Freezing blueberries

[Saralaya]

Hi- I got a really good deal on blueberries. They look really nice. I do not have enough room in my freezer to freeze them on a cookie sheet first..so I will have to put them directly into freezer bags... I don't know if I should rinse them and then let them dry on paper towels first or just freeze them as is? Any help will be very gratefully accepted!

[Tish]

Look here Freezer guide & how to freeze fruits and vegetables!...HTH

[Saralaya]

Tish wrote:
Look here Freezer guide & how to freeze fruits and vegetables!...HTH

Hi Tish- thanks for the guide. My only problem is that I have no room to freeze them on trays - so I'm not sure whether to rinse them before putting them in freezer bags... they're pretty fragile so "patting them dry" after rinsing would probably do more harm than good. Oh well, I'll just have to experiment! Thanks again.

[* Pamela *]

I would try freezing them flat in ziplocs if you have room for that. One of the benefits of freezing them on cookie sheet is that you can take out a few berries at a time when you need them and not have to defrost the whole bag. Let us know how it goes!

[Kzim4]

I would rinse, spread out on paper towels to let them dry a bit, and then place into baggies. If you kinda shake them around every once in a while while they're freezing, they'll stay separated better, also. Of course, the last batch I froze, I placed in the freezer directly in the little plastic container they came in (planning on putting them in a bag later, as I just wanted to get them in the freezer before I forgot and they weren't good anymore), and they didn't clump at all.

[Olive*]

When I freeze blueberries, I gently rinse them off and then spread them out on a large old towel to air dry. After they have dried, I just add them to freezer bags. I haven't had any problems with them clumping together doing it that away. I have froze them on cookie sheets too, but when I pick large amount of blueberries, I don't have enough cookie sheets or freezer space to accommodate. So the air drying on towels work great for me.

[CharityAnn]

You know what? I just bought a bunch too, same problem-not enough room in the freezer. I just tossed them into a freezer container-without washing or drying-and found I can reach in and grab a cup full or whatever I need, no problem-they didn't stick together. To me, they are easier to rinse and dry from there-just another idea..

[Missmagill]

I just froze some blueberries a month or so ago. They're all used up now, but came out fine. I just rinsed them, let them dry a bit, and froze them in air-tight ziplocks. I never use a pan.

[Oolala]

Do you just defrost them and eat them or do they change? I would imagine you would need to use in muffins, smoothies, etc. Costco has great blueberries now.