Keep your blueberries delicious and juicy with these simple storage hacks
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If you're looking for something delicious and nutritious to add to your breakfast or easy snacks for this spring and summer, we have the perfect solution: blueberries!
Not only are these little fruits packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but they're also incredibly versatile. Whether you eat them on their own as a healthy snack or add them to pancake batter, smoothies, or even jams and pies, blueberries always taste like pure summer.
Unfortunately, though, blueberries don't last very long once they've been picked. So if you want to make the most of blueberry season (with peak availability from October to February here in Australia), it's important to know how to store them properly so they stay nice and fresh for as long as possible.
Blueberry prices are highly variable, going for under $2 for a 125g punnet in September and October and increasing to as much as $7 by April. Source: PriceHipster
Here are our top tips:
- Firstly, buy the nicest-looking berries you can find. Avoid any that look fuzzy or soft – these are signs that they're either rotten already or close to it.
- When you get home from the supermarket/fruiterer/farmer's market, go through your berries and remove any bad ones that may have been hiding. Mould travels fast in humid conditions like ours Down Under, so it's best to get ahead of the problem straight away!
- To avoid mould development altogether, try not to select berries that look wet – stick with dry ones instead. And resist the urge to rinse them until right before you're ready to eat them; moisture is the enemy when it comes to preserving freshness!
- Choose a container with good airflow (the plastic punnet/carton they came in is fine), line it with a paper towel (this will absorb excess moisture), add your berries...and voila! You can expect them to stay fresh like this for up to 7 days in the fridge - maybe even longer if you're lucky.
- If there's any chance you won't be able to eat all your fresh blueberries before they turn into mush (or if you just want to save some for later in the year), freezing them is a great option! Just spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for a few hours until firm before transferring them to an airtight freezer bag or container labelled with the date. Frozen blueberries should keep well for months.
- And finally, if you do find yourself with some overripe berries that are starting to go off, don't despair – there are still plenty of uses for them! Just puree or mash them up and add them to baking recipes like muffins, pancakes, or even ice cream for a boost of flavour and natural sweetness.
There's also no shortage of ways to preserve blueberries. Cordials, jams, even liqueurs – the sky's the limit.
Here's a quick and easy recipe for Blåbärssaft (Swedish blueberry cordial) that anyone can make at home:
Ingredients:
500 grams blueberries
150 grams caster (superfine) sugar
Method:
1. Rinse the berries and leave them on their stalks but remove any coarse stalks.
2. Put the berries in a saucepan and add 250 ml (1 cup) of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the berries have burst (about ten minutes).
3. Line a sieve with muslin (or use a stand) and strain the cooked berries.
4. Return the juice to the saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove any scum from the surface with a spoon.
5. Pour the hot liquid through a funnel into a sterilised bottle. (Sterilise by washing and then placing in an oven at 120°C for 5 minutes.)
Serving suggestions
• Dilute to taste with cold water, about 1 part cordial to 5 parts water
• Use in salad dressing instead of honey
• Gently heat some cordial and pour it over vanilla ice cream
• Add to hot water and a shot of whiskey for a hot toddy (a cocktail containing hot water, whiskey, and honey) if you have a cold
• Add to sparkling water or sparkling wine to make a delightful summery drink
So there you have it – everything you need to know about storing blueberries so they stay fresh, delicious, and juicy all season long. Got any other tips or tricks to share? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
Not only are these little fruits packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but they're also incredibly versatile. Whether you eat them on their own as a healthy snack or add them to pancake batter, smoothies, or even jams and pies, blueberries always taste like pure summer.
Unfortunately, though, blueberries don't last very long once they've been picked. So if you want to make the most of blueberry season (with peak availability from October to February here in Australia), it's important to know how to store them properly so they stay nice and fresh for as long as possible.
Blueberry prices are highly variable, going for under $2 for a 125g punnet in September and October and increasing to as much as $7 by April. Source: PriceHipster
Here are our top tips:
- Firstly, buy the nicest-looking berries you can find. Avoid any that look fuzzy or soft – these are signs that they're either rotten already or close to it.
- When you get home from the supermarket/fruiterer/farmer's market, go through your berries and remove any bad ones that may have been hiding. Mould travels fast in humid conditions like ours Down Under, so it's best to get ahead of the problem straight away!
- To avoid mould development altogether, try not to select berries that look wet – stick with dry ones instead. And resist the urge to rinse them until right before you're ready to eat them; moisture is the enemy when it comes to preserving freshness!
- Choose a container with good airflow (the plastic punnet/carton they came in is fine), line it with a paper towel (this will absorb excess moisture), add your berries...and voila! You can expect them to stay fresh like this for up to 7 days in the fridge - maybe even longer if you're lucky.
- If there's any chance you won't be able to eat all your fresh blueberries before they turn into mush (or if you just want to save some for later in the year), freezing them is a great option! Just spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for a few hours until firm before transferring them to an airtight freezer bag or container labelled with the date. Frozen blueberries should keep well for months.
- And finally, if you do find yourself with some overripe berries that are starting to go off, don't despair – there are still plenty of uses for them! Just puree or mash them up and add them to baking recipes like muffins, pancakes, or even ice cream for a boost of flavour and natural sweetness.
There's also no shortage of ways to preserve blueberries. Cordials, jams, even liqueurs – the sky's the limit.
Here's a quick and easy recipe for Blåbärssaft (Swedish blueberry cordial) that anyone can make at home:
Ingredients:
500 grams blueberries
150 grams caster (superfine) sugar
Method:
1. Rinse the berries and leave them on their stalks but remove any coarse stalks.
2. Put the berries in a saucepan and add 250 ml (1 cup) of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the berries have burst (about ten minutes).
3. Line a sieve with muslin (or use a stand) and strain the cooked berries.
4. Return the juice to the saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove any scum from the surface with a spoon.
5. Pour the hot liquid through a funnel into a sterilised bottle. (Sterilise by washing and then placing in an oven at 120°C for 5 minutes.)
Serving suggestions
• Dilute to taste with cold water, about 1 part cordial to 5 parts water
• Use in salad dressing instead of honey
• Gently heat some cordial and pour it over vanilla ice cream
• Add to hot water and a shot of whiskey for a hot toddy (a cocktail containing hot water, whiskey, and honey) if you have a cold
• Add to sparkling water or sparkling wine to make a delightful summery drink
So there you have it – everything you need to know about storing blueberries so they stay fresh, delicious, and juicy all season long. Got any other tips or tricks to share? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
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