Isn’t it wonderful when the blueberry season rolls around? Those little orbs of sweetness bursting with goodness are irresistible, aren’t they? But what if you could capture that essence and enjoy it all year round?
Can You Freeze Blueberries?
Yes, you can freeze blueberries for up to 6 months. To freeze blueberries, I strongly recommend flash-freezing them before freezing them for the longer term. This will prevent them from sticking to one another.
Do Do Blueberries freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Blueberries? No
How to Freeze Blueberries
6
servings15
minutes0
minutes15
minutesThis is My Preferred Method for Freezing Blueberries
Keeps the screen of your device ON
Ingredients
1 Handful of Blueberries
Directions
- Place Blueberries on a Tray
First, put a layer of blueberries on a tray and put them in the freezer for approximately 1 hour. You can then repeat this for multiple trays. Avoid cramming too many blueberries on each tray. - Remove from the Freezer
The best thing about this approach is that the blueberries will freeze individually. You have to spread them across the tray and ensure theyāre not touching each other. They don’t need to be solidly frozen. They need a hard outer shell. After an hour, they should be frozen and feel hard to the touch. - Bag Up
Once you’ve removed them from the freezer, youāll be able to slide them into a plastic container or freezer bag. Youāll note they all fall in individually. - Freeze
Fill your container with loose but frozen blueberries. These can then be stored in the freezer for as long as you need.
Yes, freezing blueberries whole is the best way to help maintain their structure and flavour. You’ll end up with excessively mushy blueberries if you freeze them in halves.
How Long Can You Freeze Blueberries?
Blueberries should be frozen as fresh as possible. This ensures they retain their nutrient levels and can be stored for the maximum time possible.
Labelling and date every bag of blueberries you store to help with this is a good idea.
Ideally, you should use the blueberries within 6 months of freezing them, although they will retain their flavour and goodness for up to 10 months.
Blueberries can be left out at room temperature for around 24 hours. If you want to keep them for longer then pop them in the fridge where they will keep for 5 to 7 days, in general.
How Do You Defrost Blueberries?
The great thing about freezing them individually is removing a handful for a specific reason. For example, for your morning porridge or mid-morning smoothie, you won’t need to defrost a whole bag anymore.
In fact, for most recipes, youāll find itās not necessary to defrost the blueberries first. Simply remove them from the freezer, rinse them, and add them to your food.
If you need to defrost them, itās best to put them in a bowl of room-temperature water. A cup of blueberries will defrost in approximately 5 minutes
What to do with Frozen Blueberries
Frozen blueberries are so versatile, and you don’t need to defrost them for many recipes. Here are some of my go-to dishes:
Smoothies
Blueberries are fantastic in smoothies. You can toss them straight from the freezer with your favourite yoghurt, juice, or plant-based milk. The frozen berries chill the smoothie without watering it down like ice would.
Blueberry Pancakes
There’s nothing like a stack of blueberry pancakes on a lazy weekend morning. Add the frozen blueberries directly to your pancake batter just before cooking.
They’ll defrost, bursting with flavour as the pancakes cook.
Blueberry Muffins
Like pancakes, you can stir frozen blueberries directly into your muffin batter. They’ll help keep the muffins moist and add lovely pockets of fruity goodness.
Blueberry Sauce
Need a topping for ice cream, cheesecake, or waffles? Frozen blueberries make a quick and easy sauce. Cook them in a saucepan with a little sugar and lemon juice, and they’ll break down into a sweet, syrupy sauce.
Yoghurt Parfaits
Layer frozen blueberries with Greek yoghurt and granola in a glass for a visually appealing and healthy breakfast or dessert. The blueberries thaw by the time you’re ready to eat them.
Overnight Oats
Frozen blueberries are perfect for overnight oats. Mix them with oats, yoghurt, and a touch of honey before bedtime, and by morning, you’ll have a ready-to-go breakfast, complete with softened blueberries.
Can You Refreeze Blueberries?
I do not recommend refreezing blueberries. They are small, delicate soft fruits. Like most soft fruits, including strawberries and blackberries, refreezing will ruin the texture. The water content will be drawn out of the main body of the blueberry.
When you refreeze blueberries, even more of this water will be drawn out.
Instead, try to flash freeze your blueberries to make it easier to defrost a portion at a time.
Refreezing = Mushy Blueberries
If you want to avoid having mushy, soft blueberries in the freezer then avoid refreezing them at all costs. Refreezing will cause the water inside to expand and contract leading to mushy fruits.
Do Blueberries Freeze Well?
Blueberries are one of the ultimate health foods. The good news is that the health benefits are not diminished by freezing them.
Recent research from South Dakota State University suggests that frozen blueberries can actually have more antioxidants than fresh ones.
Ultimately, the answer to do blueberries freeze well is yes, very! Best of all, you wonāt notice a taste difference between fresh and frozen. They both taste fantastic!
Sources
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