How to Freeze Blueberries: 5 Ways to Use Frozen Blueberries

Fresh blueberries are a sweet, summertime fruit. There are four types of blueberries: highbush varieties, lowbush varieties, hybrids of high and lowbush, and rabbiteye. Depending on the region, the North American blueberry season (including harvest) runs anywhere from April to late September. Blueberries are packed with vitamin C and provide myriad health benefits. In addition to being a healthy treat, both fresh and frozen berries are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide array of recipes, including smoothies, blueberry muffins, blueberry pie, and served on top of ice cream.

Follow these steps to freeze fresh blueberries. This method also works for freezing fresh raspberries and blackberries as well.

1. 1. Rinse the blueberries. Washing blueberries helps remove residual dirt. Place fresh blueberries in a colander and gently rinse them with cool water.
2. 2. Let the blueberries dry. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Gently pour the blueberries onto the baking sheet and allow them to air dry.
3. 3. Flash-freeze the blueberries. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dry blueberries to the cookie sheet, making sure that the berries form a single layer. Place the tray in the freezer for two to twenty-four hours. Do not leave the blueberries in the freezer for longer than twenty-four hours to avoid freezer burn.
4. 4. Store the berries in freezer bags. Once frozen, transfer the berries to a zip-top freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Label your plastic bag or container with the date you froze the berries. Use them within ten months. When you're ready to use your frozen blueberries, you can use them frozen or thaw them. Thaw your blueberries by placing the plastic bag in room temperature water for an hour.

Frozen blueberries can be used in a wide array of blueberry recipes. Pick up fresh berries from your local farmer's market or grocery store in the peak season and use them throughout the year in these recipes.

1. 1. Blueberry cobbler: Blueberry cobbler is a baked dessert that pairs juicy, baked blueberries with a fluffy, sweet biscuit-style topping. Like blueberry pie without the fuss of pie dough, blueberry cobbler offers a flexible format with reliably stunning results. Variations include stone fruits like plum or peach cobbler or other summer berries, like strawberry or blackberry cobbler.
2. 2. Glazed lemon blueberry bread: Lemon blueberry bread is a loaf cake packed with lemon flavor and fresh blueberries. Somewhere in between a quick bread and a pound cake, a lemon blueberry loaf is the perfect baked good to serve with brunch or afternoon coffee.
3. 3. Blueberry kale smoothie: Add frozen blueberries to a healthy kale smoothie recipe alongside other complementary ingredients like bananas and almond milk.
4. 4. Blueberry muffins: Add frozen blueberries directly to muffin batter along with fresh lemon zest for a sweet yet tart muffin recipe.
5. 5. Mixed berry pie: A mixed berry pie is a sweet baked dish with a berry filling made with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a pastry crust.

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