Shopping, Selecting and Storing Blueberries

Fresh blueberries, or little indigo nuggets of antioxidants as I like to think of them, are in season starting as early as March and extending into late summer, depending on growing conditions. When choosing your source of blueberries, it’s worth going for the wild kind if you can find them, since they are higher in antioxidants and many micronutrients! If you can’t go hunting for fresh berries in your spare time, you might want to consider picking them up at your local farmers’ market. Blueberries taste best when locally in season (and bonus, they will have more nutrients). Otherwise, you can find blueberries almost any time of year at a grocery store (look for them in the produce section, typically packaged in a clamshell).

When choosing blueberries, the best way is to look for berries that are deep purple-blue in color, firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned (wrinkles are bad!). Blueberries that have any green or pinkish color were picked before they had a chance to fully ripen and are best avoided. Also, look for a silvery sheen, called the “bloom” found on the skin of blueberries, which is a naturally occurring compound that helps protect the fruit from pests and bacteria. When not fresh, the bloom will fade. In general, smaller berries tend to be more tart, while bigger berries usually taste sweeter.

At the grocery store, you may notice that blueberries are available from a variety of states and countries. When you can’t get local fresh-picked blueberries, make sure to choose berries from growers where they currently are in season. For instance, blueberry season begins in Florida, where harvesting occurs from late March to late May. Blueberries in most other states won’t be available until May or later. The Georgia crop is next in line and replaces Florida berries in early May. In fact, blueberries are Georgia’s most lucrative crop even though we are known as the Peach State!

After bringing home your blueberries, make sure to refrigerate immediately. Unlike most fruits which will continue to ripen if left sitting out on the countertop, berries will only deteriorate. If refrigerated, they will keep fresh for up to 10 days but first make sure to remove any berries that are fuzzy with mold so as to prevent spoilage of the whole bunch. The bloom, as previously mentioned, helps protect the fruit which is why you should wash blueberries only right before you eat them to ensure blueberries last as long as possible. Don’t forget frozen blueberries are available at most grocery stores too! They are a great option because ripe blueberries are picked and frozen within 24 hours to minimize nutrient loss and you don’t have to worry about them going bad before you are ready to eat them!

If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where blueberries are grown locally and enjoy harvesting blueberries at your local u-pick farm but can’t quite manage eating all of that goodness before they have maxed out their shelf life and become overripe and mushy, you can always freeze blueberries yourself to enjoy at a later date. To do this, first wash the blueberries in cold water and completely dry them (try straining in a colander). In order to prevent the berries from freezing in one giant clump, flash-freeze them by spreading them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. Once they are completely frozen you can transfer them into a freezer bag or other freezer-safe airtight container for long-term storage (6 to 10 months). Unfortunately, blueberries will be mushy when you thaw them but frozen blueberries work great in recipes, where you won’t be able to tell the difference (think baked goods like muffins, cobbler, or blueberry pie, or add them to pancakes, waffles, ice cream or smoothies). Additionally, you can use all those extra blueberries to make blueberry jam or jelly or why not mix them up with strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a unique and berry delicious combination!