Blueberries: Tips and Tricks

Let's continue talking about fruit!  I simply can't get enough of blueberries this year!  Our local grocery store has had blueberries on sale for the past few weeks.  Every time I go, I have to pick up 2 or 3 containers.  Lucky for me, Mike doesn't like blueberries, so I get to enjoy them all myself!

As with strawberries, I grew up going blueberry picking with my mom every summer.  We found a place not too far from our house where the blueberry bushes weren't tended to but the prices were half of the other berry farms!  I've gone blueberry picking on my own for the past couple years.  I like to pick an abundance of berries so I can enjoy some fresh and also freeze some.  I use the same method to freeze my blueberries as I do for my strawberries (sometimes I rinse the blueberries before freezing, other times I give them a quick rinse to help them thaw.)

Here's how I store my fresh blueberries:

You can use store-bought blueberries, fresh picked blueberries, or berries from the farmer's market!  Oh, I can't wait until our farmer's market has big plump berries!

Pour the blueberries into an airtight container.  Again, if you have a chance to buy the green produce container, I'd definitely recommend it!

When you're ready to use the berries, rinse them with water, either by the handful or in a colander.  I choose to wash my berries just before using them because I've found that allowing blueberries to soak in water makes them water logged.

Have you ever gone blueberry picking?

Other Fruit Tips and Tricks:
Watermelon
Strawberries
Mangoes
Pineapple
Avocados