In midsummer, blueberries produce fruit over several weeks, which only gradually ripen, especially in the case of cultivated blueberries. Nevertheless, with a rich harvest, blueberries can remain from fresh consumption.

The right transport when collecting

When collecting the blueberries in the forest or in the garden, you should always use sufficiently dimensioned containers so that the individual fruits are not squeezed too much. Cultivated blueberries do not have the juice of forest blueberries that turns fingers and hands blue, but the fruits should be picked as gently as possible if they are to keep for a few more days. During the harvest season of the forest blueberries in July, it can be tempting to nibble on the fruit right in the forest. However, these should always only be consumed in washed or boiled form if an infection with the fox tapeworm pathogen, which is also dangerous for humans, is to be ruled out.

Short-term storage for fresh consumption

If the blueberries are to be stored for fresh consumption, this can be done either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Freezing and later thawing is not recommended for consumption of the unprocessed fruit, as the consistency of the blueberries in particular suffers. Before storing them in the fridge, blueberries should be washed in a bowl with clear water and then dried with some kitchen paper or on a tea towel. Moisture on the outside of the fruit would encourage rapid mold growth. For this reason, crushed fruit should also be selected from the remaining blueberries before storing them in the refrigerator. If you cannot use the ripening blueberries right away, hanging on the bush they usually have a much longer shelf life than when they were picked.

Make blueberries last longer

There are basically different options for the longer-term storage of blueberries, which would be:

  • the canning
  • the freezing
  • processing into blueberry juice
  • drying the blueberries

When boiling, delicious jams and compotes can be created, while freezing is suitable for further processing of the fruit in berry sauces and as a cake ingredient.

tips and tricks

Freeze blueberries in portions if you only want to take them out of the freezer in small quantities later. Spreading out in a single layer and freezing on a tray before repackaging in a freezer bag prevents the individual berries from freezing together into a clump.

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:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden