Take advantage of your fresh-picked berries or the great in-season sales at your local store and freeze your blueberries to last all through the cold months. This post will teach you how to freeze blueberries properly to avoid freezer burn and not turn them into a solid brick of berries.
Blueberries are typically in season from May through August in the northern hemisphere. Recently I found a great deal of local, organic berries, so of course I had to jump on it.
See, it says it itself- great buy.
In fact, I wish I jumped on it more, but two pints was a good starting place. Instead of just throwing them in the freezer, I took a few steps to guarantee their freshness.
1. Clean them with vinegar. This is actually a great tip whether you are freezing them or just prepping them fresh for the week. Using a diluted vinegar wash for berries cleans them, removes bacteria (says a study from Tennessee State University) and extends their shelf life.
Use 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water. Then place a colander in the water (for easier pickup) and add your berries.
Use your hands to mix them around, making sure they all get clean, then rinse thoroughly.
2. Pick out the stems while allowing berries to dry completely. Pull out the shriveled and squished berries and the stems.
Then, allow the berries to dry completely. Place them under a fan, get your hairdryer, or be patient and wait. Whatever your method, the berries need to be completely dry before freezing.
3. Place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet for freezing. If you throw them all into a bag at this stage, you’ll be dealing with a giant clump of frozen berries. I can’t tell you how many of those I’ve had to slam onto the counter to try and break up. Don’t skip this step.
4. Allow berries 2-3 hours to freeze solid, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. The berries will come off the baking sheet easily. Then pour them into a heavy duty freezer bag and label.
The berries will stay good for 10-12 months if kept properly frozen. You’ll be able to grab them by the handful for smoothies or an afternoon snack. Or make a blueberry cobbler in mid-winter to keep yourself hanging on until warm weather returns.
So stock up of blueberries, maybe even go pick some yourself? And load up the freezer before blueberry season is behind us!
For more of my favorite food tips, click here.
What is your favorite way to use frozen fruit OTHER than smoothies?
Hanna says
My girls and I love frozen grapes, blueberries and bananas! Frozen bananas helped us get through those rough teething stages. I’ve also used frozen berries for oatmeal and yogurt parfaits.
Karen says
Thanks so much for the advice!! I was actually doing it all wrong…LOL!!
Brittany Dixon says
I used to just throw them all together and it would chunk up something fierce! Love using the baking pan instead 🙂
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
Great tips! Didn’t even know there was a proper method for freezing fruit! 🙂 Other than smoothies, I like to thaw frozen fruit to put in baked goods (breads, pie, muffins, etc) or to use as a hot topping for my oatmeal.
Brittany Dixon says
Haha! Proper does sound somewhat snotty, huh? I guess I just used to mess it up, so I was thrilled when I learned the ‘right’ way 🙂
Gcroft says
Great tip, thank you for sharing. We’re also making the most of the weather here in London – lots of walks and picnics in the park. I must think of freezing away tastes of summer for winter here seems to last forever!
char eats greens says
This is a great idea. Organic bluebs were on sale a few weeks ago but we only grabbed enough for us to use them all (fresh), because when I went back a few days after I had noticed the sale, I couldn’t find them anymore! Here’s to hoping they go on sale again, so I can do this!
I love using bluebs for muffins…or maybe make some scones. I also like referring to them as bluebs instead of blueberries haha
Emily S says
great idea and tips!
Ali says
I like to flavor beverages with frozen fruit, or bake with it. There is basically no difference between fresh and frozen when baking!
Ali says
What kind if vinegar? Regular ole white vinegar?
Giselle@myhealthyhappyhome says
I just did this same exact thing last weekend! Costco had a great sale on their organic berries so I stocked up and froze a ton! Might be heading back to buy their raspberries this week!
Neil Butterfield says
I’ve heard that vinegar is great for cleaning most veggies & fruits. I’ve even heard that it makes for a great clothes softener too, (without the chemicals).
Michelle G. says
Great post! follow-up question: What’s the best way to freeze fresh herbs? I always buy more than I need.
Brittany Dixon says
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard you can freeze them in olive oil in ice cube trays! That way if you need them for a dish down the line, you just pop it in a pan. I’m going to experiment with it, so I’ll let you know 🙂