Blueberries are one of the most versatile fruits. You can toss them into muffins, homemade breads, puddings, cobblers, fruit crisps, smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, yogurt, and all sorts of different things. They’re healthy for you and delicious!
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Every year when blueberries are in-season we visit our local orchard when they run the pick-your-own special deal and stock-up on them. The price we pay is about 40% of what the grocery store charges and they’re better. Plus, we’re supporting local farmers at the same time!
Once we get home we get busy using them. I like to use them when I make & can homemade blueberry jam. I also like to freeze them for later use when I need them to make my homemade breads, muffins and blueberry cobbler. I use blueberries in some type of recipe at least three times a month.
How to Freeze Fresh Blueberries
Sort and wash all of your blueberries as soon as you get home. Remove any rotten berries and stems. Rinse them under cold running water until they’re clean. Let them sit in your colander for up to an hour to allow some of the water to drain off. Use a clean cotton towel and gently dab any water droplets that remain. You want them to be fairly dry before freezing them.
Place berries in a single layer on a baking sheet and then place that baking sheet into the freezer for 1 hour. Remove. You may have to gently use a spatula to losen them from the baking sheet.
A lot of my recipes call for 1 cup or 2 cups of blueberries, so I freeze in those increments. I measure them out using a glass Pyrex measuring cup, then place them into a freezer-safe bag, purge out the air and zip it close. Label and date.
When placing them into the freezer you want to lay the bag flat. You can stack the bags one on top of the other to save on freezer space. Once properly frozen they will keep for 6-8 months.
Thawing: I like to place them in a colander under cool running water until thawed. Depending on the recipe, you may be able to toss them in straight from the freezer and depending on the size of the berry. For the most part, I just thaw them for 5-10 minutes under cool running water before using them.
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You wrote minutes and I am sure you meant to say the blueberries would keep for 6 to 8 months. I have frozen blueberries and used them later in the year.
Good tip to freeze them in 1 or 2 cup packages so they are ready to use in a favorite recipe. I like making muffins with them year round.
I love to top my yogurt with them and also put them on ice cream.
I love using frozen blueberries in smoothies. They don’t need to be thawed for these.