How To Freeze Blueberries- The Easiest Way Ever
Learn how to freeze blueberries with this super simple tutorial, so you can enjoy them all year long! Preserving food doesn’t have to be hard or complicated; follow my tips below when freezing fresh blueberries.
Oh, blueberry season. One of my favorite seasons. Not just because the summers here in the Pacific Northwest are amazing, but also because of the amazing food available all summer long.
August, my sweet baby girl, turned 3 years old the other day, and she insisted we go blueberry picking on her birthday so we could make blueberry pie, the best blueberry oatmeal cookies, or some blueberry sourdough rolls.
I suggested we go to the park in the morning then blueberry picking in the afternoon, but she insisted that we needed to go before the park. What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets. We went blueberry picking.
We tried out a new local farm in our area, and the ladies there were so sweet. They told us we could eat as many juicy blueberries as we wanted while we picked! Challenge accepted.
August was picking away, meticulously making sure she only picked the plump, dark blueish-purple fruit.
I nicely reminded her she could eat some while picking, to which she responded, “no mom, I’m busy picking them!” Well okay, miss mature.
I can’t imagine taking care of land, animals, preserving food, church planting, and running my business (aka this blog) with a toddler and a baby. (Update: we bought a small farm ha)
So I’m super grateful for time and freezer space to take advantage of the awesome farms around here and make my homestead dreams come true while living in town!
Today I’m going to show you the super simple freezing process, two different ways. With washing and without. Freezing blueberries is probably on the top 10 easiest things to preserve.
Why you will love this tutorial:
Don’t need a farm: You don’t have to own a farm or have your own blueberry bushes to preserve berries. Going to a you-pick place is the best alternative. You get much cheaper prices than the already picked stuff, and you can pick as many as you want.
Our goal this year is to pick and freeze enough for the whole year (about 5 pounds of blueberries a month), plus have lots of fresh berries.
So that means we will try to pick 60 lbs to freeze, then more to eat fresh.
Whoa. That is a lot. We will have to go a few times to get them all!
Way cheaper than store bought: The cheapest frozen blueberries I’ve found are from Costco at $3.33 a pound. We can pick them ourselves for $2 a pound, saving us $1.33/lb, which comes out to about $110 a year. And that is just the frozen stuff! Great way to preserve the harvest and help lower your grocery bill all year long.
Know where your food comes from: Picking our own blueberries helps us make fun memories and gives us pride in our food.
Versatile: Frozen berries are a super versatile ingredient that can be used in many recipes.
Reduce food waste: Rather than letting the blueberries just sit on the counter, before they go bad, place them in your freezer. Save money and reduce food waste.
Preserving food doesn’t require you to have your own farm! You don’t necessarily need a homestead to homestead. You can find other alternatives to create your homesteading dream. Some days, I’m thankful we don’t have a farm yet.
Frozen Blueberry Benefits:
When you freeze fresh blueberries at the peak of ripeness, you help get the most benefit out of the nutrients.
Fruits and veggies picked out of season (from different countries and then shipped here), or ones that have been sitting on the grocery store shelves for awhile, start to lose some of their nutrients.
Blueberries are awesome because they make an easy and healthy snack anytime. Add them into your favorite recipes’ they’re packed with nutrients (like vitamin c) and fiber, and they’re low in calories!
More Delicious Blueberry Recipes:
- Gluten Free Blueberry Pie is one of our favorite blueberry recipes!
- Try this refreshing Blueberry Basil Lemonade. Blueberries and basil sound weird together I know, but seriously, it’s kind of magical.
- During the winter, use your frozen blueberries to make this Blueberry Dutch Baby.
- Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches are so good! Did I mention no churn and a GF option?
- Try these vegan blueberry pancake muffins
Blueberry Freezing Tips
- Make sure your blueberries are dry. If they are wet, they will stick together when freezing.
- If you don’t have a blueberry farm near you to pick, you could buy them from the store during the summer when prices are cheapest.
- Purchasing straight from a farm in bulk may also save money.
- Store them flat in plastic zip-lock bags.
Tools you may need:
Ziploc bags – I like to use a gallon size freezer-safe bag. You can also use another type of freezer-safe container
Colander
Rimmed baking sheet
How To Freeze Blueberries – With Washing
Step one: rinse and dry
Place blueberries in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Shake off extra water and lay onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towels in a single layer. Allow to air dry at room temperature. Make sure they are completely dry, otherwise ice crystals may form.
Step two: transfer to a storage container
Once dry, transfer blueberries to a storage container or plastic bag. Label and place into the freezer.
Note: You can also freeze them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper in a single layer, then transfer to a bag. This will ensure that the berries do not clump together. I have found that as long as the berries are completely dry before placing them in the freezer this step is not necessary.
Step three: store
The frozen blueberries will stay good in the freezer for 10-12 months for top quality.
So simple right?
You could also make jam or jellies, can blueberries, or dry them for preservation. I haven’t really ventured into the canning department much, so I’ll stick to this easy way to freeze blueberries.
How To Freeze Blueberries – Without Washing
Wash hands with soap and water.
Gently take handfuls of the ripe blueberries and place them into the freezer-safe containers, sorting through them as you place them into the container. Remove any debris, leaves, sticks, or green berries.
Fill up the container and then remove as much air as possible. Seal shut.
Place in the freezer or deep freezer. I like to lay mine flat.
FAQ:
Do you wash blueberries before freezing?
You actually do not have to wash blueberries before freezing due to a protective coating they contain. Blueberries are covered with a waxy bloom that helps naturally protect them against insects and bacteria.
I feel comfortable not washing my berries knowing my grower doesn’t spray them with pesticides.
If you aren’t sure and feel more comfortable washing your berries before freezing then follow the steps below.
How long do blueberries keep in the freezer?
Blueberries keep for 10 to 12 months in the freezer for best quality.
How do you freeze blueberries without getting mushy?
Follow the tutorial on how to freeze blueberries above to prevent mushy berries. You could also dry them, lay them on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer to freeze flat. I found this unnecessary as long as the blueberries are completely dry before putting them into the plastic bag and then into the freezer.
How To Store Blueberries In The Freezer:
I like to store them flat in a freezer bag. This allows me to stack multiple bags on top of one another, helping to reduce space needed.
If you are trying to limit plastic, you could also freeze them in large mason jars or air-tight glass containers.
Do you put sugar on blueberries before freezing?
Adding sugar to blueberries before freezing is completely unnecessary. Some feel like they help prevent sticking and forming a giant clump, but as long as your berries are dry before placing them in the freezer they will not stick.
How do you use frozen blueberries?
- Eat them – we frequently just eat frozen blueberries by themselves. This is my daughter’s favorite before bedtime snack.
- Top yogurt – plain yogurt with frozen blueberries is seriously yum.
- Smoothies! I love this blueberry green smoothie.
- Top your breakfast cereal or add it to oatmeal. Also works great for overnight oats.
- Blueberry Sourdough Rolls
- Turn them into blueberry muffins. This is my favorite sourdough blueberry muffin recipe.
- Blueberry pancakes. Or if you want a quicker no flip way, make this delicious Dutch baby pancake or sourdough sheet pan pancakes.
- Add them to homemade ice cream
- Blueberry cobbler or a blueberry crisp
- Blueberry sauce
- Create blueberry galette (aka a rustic pie)
Tried this recipe and loved it? I would love if you would come back and give it 5 stars. Please and thank you!
How To Freeze Blueberries
Ingredients
- 5 lbs blueberries or more
Instructions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Gently take handfuls of the ripe blueberries and place them into the freezer-safe containers, sorting through them as you place them into the container. Remove any debris, leaves, sticks, or green berries.
- Fill up the container and then remove as much air as possible. Seal shut.
- Place in the freezer or deep freezer. I like to lay mine flat.
Notes
- Store up to 10-12 months in the freezer.
- Make sure your blueberries are dry. If they are wet, they will stick together when freezing.
- If you don’t have a blueberry farm near you to pick, you could buy them from the store during the summer when prices are cheapest.
- Purchasing straight from a farm in bulk may also save money.
- Store them flat in plastic zip-lock bags.
- While washing is not required, if you would like to wash your berries before freezing, follow the instructions in the post.
- Each gallon sized freezer bag will hold about 4 pounds of blueberries.
Now on to the next thing to pick… hmmm peaches? Or grapes! Our new house has a grape vine, and I’m hopeful we will be able to put away a lot of delicious grapes in the freezer this year also.
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