How to Wash and Freeze Fresh Blueberries

If you ask me, the best part about moving into summer is the availability of fresh, local fruit and vegetables. The worst part is that you turn your back on them for a second and they’re already rotting.

So today, I wanted to show you how to wash and freeze fresh blueberries in order to enjoy them longer!

Buying Fresh Blueberries

I have always had a serious obsession with blueberries. Do not give me a pack of blueberries and expect it to return because I will eat them all in one sitting.

It is one of those things that I don’t question since this cute little fruit is so good for you – full of vitamins and antioxidants.

Luckily, on my weekly trip to Root’s Farmers Market with my neighbor, one of the stands had an entire case of blueberries for six dollars!

SIX DOLLARS!

For twelve packs of blueberries? That is an absolute steal, so we scooped up the case and split them – six packs for him and six packs for me.

I knew six packs wouldn’t last long – even with my ravenous, blueberry-loving spirit around.

Luckily, it is quick and easy to freeze fresh blueberries.

How to Wash Fresh Blueberries

As with any fruit you get, regardless of where from, it is important to wash them in order to wash off any dirt or insects that may be living on it.

You could just run your blueberries under hot tap water and that would work – but to really preserve the berries, there’s another special ingredient that you should add:

Vinegar.

Yup. You heard me right.

Vinegar in its chemical form is just Acetic Acid and using a vinegar/water wash mixture will kill off any micro-insects or mold spores that cause the fruit to rot so quickly.

Vinegar really is a truly beautiful ingredient for so many reasons – but we won’t get into all that here. This is about blueberries!

(Definitely not about washing glass, cleaning the toilet, disinfecting your kitchen, or any other handy uses for vinegar)

Put your Blueberries in a Bowl

The first step to washing blueberries is to dump them all in a bowl.

Add Vinegar and Hot Water

Then you will add your vinegar and water.

Rule of thumb is to add 1 part vinegar to 4 parts hot water.

I used apple cider vinegar because it was what I had, but white vinegar is perfectly acceptable as well.

Mix Well

Then mix them around real good. Make sure you not only mix the vinegar and water together real well, but you want to make sure you coat all the blueberries with the mixture.

However long you think you should send the blueberries on their own little water ride – add a minute. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed and coated.

One bad blueberry in the mix can ruin the whole batch.

Rinse

The next step is to dump everything in a colander to drain the liquid out.

Then you’ll want to rinse the entire business with hot water for a while – simply to make sure you’ve eliminated the vinegar taste.

Vinegar has a very distinct taste and smell, but remember that your mixture is only 20% vinegar so it won’t take that long to wash off.

Let the berries dry for a moment and then you’re ready to freeze!

How to Freeze Fresh Blueberries

Lay blueberries out on baking sheet

For most fruits and veggies, you want to freeze them in a single layer.

If you don’t freeze each piece individually, you will end up with a giant clump that will make it very difficult to use only a portion of berries without having to thaw the whole bag.

I used a baking sheet to lay mine out, but any sort of flat surface will work – as long as everything is laid out in a single layer.

Place in the freezer

Once I laid all the blueberries out on a baking sheet – I said a quick little prayer to the blueberry gods that my baking sheet would actually FIT in my freezer.

I breathed a quick sigh of relief as they fit perfectly on the top rolling rack.

I lined my sheets with aluminum foil but parchment paper or wax paper would work as well. You also don’t have to line them at all, but I wanted easy clean up.

Remove from the freezer

Since blueberries are tiny and juicy, it does not take long for them to freeze. You can leave them in the freezer anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

I removed them and pulled up the aluminum foil to dump them right back into the big bowl I washed them in. Easy clean up!

From there, you can put them in a freezer safe bag or container before placing them in the freezer for future use.

Vacuum sealing freezer bags

It is best practice to vacuum seal anything you put into the freezer to prevent it from getting freezer burned.

Food savers can get expensive, so I put together a video on an easy way to vacuum seal bags without needing one.

Final notes

This process is not specific to blueberries. It can be used for any type of berry that has a thin outer layer such as strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

Using the vinegar and hot water wash will not only help you freeze blueberries, it will also allow you to keep them in your refrigerator longer as well. I’ve been able to keep berries in my fridge for up to a week.

As soon as they start to over ripen, I simply throw them in a quick smoothie or bake muffins to spoil my coworkers with.

The process to freeze fresh blueberries is so simple and quick – why wouldn’t you want to take the time to keep them longer?

What are you hoping to use your frozen berries for?