Here’s How Long Blueberries Will Last in Your Fridge

How long blueberries last in the fridge is decided by how they are packaged before being frozen. To properly keep them, care must be taken; otherwise, berries may seem watery or damaged at the point of consumption.

Nonetheless, if you read this article to the conclusion, you will discover how to conserve berries and, in the process, how long they will stay in the fridge fresh, cooked, frozen, and so on.

What Are Blueberries?

Blueberries are shrubs that produce little blue or purple fruits. They’re tiny fruits that grow on bushes ranging in height from 10 centimeters (4 inches) to 4 meters (13 feet). These are low-cost fruits that don’t require any prepping and are easy to buy at every grocery shop.

These fruits are a widely dispersed and extensive group of perennial blooming plants with blue or purple berries that belong to the genus Vaccinium’s section Cyanococcus.

Cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries, and Madeira blueberries are all members of the Vaccinium genus. Commercial blueberries are endemic to North America, both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush).

Highbush, lowbush, hybrid half-high, and rabbiteye are the four main varieties of blueberries.

Highbush blueberries are the most widely planted. Because most blueberry breeding has concentrated on this species, there is a broad range of variants in terms of cold resistance, fruit season, size, and flavor.

Lowbush blueberries are produced in large quantities in Canada, while highbush blueberries are produced in large quantities in the United States.

SEE: Can You Freeze Fresh Strawberry?

How Long Do Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

Blueberries may be stored in the fridge for up to 5-10 days if properly wrapped. However, berries will barely stay a day at room temperature before losing shape.

How Long Do Fresh Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

Fresh blueberries will last the same amount of time as non-fresh blueberries, which is between five and ten days if stored properly.

How Long Do Cooked Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

Cooked blueberries are a different story since they have been heated. As a result, it can only be kept in the fridge for four to five days.

How Long Do Cut Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

At room temperature, cut and properly kept blueberries will last 2-3 days. Pickled blueberries have a shelf life of around 1-3 weeks if properly pickled, canned, and stored in a refrigerator.

Therefore, if you want a perfect shelf life, freeze berries as this is the greatest approach to extending their lifespan.

SEE: Can You Freeze Cherries?

How Long Do Frozen Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

Unfortunately, frozen berries will only last a day before becoming mushy if not returned to the freezer.

This is because when frozen berries thaw in the fridge, they return to their original condition and occasionally become softer than they should be owing to the freezing.

How Long Do Thawed Blueberries Last in the Fridge?

Thawed blueberries can keep in the fridge for a week if kept covered. It is essential to use them as soon as they have thawed to avoid them deteriorating completely.

SEE: Can You Freeze Dates?

How to Tell if Blueberries Are Bad

The beautiful thing about fruits is that when they go bad, the warning is more visible than in other foods.

1. Texture and softness

Often, bad berries are extremely soft and mushy. Furthermore, the exterior covering’s texture is wrinkled and dry in comparison. So, if a berry feels flappy in your palms, it may be no longer healthy.

2. Seeping juices

Juices seep from rotten berries all the time, that’s a clear sign. So, if you find a few berries that are damaged and dripping, stay away from them.

3. Bad stench

A foul stench will go with anything that is decaying. If the entire container has an unpleasant odor, the entire bunch of berries may have gone rotten. Even if you get a few decent ones, wash everything in a vinegar-water solution before consuming them.

4. Appearance of mold

The appearance of white or discolored mold spreading across your berries shows that they have gone bad and should not be eaten but thrown out.

5. Sour taste

It is straightforward to find bad berries, and in most situations, you will not need to taste them to prove their quality.

However, in the case of dried blueberries, or if you’ve been storing berries for a long time and haven’t seen any visual changes, your tastes may come to your rescue. Take a little taste of fruit to assess whether the flavor has worsened.

6. Frozen spoilage

A frozen burn has occurred if you see any dry areas or discoloration in your frozen blueberries. It does not make the berries unpalatable. However, make sure you devour those berries quickly before their quality worsens more.

What Happens if You Eat Bad Blueberry?

In the prevalence of dangerous pollutants, including the hepatitis A virus, blueberries, whether fresh or frozen, are a major source of food poisoning. As a result, it is essential to ingest blueberries only when they are fresh, washed, and decontaminated.

