I Finally Found the Best Way to Wash and Store Blueberries So They Stay Perfect for Weeks

There’s almost nothing nicer than a pint of fresh blueberries. You can bake them into oatmeal muffins or muffin cookies. Or you could skip all that and do what I most often do, which is just eat the whole container standing up in the kitchen before the berries ever hit the fridge. No matter how you choose to enjoy your berries, they need to be washed before they’re enjoyed. Here’s the best way to do it.

Like a lot of produce, the best time to wash blueberries is right before you’re planning on using them. Washing the berries in advance risks them absorbing excess moisture, which can quicken spoilage. 

If you do opt to wash your berries before storing them, make sure they are completely dry before returning them to a container. A salad spinner is a great tool for drying berries and other produce quickly and thoroughly.

The best way to wash blueberries is to rinse them under cool water in a colander. This ensures that they’re clean, but avoids soaking them completely, which can lead to the berries absorbing moisture and rotting more quickly.

The best way to store blueberries is in the refrigerator in single layers in an airtight container with paper towels between each layer. In our testing, we found that this method can keep berries fresh for a full two weeks.

For long-term storage, blueberries can be frozen in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Once the berries are frozen solid, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag.

• Classic Blueberry Buckle
• Blueberry Muffin Bread
• Blueberry-Lemon Mousse
• Lemon Blueberry Dutch Baby
• Blueberry Crumb Bars

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: I Finally Found the Best Way to Wash and Store Blueberries So They Stay Perfect for Weeks