Of the different blueberry varieties, cultivated blueberries in particular ripen gradually with a time lag. Nevertheless, there can be harvest quantities that cannot always be eaten fresh.

Make blueberries last longer

If you cannot eat or process the blueberries from your own garden right away, you should always leave them on the bush for as long as possible. Once picked, blueberries only keep for a few days in the refrigerator with the same taste and consistency. However, in good harvest seasons it can happen that there are more blueberries than can be eaten fresh. There are various options to choose from for longer-term preservation:

  • processing into juices and liqueurs
  • preserving jams and jellies
  • freezing for later use as fresh fruit or for cooking and baking

Peculiarities of freezing blueberries

Blueberries are better for fresh consumption than fruit after freezing and later thawing than raspberries, for example. In contrast to these, blueberries do not become mushy during this process, but usually remain relatively crunchy. However, the skin of the blueberries can become a bit tougher during this process. However, if you want to use the berries after defrosting for delicious berry sauces or as part of the fruit in cakes, this fact is hardly noticeable in terms of taste. If you take the blueberries out of the freezer, you should first let them thaw in the fridge and only later at room temperature. This is gentler on the berries and ensures maximum taste quality.

The right way to freeze

In contrast to forest blueberries collected in the wild, there is usually no significant risk of contamination with the dangerous fox tapeworm in cultivated blueberries in the garden. Nevertheless, you should wash these fruits before each consumption, especially in gardens near the forest. To do this, place the blueberries in a lukewarm water bath before freezing, this is particularly easy if you lower them into the water with a sieve. Then place the blueberries on some paper towels to dry and later on a tray. Put the berries, spread out in a single layer, with the tray in the freezer for about 2 to 3 hours before transferring them to space-saving containers. This "freezing" prevents the fruit from forming a large and difficult-to-portion lump when it freezes.

tips and tricks

If you only have a relatively small freezer compartment, freezing on a tray may cause space problems. In this case, you can also put the blueberries in a container with a lid in the freezer and shake it vigorously after about 2 hours. This breaks the ice bonds created by condensation moisture between the berries, allowing for far easier portioning and processing when thawed.

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The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

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Vegetable garden