueberries and you’re wondering what to do with them, huh? Well the following information is good to know whether you want to eat your blueberries right away, enjoy them over time, bake with them, or freeze them!
First, don’t place the blueberries in a closed bag or container right after picking them, they are probably still warm from the sun so leave the container open so moisture doesn’t form. Also, since you don’t want your delicious blue gems to get mushy, don’t wash the blueberries until right before you’re going to using them. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep for quite some time, easily 10 to 14 days, so pop them in the fridge for storage. Just before using, wash the berries in cold water.
A Tray of Frozen blueberries
If you want to freeze your blueberries, do NOT wash them! This will cause the skins to toughen and generally make freezing the berries more difficult and they will be less tasty when you’re ready to use them. Simply place them one layer deep on a freezer safe container or cookie sheet. Allow them to freeze completely and then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers, such as freezer bags. Because the unwashed blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers in desired amounts for baking, smoothies, etc. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained just before serving.
See how easy they are to handle, pour, and store when frozen this way: