How to Freeze Blueberries
/One of my favorite things about summer is the blueberries. From July to September blueberries are freshly picked in Oregon and I eat them on everything. I go into complete berry overload!
I put blueberries on my oatmeal in the morning, on salads for lunch and dinner, in my banana ice-cream for a summer cool-down treat, in my blueberry breakfast crisp or just plain as a snack.
Blueberries are soo good for you too! They've been shown to improve memory in humans (1), protect against the progression of cancer (2), atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases of aging (2).
Blueberries are so wondrous for our health because there are so many health promoting compounds in blueberries. Blueberries contain (3)...
- fiber
- calcium
- magnesium
- phosphorous
- potassium
- vitamin C
- folate
- choline
- vitamin A
- beta carotene
- lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids)
- vitamin K
- a ton of flavonoids and proanthocyanidin (disease fighting compounds)
The list doesn't stop here. Blueberries also contain many trace amounts of additional vitamins and minerals that are not included in this list (3).
One way to get a lot of blueberries in your diet, is to always have them around. However, they can be expensive, so the least expensive way to have blueberries year round is to freeze them.
How to Freeze Blueberries
1. Buy freshly picked blueberries. You can buy them in the store, however, they will cost less if you buy them directly from a farmer, especially in large batches or even better, if you pick them yourself (find your local U-Pick blueberries). I prefer organic blueberries but if you can't find or afford organic, non-organic is better than not eating blueberries at all!
2. Spread the berries evenly as one layer onto a cookie sheet or pie pan. Don't pile blueberries on-top of each other. They'll freeze together in clumps this way. Pick out any stems or leaves. Don't rinse the berries before you freeze them. This will make the skins tough and not as tasty.
3. Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until hard.
4. Remove blueberries from freezer, remove any additional stems and store in plastic sealed containers or zip lock bags. Write the date you froze them on the bag or container (you can also use a piece of tape). This way you'll know how old they are when you find them years later in the back of your freezer!
5. When you're ready to eat your frozen blueberries, rinse them, and then cook!
Top left: packaged frozen berries, Top right: berries about to go in the freezer, Bottom left: picking stems off berries post freezing, Bottom right: berries on my oatmeal this morning
Take Control Now
How do you freeze blueberries? Have a different method you'd like to share? Or, what's your favorite way to eat blueberries?
Put your answer in the comments section below. I'd love to hear from you. And please like this article or pass it on if it was of any use to you!
References