Whenever it pertains to expired blueberries, avoid them at all costs. The molds that develop on the berries not only stink and taste bad, but they may also trigger allergic responses or respiratory difficulties in certain people.

Furthermore, moldy blueberries are much more prone to be old and nutritionally deficient. Consuming such berries is therefore a needless risk. As a result, if you believe that blueberries have gone bad or that you’ve kept fruit for longer than you should, it’s better to toss them.

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How to Preserve Blueberries

Always put blueberries in a frozen bag that allows them to breathe and avoid being squashed. Use the following tips to preserve your blueberries.

1. Do not wash berries

If you aren’t going to consume blueberries right away, don’t wash them. As there is a protecting bloom, which stops the loss of moisture in blueberries and thus keeps them from decomposing. As a result, you should not wash berries.

2. Cross-check berries before storing

While blueberry stems are edible, they are bitter. As a result, before storing them, remove the stems.

Furthermore, any soft, decaying, or rotten berries in the bunch must be removed. Rotten berries increase the total moisture content in the container, increasing the infection risk.

3. Put berries in the refrigerator

If you’re not sure you’ll eat the berries within a few days, put them in the fridge. Berries should be kept in a closed container with a paper towel inside or in fruit storage containers.

Blueberries should not be stored in the coldest areas of the refrigerator or crispers since humidity levels are high there.

One of the most crucial tips for keeping berries fresh is to keep them in low-humidity, cool surroundings. Furthermore, berries do not get adequate air circulation in the crisper drawer.

4. Freeze blueberries if overripe

If you bought overripe blueberries, package them at once and freeze them to sustain them for longer than two weeks.

SEE: Get a Chance to Win a $500 Gift Card at Giant Foods

5. Dry your blueberries

Blueberries, when dried, make a great snack. You can effectively dry blueberries at home using a dehydrator or an oven in case you were wondering. To fracture the outer peel and dry the berries, boil them for a minute or two.

Then, bake the berries for 4 hours at 140 degrees Celsius, stirring every 30 minutes. Allow the berries to cool fully before storing them in an airtight container.

6. Wash berries with vinegar

If you need to wash the berries before storing them, mix one-part vinegar with three parts water. Vinegar destroys and inhibits the growth of mold. Make careful to wash the berries with clean water afterward to get rid of the vinegar smell.

FAQs

What are the benefits of blueberries?

Blueberries include vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that offer significant health advantages. They are high in vitamin K, which is good for heart health. Vitamin D is also necessary for bone health and blood coagulation.

Is it ok to eat blueberries every day?

Yes, it is. If you eat blueberries every day, you’ll receive more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your diet; nevertheless, don’t go overboard. These blue fruits supply almost 21 grams of carbs per cup, including 14.7 grams of sugar.

Do blueberries have side effects?

Yes, it does. This is only for persons who are sensitive to salicylates. Blueberries can induce a rash, headaches, and a variety of gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, reflux, swelling, gas, diarrhea, and bowel problems. The salicylate content in blueberry juice is very high.

When you meet salicylates, salicylic acid, or comparable substances, you develop a sensitivity to them. It’s a natural part of many fruits, vegetables, and spices, and it’s present in plants.

What is the best way to store fresh blueberries?

Refrigeration is the best choice. You may, however, freeze blueberries to make them last longer. Place your blueberries in the refrigerator but not in the crisper drawer, where air does not flow efficiently.

The blueberries will keep for up to a week in this manner, depending on how ripe they were when bought.

Is it safe to eat thawed frozen blueberries?

There is no reason to be afraid of keeping and eating berries after they have been thawed. If you take the right precautions and are vigilant in storing them, then it is okay.

Simply remember to carefully store, defrost, and refrigerate your fruit, and you should be good. Don’t feel terrible about tossing out spoiled fruit either if they are bad.

Conclusion

Blueberries are one of the most popular berries since they can be used in a variety of dishes, the most common of which is baking and desserts such as ice cream.

They are cultivated in the United States and Canada and have been exported to other regions of the world.

However, storing them is a task that requires care, as the fruits are carriers of a built-in germ that can be harmful to health if not kept properly before consumption.

As a result, you must ensure that you always do what is needed when it comes to your blueberries, particularly if they are new from the farm.

Thank you for reading.

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