How To Freeze Blueberries | Quick & Easy

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Freezing blueberries is one of the best ways to preserve them for later use. The way I freeze blueberries is so quick and easy, it takes just a few minutes. This method makes the freezing process so much easier.

 

Why Freeze Blueberries

Freezing Blueberries for later use is a smart thing to do because blueberries are not only delicious but they are so good for you. Using this method to freeze blueberries is the perfect answer to having a continuous supply of berries on hand year round.

The thing is, blueberry season only lasts for a couple of months each year. Since we grow our own blueberries, during the summer months we get so many pounds of blueberries that we can’t use them all. Then all of the sudden all of the fresh berries are gone until next year. That’s why it is so nice to have a stash in the freezer to last through out the rest of the year, until next blueberry season.

Blueberries are high in vitamin C and considered one of the “super foods” that we should be eating year round, not just when in-season berries are available.

You can watch me freeze blueberries in the video below.

How To Use Frozen Blueberries

Some of our favorite ways to use frozen blueberries are in:

• Fruit Smoothies
• Blueberry mini muffins
• Salads
• Blueberry Pancakes
• Blueberry pie
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Blueberry Crisp
• Blueberry Dump Cake
• Blueberry pie filling
• Blueberry Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffins (one of our favorite blueberry recipes)
• Blueberry Quick Breads
• Blueberry Galette
• As a topping on ice cream, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal and granola.
• Straight out of the freezer as a frozen snack.

There are so many delicious recipes to try! I will have more blueberry recipes coming soon.

There are just so many delicious recipes to try! We will have more blueberry recipes coming soon.

Quick And Easy Steps To Freezing Blueberries

The first thing that I do after picking my berries is to place blueberries in an even, single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Then sort through them removing any stems, mushy berries, dirty berries, moldy berries, leaves, and unripe or defective berries.

After this sorting of berries, I consider my berries clean enough to go in the freezer.

Do Blueberries Need To Be Washed Before Freezing

No, blueberries do not need to be washed before freezing. Washing blueberries before freezing is a personal preference. Knowing where your berries came from and how they were grown might play into the decision of the need for washing the berries before freezing.

Watching my kids and grandkids pick blueberries is one of the things that helped me come to this conclusion. When I realized that my kids eat as many berries straight off of the bush as they put in the bucket while they are picking.

So if they are clean enough to eat, they are clean enough to freeze!

Reasons Not To Wash Blueberries Before Freezing

Blueberries have a protective coating called bloom that may help prevent freezer burn.

The blueberry skins may become tougher if washed before freezing.

The blueberries are more likely to become mushy if washed before freezing.

The process of freezing becomes more complicated and time consuming.

Berries need to be very dry, not even slightly damp when freezing to prevent ice crystals from forming on the berries. This is easier to accomplish if you don’t wet the berries at all before freezing.

By not washing the berries first you can put them straight into a gallon freezer bag and stick them in the freezer.  You can watch me do this in my video. I also show you what the frozen berries are like when you pull the bag out of the freezer to use them.

We keep and use our frozen blueberries in the freezer for at least a year, sometimes longer if we really had a lot to freeze that year.

If you do wish to wash your blueberries before freezing you will need to lay them out on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and make sure they are completely dry before placing in the zip-top bag and freezing.

Using Frozen Blueberries

When you freeze your blueberries this way you have easy access to pull out your bag of frozen berries and take out just the amount you need for the recipe you are making. A lot of times I just take my measuring cup to the freezer and scoop out the exact amount I need, then stick the bag right back in the freezer.

At this point you can wash your berries if you feel the need to. You can also just give them a good rinse under some cool water.

If I want to thaw my berries quickly for some reason I just run some warm water over them while they are in a colander.

Normally I put my berries straight into whatever I am making straight from the freezer still fully frozen.

How To Freeze Blueberries Using A Simple Method – Quick Recap

1. Pick Blueberries.
2. Lay out and sort. Pick out leaves, stems, and any unripe or crushed berries.
3. Place dry sorted berries into gallon or quart size freezer bag, get as much air out of the freezer safe bag as possible before sealing. The easiest way to do this is to use a straw and suck the air out as you are sealing the bag. If your berries are not dry when they go into the bag you will end up with a giant clump, instead of individual berries.
4. Place the bags in the freezer.
5. Use your frozen berries all year to make healthy meals and snacks for your family.
6. It is as simple as that but remember the key is dry berries.

NOTE: An alternate to using ziploc bags is to use a vacuum sealer. Make sure the vacuum sealer doesn’t crush your blueberries. Try to package your berries in the size portion you would use at one time. Vacuum seal bags will not be able to be resealed after taking berries out.

I hope this post and video has encouraged you to go out and pick enough blueberries to freeze some to use later. If you don’t have your own blueberry bushes, look for a local farm , a farmers market, or “you pick” blueberry farm. They are usually pretty easy to find and a lot of them raise organic blueberries which is even better.

You may also find organic blueberries at a grocery store but the price will usually be much more expensive.

If you don’t have a deep freeze or enough freezer space you might want to check out my video on canning blueberries. Canning is another great way to preserve blueberries.

Also if  you don’t have your own blueberry bushes I would encourage you to consider planting a few. Blueberries are so easy to grow, pick, and freeze. They make a delicious treat and are so good for you!

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