{"id":198429,"date":"2025-04-22T09:57:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T09:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/budget-food\/how-to-freeze-blueberries-4-easy-steps-recipe-ideas\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T09:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T09:57:26","slug":"how-to-freeze-blueberries-4-easy-steps-recipe-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=198429","title":{"rendered":"How to Freeze Blueberries | 4 Easy Steps + Recipe Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Learn how to freeze blueberries to enjoy the sweet and tart flavor all year long! Use your frozen blueberries in yummy recipes from berry pie to smoothies and more.<\/p>\n

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My dad has a video of my son eating blueberries hand over fist when he was just 9 months old. He loved them so much, he literally couldn\u2019t stop eating them!<\/p>\n

I feel the same way about blueberries and can\u2019t help but fill my cart when they\u2019re on sale at the peak of the blueberry season<\/a>. The kids can eat as much as they want, and I make Kale Salad with Blueberries, Walnuts, and Feta<\/a> several times, but I also make sure to put some up so we can enjoy blueberries long after the season has ended.<\/p>\n

My go-to method for preserving blueberries is freezing them, so I want to show you my step-by-step tutorial on how to freeze blueberries!<\/p>\n

BEST WAY TO STORE BLUEBERRIES FOR FREEZING<\/h2>\n

Does it matter when you freeze blueberries? In my experience, no. You can freeze them fresh off the bush when you\u2019ve come home from blueberry picking at a u-pick farm or after they\u2019ve been in your fridge for a few days.<\/p>\n

You do, however, want to make sure that you freeze blueberries BEFORE they start to go bad in the fridge. At the soonest sign that the blueberries are going bad (getting smaller, mushy, or wrinkly), pop them in the freezer!<\/p>\n

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HOW TO FREEZE BLUEBERRIES<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ll use a similar process that we use for freezing strawberries<\/a> to freeze blueberries. The only difference is that we don\u2019t have to cut the blueberries ahead of time!<\/p>\n

Step 1: Before freezing blueberries, wash them!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide residue, called the Dirty Dozen<\/a>. Blueberries pop off and on this list, so it\u2019s a good idea to wash your blueberries.<\/p>\n

Place blueberries in a strainer in the sink and use one of these homemade fruit and veggie wash recipes<\/a> to save money versus expensive pre-made produce cleaners at the store.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve washed the blueberries, make sure to dry berries using a couple of paper towels or a kitchen towel.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Prepare the blueberries for the freezer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t want the blueberries to freeze in one large clump, so we\u2019re using a technique called flash freezing.<\/p>\n

To flash freeze blueberries, spread them on a cookie sheet (I have these sheet pans<\/a>) in a single layer. It\u2019s okay if they touch, but you don\u2019t want any blueberries piled on top of each other.<\/p>\n

You normally don\u2019t need to line the baking sheet with waxing paper, parchment paper<\/a>, or silicone mats (I have this set<\/a>) when you\u2019re freezing blueberries, but if you find that it\u2019s really hard to get them off the sheet pan, you can line the pan next time.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Freezing fresh blueberries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Place the entire cookie sheet in your freezer for at least an hour.<\/p>\n

Blueberries aren\u2019t big to begin with, so it shouldn\u2019t take much longer than an hour for the berries to freeze through UNLESS your freezer is already pretty full. If that\u2019s the case, let the blueberries sit in the freezer for 2-4 hours.<\/p>\n

Note: Use this set of cooling racks<\/a> to stack multiple sheet pans on top of each other and maximize your freezer space! This lets you store vertically and freeze a lot of blueberries at once.<\/em><\/p>\n

Step 4: Storing frozen blueberries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After the blueberries are frozen through, transfer the frozen berries from the baking sheet into a freezer-safe container<\/a> or resealable bag<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Personally, I like to use gallon plastic bags, and I\u2019ll reuse them multiple times until they don\u2019t seal anymore, or until they have a hole.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about freezer burn, you\u2019ll want to double-wrap your blueberries. That could mean two plastic freezer bags (maybe a couple of quart bags put inside a gallon bag) or it could be one bag placed inside a container. Whatever works best for you!<\/p>\n

Once wrapped well, your frozen berries will last 6 months or more in the freezer and you can use them for your favorite frozen blueberries recipes!<\/p>\n

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HOW TO FREEZE BLUEBERRIES WITHOUT GETTING MUSHY<\/h2>\n

Can you freeze blueberries so they don\u2019t turn out mushy? This is the only downside to freezing blueberries \u2013 they will have a softer texture when they thaw. Unfortunately, that\u2019s just the way it is.<\/p>\n

Remember though, that you can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh in most baked blueberry dessert recipes. In baked goods, frozen blueberries and fresh blueberries look and taste the same!<\/p>\n

HOW TO FREEZE FRESH BLUEBERRIES FOR SMOOTHIES<\/h2>\n

The flash freezing method above works perfectly for freezing blueberries for smoothies. When you make your smoothie, just grab a scoop or two from the bag and toss them in the blender.<\/p>\n

(I have a Blendtec blender<\/a> and it blends up frozen blueberries and strawberries perfectly smooth, every time!)<\/p>\n

Just remember to not let your bag of frozen blueberries sit at room temperature, or they\u2019ll start to thaw. Then when you re-freeze the blueberries, they\u2019ll stick together in one big clump from all the juice.<\/p>\n

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FAVORITE RECIPES THAT USE FROZEN BLUEBERRIES<\/h2>\n

My favorite part about freezing blueberries is that you can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones in almost every favorite blueberry recipe! Try these recipes that use frozen blueberries:<\/p>\n

HOW TO ENJOY FROZEN BLUEBERRIES WHEN TRACKING MACROS<\/h2>\n

Berries are a great low-carb option to add more produce to your plate. They are also an easy way to add sweetness without adding unnecessary sugar.<\/p>\n

This post is full of ways to add fresh or frozen blueberries to your meals, so I won\u2019t rehash those here. But keep berries in mind when you\u2019re building your plate.<\/p>\n

When deciding what to eat, aim for these general guidelines:<\/p>\n