Tips for Buying and Storing Blueberries

Choosing Blueberries Even perfectly ripe blueberries don't have much of a scent, so use your eyes first. First- Look for dark blue blueberries that have a slight white-silvery bloom on them. Avoid purplish or greenish berries and pint containers that include them since it's a sign that the blueberries were picked indiscriminately and not at their peak. Second- Use your hand. Blueberries should feel heavy for their amount. Third- Give a few berries a taste. They should burst when you bite them and be tart but sweet. Storing Blueberries Pick through the blueberries when you get them home and remove any smashed, cut, or damaged blueberries (they will mold quickly and damage the other berries). Blueberries are best used as soon as possible. Store them on the counter in a colander over a bowl with an ice pack in it to help keep them cool if you're going to eat them within a day or two. Otherwise, store them in an air-tight container in the fridge, but not in the drawer where it gets too humid. Just-picked blueberries will keep up to a week properly stored. Note: Do not rinse or wash blueberries until you're ready to use them - the moisture will shorten their storage span considerably! Freezing Blueberries Freezing your own ample blueberry harvest is easy. Rinse blueberries and pat them dry. Lay them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Put them in the freezer until frozen solid, usually overnight does it. Transfer to resealable plastic bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and keep frozen until ready to use. For most baked goods, you can use the berries straight from the freezer - they'll defrost as the pie or tart or cake bakes.